Day6 drummer Dowoon has announced plans to begin his compulsory military service earlier than expected, in the coming January.

Yesterday (December 28), Day6 members Dowoon and Wonpil held a broadcast on V Live where the former shared the news of his upcoming enlistment. While the 26-year-old is not yet due to serve, the duo revealed that Dowoon had decided to enlist early in order to shorten the band’s hiatus.

“I think the time has come for me to say this. Today is my last scheduled activity, and on January 17, I will be enlisting in the army as a member of the military band,” he told fans, per Soompi.

The drummer went on to explain that he had decided to “match up” his military term to that of the other members of the band in hopes of returning as a complete group as soon as possible. “What’s important is that we go and come back quickly, so that we can start things back up again [as a band],” added Wonpil.

He added that he felt “fortunate” to be part of the military band, as he would be able to continue playing the drums throughout his service. “Musicians who play an instrument have this concern when they enlist in the military. If you don’t play your instrument for even a day, you start to lose your skills and your feel for the instrument,” Dowoon explained.

Dowoon will the third Day6 member to start his compulsory military service, following vocalist Sungjin, who began in March and bassist Young K, who enlisted in October this year. Guitarist Jae is not a South Korean citizen, making Wonpil the final member of the band who has yet to enlist.