Kang Seung Yoon is widely known as the main vocalist of the renowned third-generation boy group WINNER. However, to ARMYs, he has become even more familiar through his close connection with Jin—especially during the period when the two served in the military at the same time. Jin once shared photos of the two of them together on Weverse, accompanied by a sweet message that read: “Seung Yoon-ssi, congratulations on completion. I had great 6 weeks with you. You did great job as trainee. You will do well your military service in your unit too. I wanted ARMY and INNER CIRCLE to like it".
It is known that Jin enlisted on December 13, 2022, while Kang Seung Yoon enlisted on June 20, 2023. At the time Kang was undergoing basic training as a new recruit at the Yeoncheon Recruitment Training Center, Jin was serving there as an αѕѕistant drill instructor. It should be noted that the two were not αѕѕigned to the same unit.
On the November 19 broadcast of KBS CoolFM radio, while promoting his solo album Page 2, Seung Yoon shared the story of how the two met, saying: “I met him as a drill instructor at the training center I entered… He is such a world star, so even though he already seems huge, within the military organization he looked like a god-like existence. Honestly, we had no personal connection at all, but when he heard the news that I was entering the training center, he contacted me first.”
Meanwhile, during a recent live broadcast on the 21st of this month, Seung Yoon had more opportunities to go into detail about the friendship that developed between them in the military, delighting fans. In particular, when talking about Jin, Seung Yoon could not hide his respect for Assistant Drill Instructor Jin, who always worked diligently, nor his gratitude for what Jin did for him as a senior idol in the military.
He recalled the story of the precious Choco Pies and began sharing: “Here’s a heartwarming story from that time. Through the drill instructor in charge of our platoon, Jin hyung sent me a box of Choco Pies right when I was really struggling. A whole box of Choco Pies. I still can’t forget how touched I was at that moment.”
To explain why he was so deeply moved by just a box of snacks, he added: “Of course, in everyday civilian life, a box of Choco Pies doesn’t mean much. But as a trainee, you can’t freely use the PX. Maybe once a week, usually on the weekend. Trainees do receive supplies sometimes too—ramen, snacks, drinks. But when you’re going through the toughest training, those supplies never feel like enough. And you don’t even have the freedom to eat whenever you want. So when I couldn’t go to the PX, that one box of Choco Pies Jin hyung gave me meant everything to me. I don’t even eat Choco Pies in civilian life. But in there, when you’re physically exhausted, eating soмєтнing sweet нιтs you completely differently. That taste is no joke.”
He continued: “Thankfully, since I had a whole box from Jin hyung, I ate one myself and then told the guys in my platoon, ‘These are Choco Pies bestowed by Drill Instructor Kim Seokjin the Great.’ I didn’t hide them. I shared them. The Choco Pies disappeared in an instant. As much as I received, I shared the heartwarming story of Drill Instructor Kim Seokjin with the platoon and gratefully handed them out. With that strength, I kept pushing through my life as a trainee.”
Not stopping there, Seung Yoon also shared another small anecdote about υиєχρє¢тє∂ly running into Jin one day: “As far as I know, he himself is someone who works extremely hard. He’s very fit, super athletic, and his personality is really easygoing, so he handled military life very well. And yet, he told me that I was working very hard and that I should take it easy. If my memory serves me correctly, I think I said to him, ‘How can I do that—just sit back and take it easy—when I even received Choco Pies from Assistant Drill Instructor Kim Seokjin? I’ll keep working hard and doing my best.’”
Seung Yoon’s heartfelt words about Jin deeply moved fans, who also nodded in agreement that this warmth and kindness perfectly reflect Jin’s character. Both fans and Seung Yoon were especially touched by the fact that Jin could have chosen to do nothing or treat Kang like any other recruit, considering they were not friends prior to enlistment. Instead of ignoring a fellow idol, Jin chose to proactively show care and offer support within his capacity. He understood the hardships idols face when enlisting and knew that even small acts of kindness could provide comfort during military life.
Indeed, Jin helped Seung Yoon feel less lonely and anxious in an environment completely different from his former idol life. He even found renewed motivation to complete his service after witnessing the senior idol’s strong work ethic. At that point, fans fully understood why Seung Yoon described Jin’s presence as “like a god-like existence.”
Most importantly, even after both idols completed their military service and were discharged, they have continued to stay in touch and maintain their close friendship. One non-fan even posted on a Naver Blog that they spotted the two idols eating кσяєαn barbecue together at a restaurant in Seoul this past January. It seems Jin has added yet another phone number to his contact list of “fewer than ten celebrities"!
