Vernon drops 'I'll Be Back' and enlists the same day

Vernon dropped I'll Be Back on August 20 across online music platforms, then headed straight into basic military training that afternoon.

The track is a pop-leaning electronic song. Vernon wrote and composed it himself, weaving in direct messages to fans. He'd already performed it live at the 2026 VERNON THE 8 [V8] LIVE concert in July, where it got strong crowd response before the official release.

After basic training, Vernon will serve as a social service worker (대체복무). His discharge is scheduled for May 19, 2028.

His enlistment starts a domino effect for SEVENTEEN. Dokyeom goes on September 8 as active duty. Mingyu follows September 10 as alternative service. Seungkwan and Dino both enlist October 26 as Army military musicians. The group enters full hiatus once the relay finishes, right after wrapping their NEW_ world tour encore run in April.

Vernon's solo work has been steady. Shining Star (Vernon Solo) appeared on SEVENTEEN's fifth studio album. 미아 (Mia) landed on the V8 mini album Vol. 1. His mixtape Black Eye leaned into heavy band sound. He co-produced the V8 album alongside D8 (디에잇). Beyond music, he became a full member of the Korean Music Copyright Association in 2024 and joined the Recording Academy's voting membership for the 2025 Grammy Awards. Eleven years since his 2015 debut and the résumé keeps stacking.