SEOUL — Cha Eun-woo, a member of Astro, was baptized into the Catholic Church while serving in the military, his agency, Fantagio, confirmed Thursday.
Fantagio said Cha received the baptismal name John the Apostle during a baptism ceremony held at a Catholic church in June.
Under South Korea’s military system, enlisted personnel may voluntarily attend religious services conducted within their units. Service members may also attend religious services of a different faith during personal time on weekends or holidays, regardless of their previous religious affiliation.
Cha enlisted in July 2025 and is serving in the Ministry of National Defense military band’s Fanfare Detachment. He is scheduled to complete his mandatory military service on Jan. 27, 2027.
Before the announcement, neither Cha nor Fantagio had publicly disclosed his religious affiliation. The agency also had not commented previously when Cha was seen wearing a Buddhist rosary bracelet.
