(UNICEF)

Boy band Super Junior’s Choi Si-won will be enlisting for his mandatory military service Thursday amid much fanfare.

Choi, who recently starred as the stylish magazine journalist Kim Shin-hyuk in the hit rom-com series “She Was Pretty,” has been receiving praise for his performance.

Though Choi has been an actor for over 10 years -- since his appearance in the 2004 drama series “Precious Family” -- his career had never received the spotlight.

Choi’s portrayal of Shin-hyuk, however, has been lauded as detailed and layered, according to reports, as he portrayed an intensely goofy but ultimately sincere character.

“I think people responded well because (Shin-hyuk) is similar to how I am in real life,” Choi told reporters on Sunday.

With a sleek complexion and impeccable style, Choi has been stealing the hearts of millions of fans across the country, recently hitting the 5 million follower mark on Twitter.

For a long time, Choi had primarily been typecast as a handsome celebrity or a somewhat unapproachable urbane character in drama series and films, based on his looks.

It was only recently that he became emblazoned in viewers’ minds as an unexpectedly comical character -- with his appearance in MBC’s variety show “Infinite Challenge.” In the broadcast, Choi didn’t hesitate to contort his face ridiculously or show pictures of himself in revealing, skin-tight cycling gear, inciting howls of laughter from the crowd and excited viewer responses.

“I know that my public image hasn’t been completely likeable,” he said. “But I love funny things. I’m actually very funny.”

After a stellar year, Choi hopes to start anew after his two-year stint in the army.

“I hope those two years will help me prepare for the second act of my life in my thirties,” said the 29-year-old singer-actor. “I want to take on more challenges then. I know I can’t always succeed, but I want to be unafraid of failure and learn how to accept it.”

By Rumy Doo (bigbird@heraldcorp.com)