Kim Hyun Joong has opted not to take his scheduled military leave this September.

The actor-idol, who has been serving in the military since May while knee-deep in controversy, did not offer an explanation why he chose to forego his first military leave.

But an acquaintance said it was part of an effort to keep out of the public eye ahead of the third court hearing for his ongoing legal battle with his ex-girlfriend set on September 23, reports The Korea Herald.

Kim Hyun Joong is caught in a drawn-out, headline-grabbing legal saga with his ex-girlfriend who had initially accused the actor of assault.

He admitted last year to hitting his ex-girlfriend in one instance, and had apologized for the incident, and the then-couple had even been reported to reconcile in February.

But the legal war between Kim Hyun Joong and his ex-girlfriend flared up again upon news that the ex-girlfriend was allegedly pregnant with the actor's child, but that she will not marry the actor.

Then it was reported that the ex-girlfriend has suffered a miscarriage and had filed a lawsuit seeking damages, which led the actor's side refute the claims that she was ever pregnant or had a miscarriage due to trauma and abuse.

Kim Hyun Joong has filed a countersuit against his ex-girlfriend on grounds of defamation, seeking around US$1 million in damages.

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Mickey is a writer and digital content creator based in Manila. He is a co-founder of ZAVI App and editor of the small business blog IndieMickey. He has also been bitten by the K-pop fashion bug - follow him on Instagram @mickjami.