According to a report from MMA in Asia, beloved UFC featherweight "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung will be out of action until October of 2016 due to mandatory military service duties in his native South Korea. 

By law, South Korean men must serve in the military by the age of 30, and the 27-year-old fighter has yet to fulfill that requirement. Because of that, he is checking that off his to-do list immediately, and his military stint will begin Monday, Oct. 20, according to the report. 

The Korean Zombie has been out of action since August of 2013, when he lost a title bid against featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo via fourth-round TKO after injuring his shoulder in the fight. After rehabbing that injury, Jung was rebooked for a co-main event slot against Akira Corassani on the Oct. 4 UFC Fight Night 53 card. Jung never made it to the cage for that bout, however, as he reaggravated his injured shoulder in training and was pulled from the card. 

Chan Sung Jung is going to be out for another two years? pic.twitter.com/42clE5FxwP

— Joel Himself (@AnAngryBlackMan) October 13, 2014

It's unclear when we'll see Jung in the UFC Octagon again, as his military service will obviously keep him on the sidelines until October of 2016. While he's currently ranked No. 6 in the 145-pound division, he will likely be pulled from the rankings during his absence, and the division's landscape will undoubtedly change dramatically during the two-year stretch. 

MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani spoke with Jung's manager, Brian Rhee, about this latest development, and Rhee said while Jung is disappointed, he's looking forward to overcoming this obstacle and emerging better than ever upon his return. 

"He feels bad for his fans and thankful to the UFC, Dana and the Ferttitas for letting him be a professional fighter," Rhee told Helwani (h/t MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al-Shatti). "He's going to rehab, train and come back stronger than ever after the end of the two years."

Fortunately, the situation contains a few positives, according to MMAJunkie.com's Mike Bohn. Bohn also spoke with Rhee, and the manager informed him that Jung's position in the military will be office-based. Jung will also be able to spend time off base at home with his family, where he can also continue to train. 

While we still will not see Jung inside the Octagon, this is good news in the grand scheme of things, as he can stay in shape and continue to prepare for his eventual return.