From Bike Stunts to Dubai Cookies: Get to Know Rookie Group Naize!

CBS No Cut News met Naize last month at the C9 Entertainment building in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, just before their debut. Consisting of Kaisei (born 2004), Yunki, Ato, and Turn (born 2005), Yuya (born 2006), Kim Gun (born 2007), and Dohyuk (born 2008), Naize is a Gen Z group with all members born in the mid-to-late 2000s.

To introduce themselves to readers, the members shared their individual strengths. First, Kim Gun said, “I love hip-hop music, so I think rapping is my strength. Because I enjoy hip-hop and rap, I’ve been creating songs, singing, and recording with Yunki, Turn, and other members. I have very positive energy. Whatever I’m given, I work harder than anyone else without wasting a single moment.”

Yunki revealed, “I can compose, write lyrics, and write top-lines. As for my personality, I’m quite free-spirited.” Turn teased, “I think my strength is being able to show various charms. I’ll show you an all-rounder vibe.”

Dohyuk brought a laugh by saying, “Besides singing and dancing, I’m good at quietly listening to the older members. As the maknae of Naize, I handle the members’ jokes well.” Kim Gun added about Dohyuk, “He’s the maknae, but he’s not just like a typical maknae. He has an infinitely cute side, but he can also be quite cold.”

Ato, who noted that singing and dancing are basic for all seven members, sparked more laughter by saying, “I think being smart is my strength.” He elaborated, “I have a strong desire to succeed no matter how difficult the situation is, and I know I can do it. Even when trials come, I think about how to move forward positively, and I’m helping to keep the team centered.”

Kaisei described himself, saying, “My looks and personality are quite light and easy-going. I’m positive, but I try to keep a good balance.” Yuya shared, “I can breakdance. My personality is more of a ‘my pace’ style, taking things slowly.”

Naize especially piqued curiosity with their unique hobbies and specialties. Kim Gun shared, “I got 4379 points in Overwatch, while the top tier was 4700.” He also introduced his athletic side: “I love exercising, so I’ve done various things like Jiu-jitsu, Hapkido, and Kendo, and I was even a kickboxing athlete. Since I was told from a young age that I should be able to protect myself, I focused on practical martial arts.”

While his profile lists ‘skateboard’ as a specialty, Yunki picked ‘bicycle’ as something he’s more confident in. “I can do many amazing tricks. For example, I can ride with the front wheel up or jump off stairs. I really want to show these to the fans later,” he revealed. Regarding his English skills, he added, “I didn’t study abroad; I learned from gaming. I played more with foreign friends than Korean ones.”

Dohyuk explained, “My profile says furniture assembly, but I’m actually really good at fixing broken things in daily life. When I was young, I used to break things and then reassemble them to make them work again.” The members shared an anecdote about how Dohyuk fixed the dorm door when it broke.

Turn, who has played basketball since childhood and still does, lists sports as his specialty. “I’m also continuing to play golf. I love sports because they make me so happy. I also placed 4th in a yo-yo competition in Thailand. If I get the chance, I’ll use a yo-yo during a performance. Also, I’m good at learning new things. I think I pick them up and improve quickly,” he said.

Some members also love cooking. Ato said, “I’ve been making my own food since I was young. I have an older brother and a younger sister, and being the middle child, I cooked a lot. Now I can cook without recipes, though I use them when trying a new dish before eventually doing it by feel.” Ato mentioned he recently made ‘Du-jjon-ku’ (Dubai Chewy Cookies) and expressed his wish to share his food with fans one day.

Kaisei’s hobby was listed as ‘Unknown Exploration.’ He explained, “It’s a real hobby. I did it a lot when I was in Japan. I’m from Osaka, and I can get off at a station just by looking at the station name or the scenery without searching or using a map, thinking, ‘Ah, this is the place.’ I love just walking into shops that pique my curiosity. Personally, I think I’m lucky when it comes to finding great shops.”

Although he placed 3rd in a marathon hosted by a Japanese broadcaster, he doesn’t feel he’s particularly good at it, saying, “I wasn’t satisfied with my performance.”

Yuya, who loves “touching stories from daily life,” enjoys watching anime. His specialty is breakdancing. “The team I formed back then was lucky enough to win an award at a competition. I kept breakdancing, but my parents and sister love K-pop so much that I started watching TV with them and thought, ‘I want to become an idol too,'” he shared.

When asked about variety shows they want to appear on, Ato mentioned *Omniscient Interfering View*. “I think it could capture our daily lives. I like how broadcasting can record these moments. It seems like it would be so fun. Musically, if I could go on *Limousine Service*, I could really show off my vocal tone… There’s also *King of Mask Singer*, which my family watches a lot, and I want to appear on the YouTube content *Bobmukja* with Turn,” he answered.

Turn expressed a desire to appear on choreographer Bada’s YouTube channel, *Practice Room Bada-ssam*. “I love dancing. I’ve been dancing since I was four, so I want to go on and show my charm,” he hoped. Kaisei mentioned, “ISAC! It’s a shame there’s no marathon, but I love running, so I want to win the relay. It would be fun with all seven of us.”

Kim Gun said, “I want to go on *Killing Verse* and *Killing Voice* and perform our songs. There’s a content called *Slappy Freestyle* where a rapper usually sits on a sofa and raps freestyle. You can just grab the mic or look at your phone if you’ve prepared. I think it fits our team well, and as a long-time viewer, I’ve always wanted to go and just have fun.”

For their debut goals, Yuya picked “1st place on music shows.” He emphasized, “I also want to win a Rookie Award. I absolutely want one.” Turn and Kim Gun agreed, saying they want to sweep all the awards that only rookies can receive.

Finally, Turn sent a message to the fans who waited: “We’re preparing hard and will show you a great side of us. Fans, let’s get it!” Kaisei concluded, “The concept is very different from our Japanese activities, so I hope existing fans look forward to a different side of us, and I want to meet new fans as soon as possible.”