Following up on their first interview, BE BOYS got real about the reality of debut life, their unique backstories, and their future goals. Member Hakseong especially caught attention as he calmly shared his journey of adapting to South Korean society while chasing his idol dreams.
Currently promoting their title track “SLAM DUNK” from their first single “BE:2,” BE BOYS (Yunseo, Guhyeon, Minjun, Hakseong, Takuma, and Woncheon) sat down with Xports News to discuss the behind-the-scenes of their debut and the team’s direction.
The members achieved their dreams after long periods as trainees and appearing on survival programs. Yunseo opened up about the realistic worries he’s had since debuting.
“Debuting was my first goal. There was a time when I stopped being a trainee, and I felt despair, wondering if it would all end without even appearing on a music show once,” he recalled. He added, “Once I actually debuted, I realized that appearing on music shows isn’t the end. I felt a bit of a wall and realized it would be hard to survive if I didn’t work even harder.”
While happy to have achieved his dream, there are definitely parts that differ from his expectations. Regarding the moments he felt disappointed during promotions, Yunseo said, “I thought I’d be able to appear on music shows constantly after debuting, but since there are shows we couldn’t appear on, I felt bad that I couldn’t show myself to the fans more regularly.”
Their paths to debut are all very different. Yunseo shared that he pursued his idol dreams despite his parents’ opposition. After being cast following a middle school festival performance, he said, “My father told me he would allow it if I got into the most famous arts high school in Seoul in one go, so I passed the entrance exam for SOPA and started my trainee life.”
Woncheon revealed an unusual background in judo. “I used to do sports. I had been playing instruments steadily, and around the time I wanted to quit sports, I learned various instruments and vocals. Then, through a recommendation from my teacher, I got an audition opportunity,” he explained.
Hakseong originally dreamed of becoming an actor. After watching the drama “My Love from the Star,” he first aspired to act, but he caused some laughter by revealing that at the academy he attended through an acquaintance, he learned dancing and singing instead of acting. This sparked his interest in becoming an idol.
Hakseong, who is a North Korean defector, calmly shared his process of adapting to life in South Korea. “I came here at 14, so it’s been 9 years,” he said. “To adapt quickly, I went to a regular school instead of an alternative school. I was very scared, but I think I adapted quickly by attending academies.”
He also mentioned, “I wasn’t used to public transportation, so I was reluctant to leave the house. When I first went to the academy, I couldn’t bring myself to take public transport. So, I walked for over an hour.” He added that it took several months before he could finally use public transportation.
He further explained, “Even though we use the same language, the intonation and expressions are so different that I worried a lot about how to speak to avoid being misunderstood. Because my accent was strong, I practiced speaking softly and calmly by watching how senior Yoo Jae Suk hosts.”
Guhyeon talked about his past experience and the worries that followed. “I joined my first company as a new member rather than a trainee. After promoting with the team, I received offers from many companies, but my previous activity history made things difficult in some ways,” he revealed.
He honestly shared a frustrating experience: “I was cast by the same company twice. While discussing the contract after an audition, they told me it wouldn’t work because they were concerned about ‘image consumption’ due to my previous activities.” However, Guhyeon added, “I gave my best in everything, so I’ve never regretted it once.”
Finally, BE BOYS expressed their wish to be a team that promotes for a long time. Minjun said, “I hope the six of us can promote healthily for a long time without setting a specific time limit. Our goal is to become a team that continues to reach new peaks.”
Yunseo emphasized, “Since the members have such distinct personalities, I want us to be a team where even people who don’t usually listen to music can feel, ‘This is a BE BOYS song,’ by utilizing those individualities.”
