You are 32 this year?
Yes, it was like yesterday that I was 30, suddenly I am 32.
Shouldn't you be leaving SJ now? (laugh) You are now like the backbone of idols. What do you think of the new idols?
I feel bad when I see those idols debuting at a very young age. I have done everything that I should have done and should not have done when I was a student. Like working part time, getting hit by the teacher, playing with friends... I have done all those things. Now the rookies start training at a very young age, they almost didn't have any memories of student life and they don't have many friends too.
Did you debut immediately after graduating from high school?
Yes, I was the kind that debuted late. Most of them become trainees when they are in middle school. I enjoyed myself and played enough, it was around October, I was thinking if I should go for an audition? So I came to Seoul and took part in the SM audition and I got selected. I used to come to Seoul a lot with my friends to play. Every weekend, there will be many people coming for auditions. There wasn't even any empty space in front of the company. I thought it was interesting so I went for it and I got selected. I took part in the audition in 2002 October and started to be a trainee in November.
What were you doing between 2002 February when you have graduated high school to 2002 October when you become a trainee?
Playing and I also worked for awhile.
Didn't you think of going to university?
I attended a technical school and started working on the 2nd year of high school. Then I interned at a water factory on my 3rd year. The university I went to was Sangji University. I have worked in a furnace shop and a swimming pool before. From the 2nd year of high school onwards, I started distributing flyers. Is it ok to take photos with these beer bottles? I have a recording tomorrow and I didn't want to drink. But since hyung is drinking, I will have one glass too.
The natural atmosphere like this is good. The age of your fans will also go up from 10-20 years old to 40-50 years old. Say everything you want to say today!
I like the comfortable atmosphere too, hyung, cheers! Wah, it's so cooling! Feels good.
You started to be a trainee in October 2002 and then you debuted in 2005 with Sharp 2?
Yes, I acted that with Go Ara. I debuted as an actor in May 2005 and then debuted with SJ in November that year.
Your training period is considered short. Do you get paid (during training)?
You don't get paid as a trainee but the company provides you with everything you need. There weren't any need to use money. Food and accommodation were taken care of and there were some pocket money. I stayed at Cheongdam-dong in Seoul at that time. U-know Yunho, SJ Donghae, Trax Jay and me stayed together. Yunho debuted as DBSK in 2004 and was the first to leave the dorm.
It must be good at that time. One often feel that the student period is the best after coming out to the society. Similarly, singers will feel that it is the best during trainee period?
I really miss those times. Like what Lee SooMan sunbaenim or any other senior singers said, the training period is the best and the most interesting, create more memories. At that time, I didn't understand. Looking back after debuting, that period is really the best. Nobody knows me, if the 4 of us go back to that time, it must be fun.
It must be good if the 4 of you can play together.
Definitely, anywhere I go, my looks will attract attention. Hahaha.
Do you still contact any of those female celebrities you have met when you were a trainee?
I was close to Son Dambi since trainee period. Although we belong to different companies, we really get along well, and we got close quickly. Moreover she has a boyish character, a nice character, it's good to live together, comfortable, it's good. Maybe because we are both successful now, so we can maintain the friendship well. If one of us drops out, we might not be as close as we are now.
Are there a few SM trainees or are there like hundreds?
Right now I am not sure but there were really a lot during our era. At that time it wasn't like what is now, there are so many auditions. Every weekend, there will be a very long queue outside the company, they are all here for the audition. From what I know, amongst those who came for the auditions themselves, only SNSD Yoona, SHinee Taemin and I got selected.
Most of the trainees were picked from the streets by the scouts?
Yes, most of them were scouted and came looking for the company after being contacted. The company's system is very successful. Isn't this like one bottomless pit after another bottomless pit? Nobody knows who will succeed so it was a risk to take. Like when I was a newbie the company didn't like what I said in the broadcasts, we must be more mysterious. But I used dialects and said everything that I want to say. I was the first kid to behave like this among the SM idols. Why is there a kid like this? I feel that I was a little special too, and a little rude. Although some people thought that I was a problematic kid, Lee SooMan sunbaenim understood me and even gave me a lot of encouragement. If not for Lee SooMan sunbaenim, I won't be here.
Your hometown is?
Hoengseong, I stayed in Wonju before. Studied in a elementary school in Seoul, Sillim-dong. Then I went back to Wonju for middle and high school.
Did you get into others beside Sangji University?
My English is really bad, so I thought I should really learn my English well. I chose to major in English, it was really hard. So I studied it while training. I even thought of transferring to another school but it clashed with my debut so it's like this now. I was from Gangwon-do so going to Sangji University is like attending a school in my hometown. So I transferred there during my 4th year at Sangji University.
I think you can even got for elections in Wonju.
Politics should be left to politicians.
You look like a politician more than a politician. You might become a director in SM or a representative to take part in an election.
I don't know anything about politics, I just want to promote my hometown a bit.
Do you feel inferior at all about your birth place?
Not that I don't feel inferior at all, I just don't show it. I even thought about getting rid of my dialect before but I have been very casual since my trainee days (so I didn't do it). I like rock very much but my company doesn't like such rough and explosive kind of singing, so I ended up not going to the practice room. I was asked to write a self-reflection letter because of this but I wrote 'I didn't do anything wrong but because you asked me to write this so I am writing it' on the letter.
You are really daring, but you were asked to do self-reflection?
The company thinks that personality education is important. To a celebrity, it is important that we have good progress but personality and mannerism are even more important. We will always do our greetings well. Those singers that have debuted will greet trainees when they see them. And of course the trainees will also greet the singers. The company is full of this atmosphere. But because I was a disobedient kid from Gangwon-do village and I always disappear, the company listed me as the number 1 target for management.
What does the company do to a rebellious kid like you?
I have been going out casually since I was a trainee. Lee SooMan sunbaenim told me before 'you are not rebellious because of a bad personality. You are just a kid who isn't used to a organized lifestyle but you possess the feel of a celebrity more than others'. Everyone thought that I am a problematic child but the CEO understood me from my personality, gave me affirmation. I wouldn't be here if not for him.
You mum's wish must have been granted. When you signed up with SM, I heard that you mum told the SM staff to grow you into a man.
Now when she sees a SM staff, the first thing she says will be 'thank you for growing my son into a man'. When SM first negotiated the contract terms, my mum said 'just sign up for 30 years directly'. My mum always tell me 'if you are with other companies, will they just let you do whatever you want? Accept all your behaviours? This is the only company that accepts you, don't mess it up, do well'.
I feel that SM is like military. YG has more of a free and unrestrained image. Have you thought of going to other companies?
I think I am more unrestrained than YG (laughs). Not that I have not thought about it but no matter which company it is, even if the unhappiness is gone at first, there will also be more other kinds of unhappiness. What I envy about YG is YG only does music shows for once or twice a week. SM has 4 in a week. To be honest, if we go only once or twice a week, we will have more time to prepare and it's not so tiring. But the funny thing is Sandara Park of 2NE1 told me 'Oppa, we are more envious that SM has so many shows'.
Seems like SM will control personal time too. Does the company stop you from dating or talking to opposite genders?
Our company doesn't do this, healthy dating is permitted. So they emphasize more on thinking correctly to make the right decisions.
The people in SM are trustable.
Of course, when you keep telling me 'well done', I will really do it well. Why do you tell me that I have personality when I obviously just did it without thoughts? Seems like they were afraid that I will go on the wrong path if they scold me. They even accepted things like this so I felt that I should work harder. Kangta hyung and Lee Sooman sunbaenim are both like this. He must do something he wants to do. It's not like he will do well after you scold him. Even if he goes on the wrong path, he will still follow what he should be following. So just let him do whatever he wants.
Looks like you will speak up directly if you are unhappy with the company.
So the staff will leave when they see me coming in. But when the rookie groups have a showcase or when they first appear in broadcasts, the staff will contact me, asking how I feel about it, they will not ask me how their singing was... I am not outstanding in the singing department. 'Do you think these kids will become popular?' They are asking me this because they feel that my opinions are good. I will tell them all the bad points.
How was EXO?
It will be good to not change their hair colours so often when they just debuted. That was my opinion. It is tiring for the fans to keep looking for this oppa or that oppa. It will also confuse the public if you keep changing their hair colours. I also told them not to give them the same hair colour. The first thing that people remember is always 'he is that kid with long hair', 'that kid with red hair'... obvious trademarks like this.
How are you so confident of things like this? Do you read forums?
I used to post replies in many forums in the past. You can get to know news in every area online, I was on the computer everyday. I cut that down after my debut. Although it is important to communicate with fans, there is no need to become a netizen. There should also be a limit to reading the comments from netizens. They might even lose their self confidence if they don't limit that. To the hoobaes too, don't read the comments from the netizens. Scoldings are everywhere, don't even know how they look like, don't even know what they are working as, there is no need to go mix around there.
You don't use Facebook or Kakaotalk?
I am using those but I am only posting my own words. In the past I used to post society problems on Twitter. Although I didn't mean that, I got scoldings for it. So now I only post my photos, or what I am doing today.
For the readers of Women's Central, they must be interested to know how to let their children become idols. You are generation 1.5 idol, what do you think about being an idol?
I think it's ok for me. Like what hyung said, personal character makes a big difference. Some friends who are having a tough time really have a hard time. When you compare an actor and an idol, it seems that actors have an easier life because there are a lot of die hard fans. When an actor acts in a very popular drama, he will become very popular. I will not be easily affected by scandals too. I will not be like a fan, pay, buy albums, watch concerts.. I am fine with just watching TV. But idols are moving alongside with fans. It doesn't matter how much freedom you have here, it is more important to do your own part. Although it is important to do things for fans, you will lose your own way if you only do things for fans. But if you love yourself and live for yourself, you will know how valuable fans are.
What if the readers want to teach their children to be idols?
Teach him to love himself first.
Although being a celebrity is a good job but it seems like idols are a bit more special. Even you are popular at first hit, it's hard to maintain it.
Yes, if you are raising your child as an idol, firstly parents have to throw away thoughts like 'our child is so talented but lack the courage' or 'our child is the best'. Everyone has different opinions. In the parents' eyes, their child is the best but he is not in other people's eyes. The idols' parents have more power than what we imagine. SM doesn't let parents interfere but such cases happened in other companies. To the mother, her own son is the best, so when other kids get more popular, they will start to create a scene, it isn't good like this.
SM's idols' parents are not allowed to interfere with their work? The parents of members must be close.
Yes, they are even going to China together for holidays. But my mum is the oldest, she is 62 years old.
Your mum gave birth when she was older.
My mum got married later. I have a sister that is older than me by a year. About 7-8 years ago, my sister opened a hallyu cafe in myeongdong. Though I go there sometimes but if the operations is going well, I don't interfere much. It was my sister who said that she has no intentions of using my fans, she is just doing a normal business. I don't like people who make use of others popularity or making use of others' backgrounds. I will not give in even if it is my parents or siblings.
Source: loveheenim
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