K-pop star, who begged on streets and fled North Korea, makes history as first defector to lead a boyband
In 2013, when he was just 12, Hyuk escaped the country where his early years were spent in extreme poverty. As per Korea JoongAng Daily, he begged on the streets to survive. 'Where I lived, we had to collect firewood just to cook rice and survive day by day, it was essential,' he said during the press conference in southern Seoul on Friday—just ahead of the group's first single release. He revealed that he didn't have enough access to music to even consider pursuing it as a career. 'Since I lived struggling every day, I lived so busily that I wonder if I even had time to listen to music, I didn't have that luxury.'
Even after debuting, Hyuk said his dream 'has always been to live like a human being.' That same need drove him to write a track called 'Ordinary Person,' which he first uploaded to YouTube in 2024. The lyrics were based on his life and struggles. Now, that same song has finally been performed live, this time with his bandmates by his side. 'With members from different countries all coming together as 1Verse, I just thought, 'We can do this regardless of background,'' said Aito, the group's youngest member from Japan, in an interview with AP.
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1Verse is made up of five members: Hyuk and Seok, both North Korean defectors, Nathan from Arkansas, Kenny from Los Angeles, and Aito from Japan. The quintet trained under Singing Beetle, a label launched by former SM Entertainment exec Michelle Cho. This is the company's first group, and the name shows how every member brings their own story, their own verse, coming together to form one universe.
Hyuk's road to stardom began in South Korea, working factory shifts just to get by. He even saved up enough to try for university, but COVID shattered that dream. 'It was when COVID was pretty severe, and a bad incident happened, so I had no choice but to work at a factory,' he said. Somewhere in that grind, he crossed paths with a music label CEO, someone who saw potential in him. He offered him training. At first, Hyuk thought it was a scam. But then he recalled thinking: 'I really have nothing right now. Even if you rob me, not even dust would come out.' But the CEO kept showing up, bought him meals and pushed him to believe. After a year of back-and-forth and building trust, Hyuk officially joined the label in late 2021.
Also read: ILLIT drags BTS, Jennie, and aespa to refute Min Hee Jin's accusations of copying NewJeans
Now, he says it feels like he finally belongs thanks to the members and their fans. Their fandom is called 5tarz, and the members say they already feel the support. 'I'm very grateful that people are paying attention to us. I think it's okay as long as it doesn't lean too much to one side … it's not just me but all our members are here too, it's a journey we're creating together,' he said.
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