
North Korean defectors make debut in new K-pop boy band
1VERSE, pronounced 'universe', is made up of five men in their 20s from North Korea, Japan and the United States, who go by their first names, Hyuk, Seok, Aito, Nathan, and Kenny.
At midnight, the group performed a live-streamed showcase of their first EP 'The 1st Verse' featuring three tracks, including the debut single 'Shattered'.
A video to accompany the song will drop later on Friday. Recorded earlier this year, it shows the group sporting make-up and slick hairstyles, dancing against a stroboscopic background.
Yu Hyuk, originally from the northeastern county of Kyongsong in North Korea, has been living in South Korea since 2013.
As well as enjoying the freedom to show off his talent to the world, the 25-year-old also appreciates being able to eat three meals a day.
In North Korea, he started work at the age of nine and said he was sometimes forced into desperate measures to get food, eating spoiled rice or worse, and resorting to theft.
'After I was caught stealing, I was beaten hard until I was bleeding. I was really hungry and instinctively I was thinking about survival,' he told Reuters at the group's studio in the South Korean capital.
North Korea has stepped up control over people's lives since the COVID-19 pandemic when all borders were sealed, and abuses such as executions, forced labour and reports of starvation continue, a U.N. official investigating rights in the isolated state told Reuters last month.
Hyuk escaped North Korea as a child – fleeing to China and then across other international borders with the help of a broker arranged by his mother, who was already in South Korea.
While he is happy with his new life, he recalls that it was a wrench to leave his home.
'I was hungry and tired, but I was happy surrounded by the people I like which made it tougher for me to want to come here at first,' he said.
The song 'Shattered' encapsulates his feelings when he learned about the death of his father in North Korea, he said.
Kim Seok, the other North Korean defector in the group and also 25, used to live in a border town near China. He was exposed to K-pop by a friend who shared music videos on a portable media player, including Psy's 2012 smash 'Gangnam Style'.
Seok escaped with his father and grandmother when he was 20 years old.
Recent reports have suggested that Pyongyang is stepping up its crackdown on the consumption of South Korean culture, including a case where teenagers were sentenced to hard labour for watching K-pop, as well as suppressing South Korean speaking styles.
Michelle Cho, producer and CEO of 1VERSE's label Singing Beetle, said she wanted to create a more authentic group in an industry often seen as picture-perfect.
'Who doesn't love the story of someone from a humble background chasing their dreams, especially K-pop,' she said.
Despite their diverse backgrounds, the bandmates said they had plenty in common.
'I mean isn't it fun? Like our group is just a unique type of global,' said Kenny, who is Chinese American.
While the group has drawn attention for having North Korean defectors, Hyuk hopes they will be judged by the quality of their work.
'I want to become an idol that brings energy and the message that cheers up many people, that they aren't alone and there are even people like me.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

TimesLIVE
11 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Hollywood bling for 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
Organisers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics have named TV and film executive Peter Rice as head of ceremonies and content, marking the first time a major Hollywood figure will oversee the creative production of the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies. Rice, who has had senior leadership experience with 21st Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company, will serve as lead executive producer for both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Los Angeles. 'Our ceremonies will capture the energy, innovation and creativity of Los Angeles as well as the emotion that exists at the heart of every Olympic Games,' Rice told Reuters in an interview. 'The challenge is to welcome the world in a way that's not only memorable, but truly representative of LA's unique spirit — a city that stands at the crossroads of creativity, sports, and art.' The British American producer will shape the creative vision and oversee production of all four ceremonies at two iconic venues: the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the newly built SoFi Stadium. He said his experience with global sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Series, and Fifa World Cup has prepared him for the task, and emphasised that assembling a world-class production team was his priority. 'We need people with deep Olympic experience who can also tap into LA's creativity and energy,' he said, adding that the selection of a production company is expected by year's end. LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman expressed enthusiasm for Rice's appointment, citing their 25-year friendship and Rice's unique blend of business, technical, financial and creative skills. 'I knew he was our number one draft pick,' Wasserman said. Rice, whose projects have earned 51 Academy Award and 293 Emmy nominations, hopes the ceremonies reflect Southern California's spirit of optimism. 'It's a place where people go to pursue their dreams, and the Olympics are all about people's dreams,' he said. The LA Games open on July 14, 2028, with the Paralympic Games after in August. It will be the first time Los Angeles has hosted a Paralympics.

IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Russians spending millions on Labubus
Russians have spent more than 1.5 billion rubles ($17.6 million) on Labubu toys this year, according to data from e-commerce platform Wildberries & Russ Russians have spent more than 1.5 billion rubles ($17.6 million) on Labubu toys this year, according to data from e-commerce platform Wildberries & Russ, cited by TASS. Created by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung for his book 'The Monsters', the small elf-like character with sharp teeth became a global collectible sensation after Chinese company Pop Mart launched it in blind box format in 2019. Its popularity surged in 2024 when Thai-born K-pop star Lisa shared photos of the dolls on Instagram, triggering a wave of celebrity endorsements. Singer Rihanna was later seen with one clipped to her Louis Vuitton bag, Kim Kardashian displayed a collection of ten figures, and former England football captain David Beckham posted an image of a Labubu gifted by his daughter, making the toy an international trend. Although Labubu-themed products appeared on Wildberries in July 2024, the company said sales remained negligible until May this year, when demand jumped by 4,700% compared to April, reaching tens of millions of rubles.

IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Cape Town dance crew becomes world champions in Spain
A Cape Town dance crew served their opponents and returned as overall world champions in two categories from an international competition in Spain. K&J Dance Unlimited Studio made history as they returned overall world champs in the Senior Commercial Large group and Senior Commercial Small Group at the 2025 Dance World Cup held in Burgos, Spain from July 2-12. The dance studio, based in the northern suburbs, sent 41 dancers between the ages of 9 to 24 years old to represent South Africa. They competed against 8 500 dancers from over 60 countries and rose above the odds. Senior dancer at K&J Dance Unlimited, Chanae Convalle, said it was the most challenging competition they have ever competed in but the team managed to come out tops and make the country proud.