New K-pop boy band trio Re:wind talk about second chances and resetting their careers
Back in early 2024, Edward Park was having dinner when he received a text from a friend. It read: 'Hey, have you ever thought about being a K-pop idol?'
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'Here we go again,' he thought, letting out an audible groan.
That is because the budding actor had already chased his K-pop dream: he spent three months in Korea when he was 17, honing his singing and dancing skills around the clock at a Seoul training centre that acted as a funnel for
K-pop agencies . There, Park would sing 'until my voice would just collapse in on itself' and dance 'until I would just collapse on the floor', he says.
But after promises to join two big companies never materialised – as well as concerns over his mental and physical health – Park decided to walk away from the industry.
Eddie, who is Korean-American and grew up in southern California, has a background in musical theatre and listened to groups like Girl's Day and BTS growing up. Photo: Re:wind
By the time a smaller label gave him an opportunity to debut as an idol shortly before he left Korea in 2021, reality had hit for Park. 'Debut isn't even the start. You have to last the test of time,' he says. 'I would have to give up my education, my future.'
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