[2018] NAM JOO HYUK PROFILE & FACT

            안녕하세요여러본들!! 오랜만에..ㅋㅋㅋ:D udah lama banget aku gak bikin Profile beberapa actor bikin aku falling in love..sejak aku menghilang dari dunia menulis!! -____-Awalnya aku pingin bikin profile tentang song jongki oppa tapi kayaknya udah terlalu mainstream alias udah banyak yang bikin lah. Pasti!!!! sejak dia jadi member running man sampai dia jadi seorang tentara(drama terbarunya yang BOOOMING kemana mana itu!) hehehe… udah lupakanlah!!!

            Sekarang aku lagi membidik beberapa orang yang bermarga Nam. Eh, kayak berasa aku penulis yang bakal bikin drama yak? Hehehe…Belakangan ini aku semakin mengila dengan pria pria dari marga Nam yaitu Joo Hyuk (Model, Actor)  sama Nam Taehyun (magnaenya Winner).

            Tapi, kali ini aku bakal bahas tentang Joo Hyuk aja dulu yak :D secara dia Sunbaenya si Taehyun kalo diliat dari sejarah siapa yang kenal aku duluan. kayak berasa siapa aku ini ya?  Jangan marahlah dongsaengdeul, eonnideul, chingudeul!! Bongiyaaa~ hahaha…

            Pertama kali aku liat Nam Joo Hyuk itu diMV milik AKMU alias Akdong Musisian. Kalian pasti udah pernah liat kan? Kalo belum gih liat sana :D dia cute >.<!! aku juga cemburulah liat dia jalan sama cewe cantik tp pas ending ternyata adiknya.. hahaha…

            Udah ah!! Lets start~

Name         : Nam Joo Hyuk (남주혁)

Birthday    : 22 February 1994

Birthplace : Busan, South Korea

Height       : 188cm

Weight       :73kg

BloodType :A

Education   :

• Gyeongnam School
• Su ilgodeung School
• Seoul Hoseo Arts College

Twitter      : nam6310

Fancafe     : Daum Cafe Joo Hyuk

Instagram :Instagram

Hobby       : Basket dan mendengar Musik.

Drama Series

• Come hug me (SOON)
• The Bride of HaBaek (tvN, 2017) - Ha Baek
• Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (MBC, 2016) - Jung Joon-hyung
• Scarlet Heart: Ryeo | Bobogyungsim: Ryeo (SBS / 2016) - Wang Wook
•  Cheese in the Trap (tvN / 2016) - Eun-Taek
• Glamorous Temptation | Hwaryeohan Yoohok (MBC / 2015) - Jin Hyung-Woo (young)
• Who Are You: School 2015 | Hooayoo- Hakgyo 2015 (KBS2 / 2015) - Han Yi-An
•  Surplus Princess | Ingyeogongjoo (tvN / 2014) – Big

Variety Shows:

•  Nam Tv, ICON TV. Youtube 2014
• Saturday Night Live Korea, eps 90. TvN 2014
• Off to School, jTBC 2014-2015
• Running Man. Eps 230,SBS 2015
• Celebrity Bromance, MBigTV, with Jisoo
• Three Meals a Day: Gochang Village, tvN
• My Ear's Candy, tvN with Ji Soo, Shin Jae-ha dan Kim Yoo-han

Video Music:

•  AKMU - 200%
• AKMU – Give Love
• Kangnam Ft San E - Chocolate

FILM

• Ansi City, 2017 - Sa mool

Award

• Popularity Actor Award ("Who Are You: School 2015") - 2015 KBS Drama Awards - Des 31, 2015
•  Best New Actor ("Who Are You: School 2015”) - 2015 (4th) APAN Star Awards – Nov 28, 2015
• MBC Drama Awards - Best New Actor - 2016

Iklan:

•  Etude House - Lipstik
• Pocari Sweet – Campaign blue street
•  Hyundai Group – Modern outlet
• LG mode
•  Socar

Iklannya, aku gak banyak tahu. jadi nanti aku update kalo udah dapet ya!

Fakta:

1. Arti nama Joo Hyuk adalah Pilar/tiang yang bersinar. Kakek Joo Hyuk yang memberikan nama itu supaya dia bersinar bagi orang lain, terlihat tinggi dan kokoh. Karena itu, Joo Hyuk dapet julukan Namsan saat masih di Busan. LOL :D beneran kayak namsan tower dia!
2. Tinggi ayah Joo Hyuk 173cm dan Tinggi ibu Joo Hyuk 169cm. pantes aja anaknya tinggi :D udah ada bibitnya.
3. Joo Hyuk adalah anak Tunggal.
4.  Jika direfleksikan dengan warna maka Joo Hyuk adalah Biru. “yah! seperti Pocari Sweet jadi jangan minum aku” tiap ari aku bakal minum pocari dah kalo beneran itu kamu kkkk~
5.  Joo Hyuk debut sejak 2013 untuk modeling saat  SONGZIO Homme Spring/Summer 2014 collection
6.  Joo Hyuk cukup menjadi pusat perhatian saat diekolah karena ia pemain basket ganteng pastinya.
7. IQ 135 pinter juga tuh otak! Makanya males belajar -___-
8. Program TV Favorite Joo Hyuk, Infinite Challenges
9. Lagu yang sering didengar KCM, Ashina G – gorilla, M2M, SGwannabe, The Nuts, Ft.Island – Thunder, Shave, 사랑앓이.
10.   2014 adalah debut pertamanya didunia acting dalam drama The Idle Mermaid sebagai Park Dae Bak
11. Setahun kemudian Joo Hyuk bermain didrama School 2015: Who Are You? bersama Sunjae BTOB dan Kim Soo Hyun. Sebagai Han Yi An, pemeran Utama ke-2.
12. Ditahun yang sama, 2015. Joo Hyuk bermain di drama Glamorous Temptation sebagai Jin Hyeong Woo muda.
13. .  Di 2016 ini, Joo Hyuk bermain didrama Cheese In The Trap sebagai Kwon Eun Taek. Dia sweet banget didrama ini, aku mah bakal mau jadi pacar dia langsung gak pake gantung2 lagi. ahahaha
14.  Ditahun ini juga, dia main di Scarlet Heart: Ryeo  sebagai Wang Wook Pangeran yang ke-13. kalo bagi aku dia pangeran yang pertama! Lalu dilemparin tomat sama bias yang lain.
15.  Joo Hyuk lagi lagi reuni sama Ji Soo di Scarlet Heart: Ryeo  dan Ji Soo sebagai Pangeran ke-14. Aku jadi curiga mereka di Celebrity Bromance itu salah satu cara biar lebih akrab lagi jadi saudara selain emang udah temenanan. Sekalian promo kali ye?? Hehe
16. Joo Hyuk dan Ji Soo jika dilihat sekilas mirip. Kayak kakak adik, Itu kenapa mereka jadi sodara kali ya diScarlet Heart: Ryeo  (?) wah keren yang casting pemain drama!!
17. Joo Hyuk pernah keborgol tangannya karena kejahilan Kangnam saat mereka makan dikantin, mereka harus datang kekantor polisi untuk membuka borgol karena yang punya kantin gak punya kuncinya tonton Off to School deh.
18.   Sebelum Joo Hyuk terjun kedunia acting. Joo Hyuk bilang di Interview kalo dia benar – benar gak mau main drama. Karena dia bingung gimana sama modelingnya. Dia juga ngerasa khawatir dan ragu karena dia gak pernah belajar acting dari dulu. satu – satunya acting yang pernah dia lakuin adalah berbohong didepan temen-temennya. LOL :D
19.   Joo Hyuk Bilang kalo dia lagi hangout sama temen – temen, dia disering khawatir tentang pemikiran orang tentang dia dan berharap orang – orang gak menyadari kalo itu dia karena dia artis kayaknya. Tapi, kalo temen- temenya senang hangout bareng dia. dia gak bakal perduli sama orang yang ngambil fotonya diam diam atau pemikiran orang tentangnya.
20.   Joo Hyuk akrab dengan Joo Woo Jae, Haksu, Lee Chul Woo dan teman – teman model lainnya diagensi K+Model.
21.  Joo Hyuk itu kayak kembar dengan Jung Shin CNblue aku sempat terkecoh pas nonton School 2015 dari eps 1-10 aku pikir itu Jung Shin ternyata itu Joo Hyuk.
22. Joo Hyuk lahir di Busan tepatnya Yeong-do tapi pas Umur 17 tahun dia pindah ke Suwon, Provinsi Gyeonggi-do sampe sekarang. sekarang, Joo Hyuk Pulang – Pergi Suwon – Seoul. Kayaknya deket deh Suwon-Seoul.
23.  Joo Hyuk bilang orang yang tinggal di Seoul pasti bicara dan belajar Logat Seoul tapi dia enggak. Logatnya bukan Seoul juga bukan Logat Busan (satori) jadi cara bicara Joo Hyuk kedengaran Lucu. Akusih gak nemuin dimana lucunya? Perasaan sama semua selama masih bisa ngerti :D kkkk~
24.   Joo Hyuk pernah jadi pemain basket Suwon sebagai Guard tapi karena kakinya cedera ditulang kering dan harus operasi jadi dia berhenti main basket.
25. Joo Hyuk bilang kalo Basket adalah mimpinya. Jadi setelah dia berhenti main basket dia berpikir apa yang harus dia lakuin. Tapi suatu hari pas dia lagi nunggu temennya disalon temen macam apa itu ditungguin disalon? hmmmm… dia ngeliat majalah dan ngeliat banyak orang keren(?) kayaknya aku salah translate ya?
26.  Joo Hyuk bilang kalo dia berlatih model dan gak pergi kuliah alias gak kuliah. Suatu hari agensinya (K+Model) ngadain kontes dan Joo Hyuk daftar dihari terakhir. Luckynya! Dia jadi Juara Pertama dan sejak itulah dia belajar dengan sungguh-sungguh sebagai model. Lalu, Karir sebagai Model dimulai  Jreeeeeng….Jrengggg….!!!
27.  Alasan kenapa Joo Hyuk jadi Model buat MV AKMU karena wajah Joo Hyuk kayak murid sekolahan pas dengan konsep MVnya. Joo Hyuk harus pergi sendirian ke Jepang buat syuting MV itu setelah Seoul Colletion. Katanya itu pertama kalinya dia pergi keluar negeri jadi dia frustasi banget pas gak tau gimana mau transfer pesawat ke Okinawa. Jadi, Joo Hyuk nanya pake bahasa Inggris pas-pasan udah pasa taukan gimana bahasa Inggris dengan logat Korea kan? Ngakak bayanginnya dia tanya ke seorang yang dia kira orang Jepang taunya orang Korea.
28.  Joo Hyuk bilang karena Off To School dia jadi akrab sama Kangnam, tapi sekarang Kangnam gak angkat telpon dia lagi karena Kangnam udah terkenal sekarang (kidding). Joo Hyuk juga bilang sama Ji Soo kayak gitu pas di Celebrity Bromance. Ji Soo gak bakal angkat telpon dia lagi kalo filmnya udah rilis. Hahahaha~! Kamu telpon aku ajadeh. Kamu baru mau mencet aku udah angkat(?) kkkk~
29.   Joo Hyuk itu orangnya sangat aktif gak bisa diam kayaknya dan suka bercanda sama semua orang. suka sembrono dan bertingkah kayak anak – anak. sini kerumah deh aku punya adek kembar jadi kalian bertiga bisa main sepeda tiap hari>.<  Karena sifat Joo Hyuk yang selalu gembira itu, dia terlihat kayak gak punya hal yang ia khawatirin. Padahal dia khawatir pas becanda keorang – orang. -___- apalah ni anak, jangan becanda kalo gitu tapi kalo sama aku tak ciumdeh :D
30.  Kalo Joo Hyuk punya waktu luang biasanya dia nonton Film atau main basket sama temen – temennya atau jalan – jalan keliling Korea atau ke Busan atau diem dirumah aja. ajak akulah jalan jalan!!! sekarangkan musim couple disana (musim semi)
31.  Joo Hyuk bilang dia suka banget shopping. Tapi dia gak bisa karena gak punya uang. Ini gak meyakinkan!! Uang kamukan udah dikirim keaku semua eh(?)
32. Tipe ideal Joo Hyuk seseorang yang Wavelenght kayak dia, seseorang yang punya pikiran sehati sama dia dan berambut bob yang terlihat lincah, cute juga hangat aku aku!! aku rambut bob sekarang! aku juga cute ^^maksa…
33. Joo Hyuk termasuk YG Family gue emang lagi kena virus YGFamily nih. Lirih Taehyun. YG entertainment merupakan Agensi yang menaunginya untuk Acting sedangkan K+ Model adalah Agensi untuk Modeling.
34.   Music favorite Joo Hyuk adalah Busker Busker.
35.   Joo Hyuk bilang kalau dia gak bisa menyanyi dengan baik tapi sepanjang episode  Celebrity Bromance Joo Hyuk menunjukkan kemampuannya bernyanyi meski random dan itu cukup bagusloh!!! Hehe
36.  Sepertinya, Joo Hyuk punya pacar sekarang. soalnya Ji Soo nyindir itu di celebrity bromance. TT.TT
37.  Di Off To School juga, Joo Hyuk Nyanyi beberapa kali dan emang kebanyakan keselek karena lagunya ketinggian sampe harus dibantu sama anak anak sekolah. Ah! Kalo aku disana udah majutuh ngajak dia nyanyi dangdut aja biar goyang 
38. Joo Hyuk pernah bernyanyi bersama Dasom Sistar di MAMA 2014 

bisa kan bang nyanyi??? :D

JOO HYUK PHOTO'S

SEBELUM DEBUT, PAS SMA KAYAKNYA

SETELAH DEBUT KAYAKYA PAMER BEHEL

SI JI SOO MINTA DICROP MUKANYA TAK DIGANTI :D

MANA JOO HYUK MANA JUNGSHIN?

PLEASE!! FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO COPAS!

TOLONG DISERTAKAN CREDIT BLOG KU KALO KALIAN COPAS INI!

MAKASIH!

UPDATED, 5 FEBRUARI 2018

Credit:asianwiki.com, arirangKpoP, Wikipedia,namu.wiki, tenstarplusmagazine,yurajun.tistory.com,ko.wikipedia.org

KWAK SI YANG PROFILE

Hallo!!! Annyeonghaseyo..!!

Oraenmaniyeyo, eottohke jinae readers???

Pasti udah tanya-tanya siapa oppa diatas? Kali ini, yuk! Kita ubek-ubek(?) lagi profile salah satu artis korea yang kayaknya, bakal, pasti naik daun ASAP?!!! Dia oppa oppa loh! *kayak pernah aja bikin profile artis cewe :D* hahaha.. mian..

            Pertama kali liat oppa ini, entah kenapa langsung mikir “nih oppa, bentar lagi bakal terkenal nih. Tinggal tunggu aja drama apa yang bikin dia booming!” g tau kenapa, tiap aku nonton Drama/MV/Film keseringan merhatiin actor actor baru yang kadang jadi penguatnya aja. Orang bakal nonton Pemeran Utama Pria/Wanita pasti. Nah, kalo aku pasti liat yang dibelakangnya :D

            Kayak nonton MV-nya K.Will dulu, sebagian orang pasti nonton Seo In Guk sama Boram nya kan? Maybe Nah kalo aku, udah merhatiin cowo satunya aja, Si Ahn Jae Hyun oppa. sejak liat dia disana, aku mulai deh ngumpulin Profilenya dia kesana kemari. Nah, Sekarang apa coba? Udah Booming bener deh. Fans cewe dimana-mana *kayanya gue berasa tersaingin tp senang juga. Pernah ngerasa senang banget g pas idola cuma kamu yang suka? Berasa g ada saingan* Lupakan!  Trus udah itu MV Davichi – Don’t say goodbye. Tapi sayang banget aku g nemu satupun info tentang oppa itu . Cuma tau namanya dulu sama dia sibuk kuliah. kayaknya dia emang bener bener focus kuliah. Jadi g terlalu didunia acting -__- Dulu juga pernah mau bikin profilenya Ji Chang Wook Oppa pas dia main drama di Bachelor Vegetables store itu. tapi g jadi jadi. Dan feeling ku bener. Chang wook oppa makin terkenal setelah itu. dia yang main di Empress ki sama Healer itu loh. Hahaha…

            Oya, oppa yang mau aku bahas ini. baru deh debut. Dia baru main di 2 drama dan 1 film. Infonya juga baru dikit banget. Malahan susah nyarinya. *sedih* Suara oppa ini, entah! Kalo aku ngerasa bikin meleleh. Mengelegar! Lupakan! Dan pas aku ngeliatnya pertama kali. Aku ngerasa oppa nih ada ke Kyuhyun “SuJu” nya tapi juga ada ke Lee Minho nya juga miripnya. Cara dia bicara menurutku agak agak mirip actor Lee Minho. Dia juga satu management loh sama Lee Minho “BBF”

            Ah! Dari pada belibet banyak cerita. Yuk kita acak acak oppa satu ini. sebelumnya liat dulu fotonya ya? Jangan suka!!!! *aku tersaingin lagi kalo kalian bilang suka* hahahaha..

• Name           : Kwak Si Yang (곽시양) 
• Birth name   : Kwak Myeong Jin (곽명진) 
• Born             : Januari. 15. 1987
• Birth Place   : Seoul, Korea Selatan
• Debut           : 2014 as Actor (kalo model kurang yakin kapan mulainnya kapan) 
• Height          : 187cm
• Hobby           : Basket, Baseball
• Profession    : Actor, Model 
• Twitter          :- (dulu pas Park Bom-U&I rilis dia ada twitter tp setelah itu ilang)
  
• Facebook      : Facebook
• Instagram     : Instagram
• Daum             : Daum
• Website          : Instagram, starhaus.co.kr, Starhaus Entertaiment
• Agency           : Starhaus Entertaiment
• Family            : - (lagi tahap pencarian, soalnya vocab hangul masih low-_-)
  
• Education       : - (sda-_-)
  

Sing

•  유성은, 곽시양 - 아시나요 

Drama

• Oh My Gosh, Tvn/2015 as Seo Joon
• Perseve, Goo Hae Ra, Mnet/2015 as Kang Se Jong
• Glorious Day, SBS/2014 as Jung Hee Joo

Movie

• Nightflight, 2014 as Yong Joo (film ini bercerita ttg kehidupan gay gitu. oppa gitu juga -_-)

CF

•  Hyundai, 2014 
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Music Video

• K.will ft Chakun - Even if you Play, 2013 
• Baek Ji Young - Timeless, 2010 
• Park Boom - You And I, 2009 
• Kim Jae Seop - Miss.Lee , 2009 
• Yoonhwa Jaein - 사랑이 이런거였니, 2007

Fact

• Aku baru tau satu fakta bahwa si oppa pernah jadi Trainee SM.Ent bareng Kangin sama Heechul Oppa buat jadi penyanyi. But, I'm not sure! karena Korean ku masih dipart ngarti satu satu. tapi kalo kalian mau baca aku kasih linknya nih > Aboutkwaksiyang

Beberapa Foto nih dari Oppa.

Mirip mirip kyuhyun g sih sekali lewat? bagi aku ya. g tau kalian :P

Cute kan????

g sangka kalo udah 29th o.O

Sama temen/pasangan mainnya di Film Night Flight

Friends?!

Kayak foto Jadul padahal bukan -_-

Pernah liat Lee Minho gaya rambut begini??Tenang! Wajar kok mereka satu Agency. Hubungannya??!! hahaha

Awww...!! aku meleleh :D

Credits: starhaus.co.kr, Starhaus Facebook, daum,ko.wikipedia.org

Updated 9 Juli 2015 

Please credits ya kalo mau copas jangan budayakan mengambil tanpa izin! :) 

ERIC NAM Profile & Fact's

Hello everyone!!! i'm back again... :)
how are you??!! let's talking about someone new :D
He really cute, handsome and amazing too.. kkk~  if u ever watch AfterSchool Club on Arirang..
You can see 2 males korean handsome(?) talking so amazing with english :D
aaah~ so many speak.. haha let's see who's hee :D

• Birth Name : Eric Nam (에릭남)
• Korean Name : Nam Yoon-do (남윤도)
• Birt Place    : Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
• Birthday      : November 17, 1988 (24)
• Height         : 175cm
• Weight        : 64kg
• Blood Type : -
• Year active : 2011 - present
• Eduacation : Studied Bachelor of International Studies at Boston College
• Specialities : Piano, Cello
• Twitter       : https://twitter.com/ericnamofficial
• Facebook  :http://www.facebook.com/ericnamofficial
• Instagram   : https://instagram.com/realericnam
• Labels         : B2M Entertaiment

Facts : 

1. He graduated from The Lovett School in 2007 where he played soccer and played in the orchestra.
2. He also studied in Beijing for a year.
3. He can speak Korean, English, Spanish, Chinese, and is currently learning Japanese.
4. He became a part of the Atlanta Boy Choir and toured in Italy where he got to sing for mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, when he younger.
5. Before making it to the K-Pop industry, He was already making cover songs and posting them on YouTube.
6. He also once auditioned in SM Entertainment when he was in high school.
7. JYP representative called him after watching his cover songs and suggested that he should go to a JYP audition in New York but, he decided not to audition because during that time, he still had to focus on his studies.

[Exclusive] Interview with Eric Nam: The Unexpected K-Pop Artist By Soompi.com 

Eric Nam, following his 5th place finish on MBC’s “Star Audition: Birth of a Great Star” Season 2, is the newest member of the B2M Entertainment family, which includes popular artists such as Lee Hyori, SPICA, and SS501members Kim Kyu Jong and Heo Young Sang. He is currently promoting his first mini-album “Cloud 9,” which dropped on January 23rd, including the title track “Heaven’s Door.”

I was introduced to Eric through my friend Christine, an OG Soompier and the producer of Kollaboration, the nationwide talent competition that empowers Asian-Americans through entertainment. She got to know him when he directed the first-ever Kollaboration show in Boston. When I heard that Eric was also an old-school Soompier, I thought of presenting him as a fan, like the rest of us, who managed to bring his dreams of becoming a K-Pop artist to life. As we exchanged emails over the days leading up to his debut, I found that while this is all true, there was a surprising depth and breadth to his life experience that was both intriguing and refreshing.

Eric For Hazzy's

With the constant flow of new idol groups and singers debuting each week, it could be easy to overlook him as just another pretty face. Take another look, and you’ll find the most unexpected resume for a K-Pop artist. His extensive time abroad helping the underprivileged all over Latin America and India makes him seem more fit for the Peace Corps than the Music Bank stage. His education and work experience suits the job at the prestigious consulting firm he left behind. Instead, we meet him as the rookie singer who made his first stage appearance as a solo K-Pop artist just a few hours ago as I work on this interview. 

Right off the bat, I really liked the importance he put on connecting with fans outside of Korea in their own language, which luckily for us is English, as well as Spanish for our Soompi Spanish friends. In this in-depth interview, Eric opens up about his days as a Soompier, his path from uploading a YouTube video to getting signed at B2M, his feelings just days before his debut, and more.

Let’s start with some basic information. Where are you from, and how old are you?
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Went to school in Boston. I am 24 in the States (26 in Korea). Born in ’88.  I guess I’m considered older in this industry, especially to be debuting just now, but… I think age is just a number! Haha

What’s your musical background? How did you get exposed to music?
I grew up singing… always, always singing. I would memorize cassette tapes of Korean folk songs from beginning to end and was always singing in church. So I kind of just grew up with it. I also started the piano when I was 4, switched to the cello when I was about 9, and just kept singing on the side. The one time I did organized singing was with the Atlanta Boy Choir, which was pretty cool because we went on tour in Italy and I got to sing for mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Otherwise, singing was always on my own. In my later years of high school I started uploading YouTube videos for constructive criticism and continued throughout college. It was also my only real outlet to perform.

When did you first get interested in K-Pop?
I first started listening to what’s commonly known as K-Pop in middle school. I started off listening to some H.O.T., Fin.K.L., S.E.S. and then the following generation of musicians, Shinhwa, god, BoA, Fly to the Sky, etc. I would rent VHS (video cassettes… yeah remember those?) every week to watch shows like Music Bank, Inkigayo, Music Core, etc. I took a few years away from K-Pop and became re-interested in the genre around 2009/2010 while I was studying abroad in Beijing for a year. I started to see the impact that Hallyu was having in Chinese popular culture and started to follow groups like Girls’ Generation, Wonder Girls, Big Bang, 2NE1, 2PM, 2AM, etc.

Throughout, I’ve always tried to listen to other genres of music, that’s weren’t always necessarily considered “K-Pop” – such as Brown Eyes, Brown Eyed Soul, Gummy, Wheesung, 4Men, etc.

Who were your first K-Pop crushes and idols?
I think my first ever kpop crushes were BoA and Lee Hyori (is it awkward that I’m in her company?) I remember seeing both of them and thinking WOW (hahaha). In terms of performance, my family and I used to watch Shinhwa a lot and my brothers and I would try to mimic their dance moves and songs!

Who are your favorite non-K-Pop artists?
Bruno Mars, Adele, John Legend, John Mayer, Maroon 5, Marc Broussard, Alicia Keys, guilty pleasure – Taylor Swift (though she should really do something about all her heartbreak).

In K-Pop, I’m a big fan of 2NE1 and Big Bang, my mentor Lee Seung Hwan, Urban Zakapa, Naul, Ra.D, Ailee, the list goes on and on and on.

Eric with one of his American music idols, Brian McKnight

You mentioned that you used to be an active Soompier. How old were you when you were a Soompier, and how serious were you at that point about trying to “make it” in Korea?
I was probably 13 when I first started going on Soompi. For me, Soompi was very much about connecting to other Korean-Americans and people who were interested in Korean/Asian culture. When growing up in Atlanta, there weren’t as many Korean-Americans as there are now. I also went to a predominantly white school, so for a while it was actually really difficult for me to relate to peers and I think Soompi played a role in filling that gap. [Soomp's sidenote: I've heard stories like this so many times, but it always feels good to know that the Soompi community actually makes a difference in people's lives *sniff*] At a certain point, after a lot of pumping myself up, I developed the courage to upload some of my own music. I still remember being so incredibly nervous, because it was the first time that I was presenting myself to people and just putting myself out there for people to respond to. 

Honestly, for me, becoming a singer was always just a dream. I wanted to be a singer so bad and I wanted to audition for companies, but I never had the opportunity. YouTube and technology weren’t the way they are today, and even K-Pop wasn’t the huge cultural entity that it is now. In addition, my parents were also very much against me becoming a musician or a singer, so I always felt nervous and maybe even a bit guilty about trying to pursue music behind their backs.

I remember in high school, SM (Entertainment) had come to Atlanta for auditions, I hadn’t known until an hour before the audition, so I went in unprepared and extremely nervous, and obviously didn’t make it (hehehe). For me, I think my mentality was, I’ll keep uploading YouTube videos and if people like what they see maybe there’ll be a chance for me to audition or fate will take me somewhere, and in a way, that’s kind of what happened. There were definitely some really cool things that came up through YouTube.

At college graduation, I remember thinking, “Well, I guess there’s not much of a chance for me to be a singer anymore…” because I guess I had assumed college would be the last time I had enough “me time” and freedom to try to pursue it. But God always has other plans!

Backstage during MBC Star Audition with Actress Psrk Shin Hye and his mentor, Lee Seung Hwan

What motivated you to take the next step to audition for MBC’s Star Audition program? What was that whole process like?
I was selected to audition through the YouTube rounds. I never ever expected to make it. Honestly, I hadn’t even remembered that I had submitted, so when they contacted me, I thought it was a joke! When I was contacted, I was in India doing some non-profit work, having asked for a deferred start date at my “real” job in management consulting. It was really just a surreal experience. I kept making it through the rounds and I was being coached and mentored by some of Korean music’s biggest names and legends. It was definitely really hard as well. I remember just not being happy at parts of the show because of the toll that the stress and cultural differences take on you both physically and mentally. So, I’m definitely thankful, and I don’t have any regrets, but yeah, it was rough at points!

Did you already have a fan base before you made it on the show (from YouTube, etc.)?
I had a small and humble one from YouTube. Probably more of my fans were just friends and family.

How good was your Korean when you first went to Korea?
I had grown up speaking some Korean, I guess Konglish would be the best way to describe it. It definitely wasn’t the best, but I think some people actually thought it was a “cute” that I couldn’t speak too well (haha). It’s gotten better since when I first arrived, but it’s something that I still have to consciously work on.

How did you feel when you came in 5th place?
Honestly, I was relieved. The show had been going on for like 8 to 9 months and I was excited that I would be done with the constant stress. Obviously, there’s always disappointment as well, but I think it was a well-balanced, bittersweet moment. I knew that companies had called from early on while I was on the show, so I always thought that I would have a shot with signing, but yeah, I dropped a bit earlier than I had hoped and expected, so I was a bit concerned. 

What I realized and kind of taught myself was that every single impression matters and counts. Every chance that you get to perform, or film a short segment, or present yourself to anyone, in any way, even if it’s just a meeting, is very important. First impressions go a long way and in the world of entertainment, you’re ALWAYS being watched, so it’s best to always put your best foot forward.

Eric's project group "Namaste" from MBC Star Audition

How soon after that did you actually get signed? What steps did you take to reach that point?
So the show ended in early April (2012), and I ended up signing in September. It was probably one of the hardest and most stressful experiences I’ve been through.

Following the conclusion of the show, I still had my consulting job waiting for me in New York, so first and foremost, I needed to determine if I was, in fact, going to pursue the career of a musician and entertainer. Having seen the industry for about 9 months, there were definitely things that I liked and didn’t like about being in it, as well as difficulties that I had to take into consideration, such as cultural, social, and political things that were hard for me to digest as an American. Also, singing and music was something that I had always done because I loved music and loved singing, but at a certain point, it was no longer FUN. I didn’t enjoy it anymore. It had become a job. So, I was really concerned about making the RIGHT choice.

I went home to the States and I ended up visiting and meeting with a ton of people who I respect – mentors, advisors, and people who are already in the entertainment / K-Pop industry. At the end of six weeks, after a lot of meetings, a lot of reflection, and prayer, I ended up deciding that I did want to pursue this opportunity. I went back to Korea in June and started meeting more companies, and also released a digital single with a project group named “Namaste” through my mentor’s label from MBC Star Audition. The single was titled “Blue Night in Jeju Island,” and the members were my dongsaengs from my mentee group from the show. We did promotions for that through late July and August and I just kept meeting with companies all throughout that time. In the end, I chose B2M and now they’re my new family!

This is NOT to say that the process was easy. It was extremely stressful in that I was meeting with CEOs and VPs on a regular basis of some of Korea’s biggest entertainment companies and record labels. My Korean wasn’t the best and I was representing myself as an artist and a human being, so talking about specifics, contracts, and details was hard. Further, simply deciding which company to go to was really hard because I think every company has its pros and cons and it’s about finding what the best FIT is – just like college or any other job.

Shooting a music video

As a signed artist, what has the process been like? How long have you been in training and what sort of things have you been trained in?
So, my label didn’t sign me as a trainee, but as a new artist, so unlike most trainees, I didn’t have to go through the typical training processes that most people hear of when they think K-Pop. But I’ve been preparing for this album and just getting myself in better place mentally and physically since I signed my contract in September until now. I have been doing some basic dance training, cause I’m really bad, and I think I need to know at least some stuff! (haha) Also been doing Japanese lessons and working out on a daily basis.

How are you feeling just a few days before your debut?
I’m really excited. I’m nervous. But more than anything, I’m thankful. I’m so grateful and blessed that I have this opportunity to pursue and live out what I had previously only considered to be a dream. So, I really just want to do my best, and hopefully be able to share some really good music and performances with my fans who have been patiently, patiently waiting since the end of the show. Also just so thankful to my family and friends who have been incredibly supportive throughout the process.

What happens once you debut? Is it performance, interview, radio show, talk show, etc. back-to-back?
So I guess the industry considers the release of your album/single as your debut. I’ve been doing interviews every day for about the past week and will probably continue to do so for the next few days. Then I’ll be on those music shows such as Music Core, Inkigayo, etc. Most likely I’ll be on radio, some talk shows, etc. It really depends on how the album does, as well as the direction that my company wants to take in terms of promoting my album.

Celebrating the one year anniversary of his fan cafe

Are you worried about appearing on the various talk shows and variety shows?
YES! Absolutely concerned. Frankly because my Korean isn’t the best. I have a hard time catching on to a lot abbreviated terms and cool slang that everybody seems to use! And while my essentials are solid, I don’t feel comfortable enough -YET!- to be perfect on air. So yeah, I am a little bit concerned. Also, I’ve found that because my Korean isn’t native, I often end up frustrated that I can’t completely, perfectly express who I am, particularly things such as humor.

You’d mentioned you spent time in Latin America? For how long? How did you learn Spanish?
I’ve spent a good amount of time in Latin America. My first exposure was Mexico, the summer after 9th grade. The subsequent summer I spent two months in Panama in a rural village doing youth and community development and living with a host family. The following summer I did a few weeks in Guatemala working in a soup kitchen for the elderly and homeless and teaching trade skills to elementary kids. I’ve gone to the Dominican Republic just to backpack, and back to Panama twice since my initial visit. My freshman year in college I spent my spring break in Bolivia working on microfinance and trying to understand the impact that groups such as USAID and institutions such as microfinance had on the local economy and culture of Bolivia. (this got really long, haha)

Is there anything else you want to say?I think more than anything I want to inspire and I want to make a positive impact. Part of my reason for choosing this career path was that I thought I would be in a position where I have a large platform to do good and be good. I want to encourage people, no matter what career path they’re considering, to know what they’re doing and why they want to do it. Do whatever you want, just have a solid reason to back it up.

Source: Soompi.com, wikipedia