"The moment I heard the intro of Wonder Girls' 'Tell Me', I felt like I was born to do this."
Leejung, a dancer who boasts a unique presence at the center of the K-pop dance syndrome, openly revealed her childhood conviction about dancing, her growth through the 'Street Woman Fighter' series, and her success path leading to 'K-pop Demon Hunters'. Over 10 years, Leejung confessed that dance has been both herself and her 'salvation', allowing a deep appreciation of her story filled with emotion and unwavering passion for dance.
For Leejung, dance was more than a mere profession; it was her entire life. She recalled that during her elementary school years, when she heard the intro of Wonder Girls' 'Tell Me', she felt, "I was born to do this," and "this would become my profession," emphasizing that the conviction for dance came to her as if by fate. She further stated that she has "never wanted to stop dancing," indicating her life has solely been a straight path toward dance.
Leejung defined dance as "something that brings me to life beyond art, genre, or profession, and it is my 'salvation', making it impossible to give up." She expressed, "Dance makes me so happy. What does life mean without happiness? I feel that if I didn't have dance, I wouldn't be happy, and it gives me a sense of existence beyond mere happiness."
Leejung's name was imprinted in the public's mind through the Mnet program 'Street Woman Fighter', aired four years ago. She feels that through 'Street Woman Fighter', societal recognition of dancers has changed significantly. "Whereas before, dance was something only shared and loved by professionals, now many people, even those not pursuing it as a career, seem to love dance. Now, people are curious about who created the choreography, and it's a huge twist that they are interested in the next steps of someone like Leejung."
Leejung recalled that in the past, dance was "a subculture where we only shared among ourselves, and even getting 10,000 views on a video was a big deal in a small industry." Now, she expresses gratitude for the reality where views reach millions, stating it is "a dream and a miracle." She conveyed deep appreciation for the expansion of dance culture, explaining, "Discussing things outside my field expends an immense amount of energy, but many people are doing it, so I am thankful."
Following the success of 'Street Woman Fighter', Leejung once again showcased her global potential by participating in 'World of Street Woman Fighter' (hereinafter 'WSWF'). She humbly acknowledged, "I realized there is so much more to learn and felt deeply my own shortcomings," adding, "Even after 10 years, if I still feel insufficient, I guess I will never get bored. I was really inspired by that, so it was an excellent opportunity." She also noted that she was greatly motivated by the creativity of AG SQUAD, the genius of RHTokyo, the overwhelming presence of ROYAL FAMILY, the freedom of OSAKA Ojo Gang, and the determination of MOTIV.
However, Leejung drew sympathy when she cried heavily after being eliminated in the semi-finals. She recalled that day saying, "It felt like the world had collapsed" and explained, "I thought it was a chance to express my gratitude after having so few opportunities to perform on stage live, but I felt really upset that I missed that chance."
Following 'WSWF', Leejung expanded her global activity area by participating in the choreography of the Netflix animated film 'K-pop Demon Hunters'. Reflecting on this project, which has been in progress for three years, she expressed excitement saying, "There are no physical limits for us," and when the production team said, "Leejung, do everything you want," it made her feel very excited. She shared that it was wonderful when they encouraged her to "unfold your dreams," explaining that the process of inspiring the daily movements of one character through motion capture was "an incredible expansion."
Leejung has no grand plans, but she wants to go as far as dance leads her. She stated, "I will work hard every moment to show you a lot of good dance," expressing her ambition to one day participate in a new 'WSWF' with a crew led by herself.
Starting as a 'K-pop kid' who grew up listening to songs and watching performances by Girls' Generation and Wonder Girls, Leejung has become a global dancer. Her 10 years have been a true artist's journey filled with unwavering conviction and passion for dance, and rising through trials without despair.
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