(Interview ① continued) Singer and actor from NU'EST, Kim Jong-hyun, announced he will be actively promoting immediately after his military discharge.
On the 26th, Kim Jong-hyun met with OSEN for an interview at Evermore Entertainment's office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Kim Jong-hyun signed an exclusive contract with Evermore Entertainment in 2022 and began his solo career. Later that year in November he released his first mini album, MERIDIEM, and made his solo debut, but shortly afterward he had to enter a period of military service to fulfill his defense duties, going into a 'military blackout.' When asked whether he regretted enlisting before firmly establishing himself as a solo artist, Kim Jong-hyun said, "Of course I would be lying if I said I had no regrets, and it would be a lie to say I wasn't worried," but added, "Still, since it's a place everyone has to go, I thought it was better to go quickly and come back so I could promote with peace of mind."
Perhaps for that reason, on the 22nd of last month Kim Jong-hyun drew attention by announcing the recruitment for the second term of his official fan club and news of a fan meeting immediately upon his discharge. He said, "In the past I was a bit worried about spoiling things. But now it's more like, 'Just post it quickly,' 'What's the point of hiding it, people will find out anyway,' 'There's nothing wrong with it, right?' I think that part has changed. Even I would be curious if I liked someone, so I think it's better to just post it quickly. Besides, it's hard to wait two hours for someone, right? It's difficult to set up an appointment and wait two hours in one place, so was there a need to make people who waited 1 year and 6 months wait even longer? So lately I want to tell fans everything I can."
Kim Jong-hyun will hold the fan meeting 'COMING HOME' over three shows on the 25th and 26th at NOL theater Hapjeong Tongyang Life Insurance Hall. He said he prepared even during his military service to meet fans, explaining, "I tended to take long leaves, so whenever I was on leave I took lessons. I reviewed choreography I had already done and spent time on vocal practice."
When asked what he plans to show at the fan meeting, Kim Jong-hyun hinted, "I don't know what people are expecting, but what I'm preparing is that I lived as a soldier for a year and six months. So I think it will be a fan meeting where I pack together the challenges and highlights that were popular during that year and six months and show them."
Starting with the Seoul performances, Kim Jong-hyun will continue an Asia tour through June in Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok. As his first Asia tour as a solo artist rather than with a group, he said, "I've performed overseas a few times, so there doesn't seem to be anything particularly difficult," and added, "Since these are people coming to see me, I want to show things that fit each country's characteristics and I want to experience their cultures a lot," promising to offer global fans a different kind of enjoyment.
He also shared the behind-the-scenes story of the newly renewed lightstick ahead of the fan meeting. About the design that prominently features a potato character that resembles him, he said, "We discussed it with the company and proceeded. Since I helped produce the early potato lightstick, it felt like it was time to move to the next level. I thought it would be fun to grow this into level 1, level 2. The one released now is the level 3 lightstick; if the previous one was 2D, this one is more three-dimensional," adding, "Fans often say it looks like the 'Mugwajang' character, and they say it's cute. But their reactions were all a beat late. I thought, 'This is a potato lightstick that looks like me,' but because their reactions were slow, I unknowingly got a little hurt. I'm satisfied."
When asked about album plans after the fan meeting, Kim Jong-hyun said, "Nothing concrete has been decided yet. Right now we're in the stage of sourcing songs." Regarding the concept he wants, he said, "When I talked with the company they suggested easing up on the weightiness, and I somewhat agreed, so I think it will be like that. Rather than tightly packed music, I think I'll do music that flows a bit more."
Explaining the reason, he answered, "Because I've lived a tightly scheduled life until now, maybe it's okay to let things flow once in a while. That's the biggest reason," and added, "Since I've always done tightly disciplined things, I think it's okay to be a bit relaxed now. Of course I'll put energy into promotions, but my personal goal is to be a bit more relaxed."
He added, "(As for the song's vibe) I don't know how it will turn out. First I'll meet and talk with the people I will work with and I think we'll head in a direction that suits me," raising expectations for the new music he will show going forward. (Continued in interview ③.)<
[Photo] OSEN reporter Min Kyung-hoon
[OSEN]