Source: Ilgan Sports via NAVER
Jun.K(28) has three names.
When he was first born, the name was Kim Junsu. When he changed his name, the name was Kim Minjun. When he promotes, the name was Jun.K. Due to his name change, he was called out by netizens for no reason. From "Were you intimidated by JYJ Kim Junsu?" to "Did you change your name, so you can be successful," "Is this a name of an actor," "What's wrong with your stage name," and many more. Whenever he did anything that involved his name, there were hate comments; he was definitely hurt. However, Jun.K was in a situation where he had to change his name.
On January of 2012, Jun.K lost his father. Just a week before his passing, he sat in front of his father at a cafe after he took care of his mother, who was fighting against a disease. A heart attack. The 24 year old Jun.K was in great sorrow, because of the sudden death. He was a father that on business magazines. Yet, the warm household head would quietly massage the middle school student shoulders of Jun.K who was studying at his desk. That type of father wanted the name Junsu to be changed before his passing. And his mother, with a huge disease, held Junsu's hand before she went under her fifth general anesthesia and said, "Because it's your father's will, can't you change your name?"
2016 meant a leap to Jun.K. In the Japanese department, he gained enough popularity to have arena tours as a solo artist. He is probably the most acknowledged artist in the Japanese department. 2PM definitely needed the leap; it was Jun.K who was the center of 2PM's music path proposal. For this first step of his leap, he wore a mask and went to 'Masked Singer'. He had the ambition to present his stage as a solo singer. Later on, we met him on 'A Drunken Talk'. He shared his stories that were never shared before on broadcast. His father and his mother. His voice chokes upon their name, but he talked with all his might today. It was because of the beginning for Jun.K's leap.
"It is one and a half bottle of soju. I get pretty drunk at that amount. I don't really drink beer, because it gets me full. I tend to enjoy a drinking setting where there's soju."
Who do you drink with?
"It's either our members or Kim Johan. I got close with Kim Johan out of chance, so we spend a lot time together. Kim Johan drinks a lot."
Which member do you connect the most with?
"It's all six of us. We recently went for a drink, and we shared a conversation without any hesitation of personal circumstances. We share our problems."
What was the most recent conversation about?
"It was definitely about 2PM's future. Last year, we renewed our contract with JYPE. However, Taecyeon and I have to enlist next year. We talked about when the rest would enlist. Nothing was scheduled yet, but the conclusion was made. That the six of us would never split no matter what. It was another moment of reassurance."
So you're saying 2PM will go all the way?
"There will be no disbandment. We talked about it to ourselves. Now that we are entering out thirties, I started to rethink about life. Nonetheless, I think there will never be a situation where 2PM disappears. After sharing an interesting conversation, I realized they all became adults. Even the child-like Junho."
On the previously aired MBC 'Masked Singer' you were able to advance to the semi finals. Where you satisfied at your record?
"It was a flattering record. Usually 'Masked Singer' gives about three weeks of preparation, but I suddenly got the offer five days before recording. I did not have a lot of time, but it was a program that I wanted to appear on for a long time. I had band practice two days prior, and I prepared with haste. There were many restriction to the song selection. I was not allowed to perform a song that someone else sang before. One of the recommended songs I performed was 'Rain' by Lee Juk. This was a song my mother enjoyed. It was a song that I was not familiar with. I wanted to sing it with my usual singing style of simplicity instead of yelling it. I was surprised that I eventually made it to the 3rd round. I was able to perform all the songs I prepared. When I was singing 'Mother', there were a few people who where crying. I learned how just the voice can deliver the power of music."
Do you have any regrets?
"I think I would had done better if I had more time. I contacted MBLAQ G.O for advice, and he said he prepared for a month. I only had five days"
"There was a time when 2PM went to Japan for the first time and had our first public performance after debut. At that moment, 'Snowflower' became topic of conversation, because I poorly sang it. I sang off pitch at one point, so people made fun of me by calling me 'Goat-flower''. It was very embarrassing. It was because I failed to take care of my voice as a singer. I had a vocal cord nodules, but I could not reject the offer because I was still a rookie. The video footage still floats around, so I wanted to make up for it. I was going to wear a goat mask and sing 'Snowflower', but I did not have enough time to prepare. The staff of 'Masked Singer' could not adjust their schedule as well."
Who were Jun.K's parents?
"My father was a strict person. He was a journalist of Kyungjae newspapers. My mother was frugal, and she spent a lot time with me. I first had the desire to do music, but I thought I would never be able to. My father was strict, and he was not in the circumstances where he could invest in me. Of course it wasn't to the point that there was no food on the table, but he not in a situation to send me to private lessons. I was struggling with math at that time, and the private tutoring fees were about 300,000 won. I carefully told my mother, but my parents eventually ended up arguing. It was that type of atmosphere. I made the decided that music would be my career path during my first year of high school. There was place that taught applied music, but it costed money. Of course, I couldn't tell my parents; so I ended up participating in a music festival that was held in Daegu. By chance, I won an award. The prizes were a mini component, a kimchi fridge, and a rice cooker. That was when my mother noticed my skills. My father was still against it. During my second year of high school, I participated in the music festival ran by Songhae Teacher. I ranked first place, so I got a 29 inch flat TV. I put it in the room that was occupied by my father; he happily asked, 'What's this?' At that point, I was finally able to go to a music school. After paying 280,000 won per month for about nine months, I submitted demo tapes to JYP and YG."
What were the results from the demo tapes?
"I was actually notified by YG first. Later on, a friend that worked with went to YG. I rode the Mugunghwa train, and I met Yang Hyunseok. It was early 2004. Mr. Yang introduced me to G-dragon and Taeyang, and he promised a group of '88. I sang 'I Believe I Can Fly' to him, and he said that I sang just as well in the demo. As I was going back down to Deagu happily after hearing compliments, I was notified by JYPE. I was given the proposal to participate in a JYPE audition over the weekend. I came in first place in the same audition that Park Jinyoung also participated in, and I naturally became a trainee under JYPE. I called and explained my situation to YG, and he supported me."
What happened after becoming a JYPE trainee
"I was horrible at dancing. I learned from the basics. I received training from very scary teachers. At that time, Park Jinyoung made a request. He said, 'Make this kid be able to dance like Rain within three months.' The atmosphere became very savage."
You became the first trainee within 2PM
"Yes. After me, it was Dongjun (BEAST) and Jaebum that came in. The three of us practiced extremely hard. There were times when we had to practice for three hours, but they would not let us drink water. We would secretly drink water in the restrooms. The day Jaebum came from Seattle, he asked, 'Why haven't you reported to the police?' Ha ha. That's how we officially became a trainee. Even so, it was very difficult until the day of our debut, because it was scrapped six times. At one point, I saw the given opportunity as avoidance. I felt insecure, and I was hurt a lot. As I was wondering that this path was not meant for me, I agreed to be same-aged friends Nichkhun and Taecyeon; we got along and encouraged each other to gain strength.
What was the most difficult time during your trainee lifestyle?
"There was once a misunderstanding, so I was kicked out. Every morning at nine, we would check-in with our card and practiced. It was two minutes until nine, so I asked my trainee friends to check-in my card for me; I went to the convenience store to buy some food in replace of breakfast. That day the rookie development team called me over. They asked me why I had someone check-in for me. A misunderstanding sparked, and I was told to go back to Daegu; but I how would I go to Daegu. One friend was living in a dorm, and another friend was living at the Gosiwon. Because I did not have any living costs, I delivered newspapers and worked at a construction site. There was not much I could do. I had many unfortunate events at that time."
"I started making money in 2011. At that time, our family's house was in a horrible condition that there was mold growing. I met my father on January of 2012, and I suggested that they should move. My mother was ill, so I wanted her to be in a better house. My mother had interdigital neuroma, so she got ill whenever she had her feet above the ground; therefore, she had about five surgeries. The big surgeries required anesthesia on the full body. While my mother was in the hospital room, my father and I came out to the pond. I think it was the first time where I had a separate conversation with my father; but he passed away a week later from a heart attack. I was in a middle of a vacation with my younger brother when I was notified that my father fainted. I was told that he was not breathing. I was not in my state of mind, and I was not able to believe it. Five minutes later, I got a phone call from the doctor; he told me to quickly come, because my dad passed away. The shock was so big that I did not know what to do. When I arrived, my mom was not in her state of mind as well. She purposely told us the news late, because she did not want to interrupt our vacation. I was not able to grasp on to the fact on the day of his passing, I wasn't crying, and I just wanted to ask what was going on. I saw my father on the cleaning of his body, and the world was just falling apart. It was before the Lunar New Year, but many people came. Even people from Daegu. After sending off my father, I had the urge to bring my mother up to Seoul, because she would be alone in Daegu. My younger brother went to university in Suwon, so I had her move to a house in Suwon."
How was the name change first requested?
"I heard it from my mother after one month from my father's passing. My father wanted me to change my name to Minjun. Even so, I disobeyed her for ten months, because I did not want to change it. Honestly speaking, there is no benefits from changing my name. It was a name that I made known. In the mist of that, my mother was hospitalized after we knew she had Thyroid Gland Carcinoma. Once we went to the hospital for Thyroid Gland Carcinoma after having five leg surgeries, the doctor mentioned there would be a chance that she won't be able to wake up after the full body anesthesia. Right after, my mother brought up the name again in the hospital room. Therefore, I had a disscussion with Park Jinyoung and chairman Jonguk. Jinyoung said, 'It's best to listen to your mother at times like this,' so I changed my name to Minjun. The decision of having Jun.K as a stage name was made, because I was working as Jun.K for my projects. However, people cursed, 'Why Jun.K' upon the announcement of my name change. The people viewed as sickening even after I explained the circumstances. I think it's because 2PM has anti fans, because of the surrounding situations. I had released a solo album in Japan and ranked number one on the Oricon charts. All of the tracks were self-produced songs. There was report in Korea saying 'Jun.K #1,' but nobody knew Jun.K was me. In addition, the discussion about my name overshadowed my results. I was extremely stressed"
"It's definitely indescribable in one word. There was a confrontational relationship between us. I still have a few things I cannot forget. Whenever I was studying in middle and high school, my father would hold on to my shoulders. I cannot forget that feeling. It was sturdy and warm. I was very sorry. I could had made my father happier. I was too young. Whenever I went down to Daegu, I was too busy meeting my friends; I did not spend time with my parents. My father had a friend, and he had the habit of saying, 'Be filial to your parents.' Now I always say it; spend a lot time with your parents. Maybe it was because I did not have to confidence to do so. I think my parents were like that as well. I cannot believe that a person I called father is gone. He is still strong and reliant existence to me."
I think you have the most responsibilities as well.
"It was very difficult after my father's passing. It was the worst time of my life. I made many mistakes, and drank a lot. I eventually had all the responsibilities after. I sent the notice of my father's death, I organized my father's business, and I did all the work. I had to do it, because my mother was ill. I did not know much, because I was young; but I did not have anyone around me that could help. At that point, I knew. I cannot be sad. I think I learned it from society. Let's say there was growth. I was going to have my younger brother to do a favor of my responsibilities, but the thought of him already giving up 50% on his youth was not right. I am very thankful of my younger brother."
How is your mother doing?
"She is in Suwon right now. I provided her with an apartment. Her health gets better, and then it worsens."
You must be bothersome.
"It's tiring. Tomorrow(3rd) is my father's memorial service. On the day of, I would speak out loud at Daegu Chumo park. I would say, 'I'll take well care of mother.' It helps me to pay more attention and to be better."
"Who knows. Every new song are evaluated by 30 monitoring agents. It has to exceed at least 80 points to be released. I honestly do not view this system flawless. The 80 points is not the answer. The staff would think it would do well, if it exceeds 80 points; but there are chances that it won't. Therefore, I want to express my views as much as I can. I want the people to relate to what I was feeling during my life. If you were to say I used to give a artistic flavor of element, then now I try to produce a song with more sincerity."
Jun.K's popularity in Japan is quite high.
"As 2PM, we had released quite a number of albums. There are five of mine, if you include the ones from 2PM. I released two mini albums under the name Jun.K. With my solo albums, I ranked #1 on daily and #2 on weekly for both albums. I am very thankful."
The responses are quite different from Korea.
"In Japan, it is more concert oriented than broadcasting. Whenever someone spreads a rumor that any of us are good, they attend our concert to watch us perform. I think it's important to see with their own eyes in Japan. I want to show my own color as much I can during concerts. I was silent, and I thought that I would get the great opportunity one day. I eventually released a solo after the discussion, and the results were great."
Is there anything you want to show through a Korean solo?
"I don't think anyone in Korea knows much about my music. Whenever I show my expressions, people have interest and wonder, 'what is this?' There are many people that remember me as 2PM; so I come out as a solo, I wonder is people would respond with antipathy. I do not know how the people would accept it, but I am trying to work on the type of music I want to do.
I am curious about 2PM's directing point they'll follow. They are at the age where they are looking at their 30s
"The 30s are roaming closer out of nowhere. First of all, I think that there are more things for 2PM to show. There are things of the individual members had not shown. Whenever we get their empathy, I think the synergy of being together would be big. What would be one thing that people would look differently. The 2PM that people thought of was shirt ripping, but saw it as the need of a new turning point. Therefore, the member's individual activities are very important. We also do not want to return without any thought.."
"I'm just thankful that he brought me over. It is true that he picked me. I had learned a lot from him, including the music perspective. I would be next to him whenever he was producing, and I would watch him do the encoding. Jinyoung studies a lot. He's someone that works hard. He also takes well care of his body. He still does not use stainless. He said it is not good for the body. I went to his concert once, and I was very surprised. He said he will sing until he is in his 60s. I was with Wooyoung at that time; we both sighed. Honestly speaking, shouldn't he stop and give us the opportunity? Ha ha. I find his passion impressive. He is always someone I am thankful to. Even when I had a problem in life, he would help make it not a problem."
I am also curious about Jun.K's love.
"I do not have a girlfriend. My ideal type had always been actress Kim Minjung. When she visited to our concert, I took a picture with her. It's to the point where my fans got autographs of Kim Minjung for me. I was attracted to her when I watched 'Kid Cop' as a young child. I can never forget about it. I want to be a person who can be honest and be on my side when the rest of the world is cursing at me. I think having trust is better than bickering. I think trust and honesty are important."
[+6283 -213] I never knew he had many heart aching situations. He was always full of energy, and he looked bright.... I am supporting Jun.K
[+4215 -171] Fighting!!! I hope he gains strength, and I support him.
[+3621 -139] There must had been many hardships, but it is nice too see him overcome them well. I hope he gains strength!!
[+2631 -140] Let's release a solo track in Korea ã… ã…
[+630 -27] Even if i'm not a fan, I carefully read the interview. I am supporting him.
[+600 -27] What's with the people leaving hate comments to a kind person who didn't even make a mistake once while working hard?
[+557 -20] A parents' illness and death is the greatest sadness and scar on a child
[+522 -19] I heard about the reason of his name change for the first time at 'Masked Singer', and I felt bad for this heartbreaking story.. It would be great if everything resolves nicely.
[+503 -16] Due to the difficult times he went through, I hope for the best. Fighting Jun.K ã… ã… ..!!
[+462 -21] He's a honest and hard working young fellow. I see a new side of him.
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[Jun.K 'A Drunken Talk' ①] "'Goat's Flower' humiliation, I wanted to make up for it at 'Masked Singer'
Source: Ilgan Sports via NAVER
[+126 -1] It was nice watching him sing at 'Masked Singer', but to hear that he only had five days to prepare... That's shocking. I hope he consistently have music activities. I am supporting the amazing artist who moved me emotions!
[+130 -4] I am supporting Jun.K, the artist with authenticity.! There will be great things this year♥ I will also anticipate on 2PM and solo promotions!
[+115 -2] That was very honest. I was on the verge of tears.
[+117 -3] I can sense how poliet he was and his goodness. I can now understand why his parents raised him strictly. I wish you good luck and rewards.
[+105 -2] He is always my greatest vocalist and the greatest artist. Thank you and I love you ㅜㅜ
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[Jun.K 'A Drunken Talk'③] "I sighed JYP said he will promote until he reaches his 60s"
Source: Ilgan Sports
[+136 -8] I will be looking forward to your domesticated solo promotions.
[+110 -8] What is JYP doing and not releasing his solo.. Stop only releasing Japanese solo and release a Korean solo, please!!!
[+87 -4] Please release a Korean solo...... I will wait..... and a solo concert.....
[+72 -2] Stay healthy and sing for us forever happily^^
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