christina (@chrissy96_)

Why does WINNER do interviews like this

((T/N: Pann posts usually have clickbait titles like this))

They’re so funny, seriously ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Q. Today’s photoshoot concept was you guys having a party. Have you had parties like this at the end of the year?

SY: Actually, we don’t really celebrate the end of the year with parties. Two years ago, when we were trainees with the iKON members, all 11 of us did a Secret Santa together. (T/N: He was talking about post-WIN when iKON had 6 members and WINNER were 5 members.) We had a really fun year-end holidays back then.

SH: I still remember it. We made the rules so that we could buy anything that doesn’t cost over 30,000won. We randomly picked out names and gave each other the gifts. Jinwoo-hyung said that he wanted to gift his person a hat so I followed him but the hat was so ugly. I thought to myself, “It’s such a bad gift. I feel sorry for the person who gets it” but in the end, I got that hat. I still have it (laughs).

Before debuting, WINNER and iKON did a Secret Santa together. Jinwoo said that he wanted to buy a hat so Seunghoon followed him to the store. Seunghoon felt sorry for the person who will get the ugly hat. But when he opened up his Christmas present, that ugly hat was there ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Q. Do you think you’re the most good-looking member in WINNER?

SY: Yes. I’m satisfied with my looks.

SH: Yes. If I don’t acknowledge my looks, I don’t think anyone will give me #1 in looks.

MH: No. Jinwoo-hyung is the best looking and I’m 2nd place.

JW: Not yes, not no. If you’re talking about #1 in looks, it’s Kim Jinwoo but since beauty is subjective and we each have different charms, I can’t give a direct answer.

WINNER answered a questions about whether they think they’re the best looking in the group

Lee Seunghoonㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He said “Yes” because if he doesn’t acknowledge his looks no one else willㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

SH: Actually, our fans often tell me that I’m good-looking. But there is a difference when they sob and shout out, “oppa, you’re so good-looking!” with all the power of the universe in front of Jinwoo-hyung

Kim Jinwoo’s face that makes fans sob and shout with all the power of the universe

I’m ending this post with WINNER fooling around and wanting to cover all 4 of them with that tiny umbrella prop during pre-recording break-time…

Edit:

H: Your blouse is so pretty~! Let me see your nails~ Show me your left hand too~ Your ring is pretty too!

F: Do you want to see my bracelet? It’s pretty, right?

H: Yeah, it’s pretty. Ok, now start singing the song you prepared for me!

F: ???

At a fansign, he gave compliments to a fan and then smoothly asked her to sing for him

BEST COMMENTS:

[+373, -3] Lee Seunghoon is so sweet offstage… They were going to on a public fansign at Daegu but they made it private at the last minute so WINNER members said they were sorry and did fan-service to the fans [who just came to watch]. Lee Seunghoon caught the fence and the fans who were falling over and said, “Oppa saved you”

[+347, -2] Lee Seunghoon is the funniest person everㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ A fan said she wants to pierce her nose but he said, “Are you going to drop out of school?” and told her to just glue a fake diamond insteadㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Fan: Oppa, I’m going to pierce my nose

Other idols: Whoa~ Really? You’re going to look so pretty

Lee Seunghoon: Are you planning on dropping out?

(T/N: Most high schools don’t allow students to get piercings)

[+227, -4] I’m a fan of a different group but Lee Seunghoon’s cuteness and kindness can be felt all the way here… Ah… And how it’s so obvious that he really loves his fans…

[+158, -0] WINNER interview that was aired yesterday… No, just please be reborn as WINNER in your next lives too…

Q. Who do you want to be reborn as?

SY: Yang Hyunsuk’s son

SH: GD

JW: Yang Hyunsuk’s wife

MH: Yang Hyunsuk

(T/N: They were joking around and said they chose who they chose because they would be rich)

[+125. -1] Whenever I see posts like this I yell this again, “What is Lee Seunghoon?? He is the best through and through” Alright everyone, please repeat after me, “Lee Seunghoon is the best through and through”

Fan: Seunghoon-ah, may I be the only flaw* in your life?  ㅠㅠㅠ I love you

SH: I’ll fill up the rest of the 95 points*

*”flaw” and “points” are homonyms so Hoon made a wordplay to simultaneously say that the fan isn’t a flaw at all and that he will be the one to complete her life

[+103, -1] Lee Seunghoon is so funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ One time, Seunghoon searched his name on a second-hand website (T/N: something like eBay) and he found that someone was selling his photocards and signed albums so he mentioned it on his Naver fancafeㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ So funny

Fan: I got randomly picked for the WINNERCITY streaming event!ㅜㅜ I got the poster of you!

SH: Are you going to sell that on that second-hand website too?

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[+93. -0] It was so legendary when the bodyguards told fans to stop taking pics so when the fans became all ㅠㅠ and put down their cameras, Seungyoon said, “Everyone looks so heartbroken… Please let them do what they want” and let the fans take pictures. When fans came wearing skirts, instead of saying “Don’t wear skirts next time”, they said, “We’re sorry, we will hold the fansign at a lower level next time” and then had female staff members wrap blankets around fans’ waists ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

[+91, 0] WINNER’s optimistic flow of logicㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why are they ok with everything

Screwed up the egg rolls —> We can fry it instead! —> Screwed up fried eggs —> We’ll eat steamed eggs! —> Screwed up the kimchi stew —> It tastes like Thai food, very exotic! —> Burned the rice —> We can just make crispy rice!

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ (T/N: This happened in Youth Over Flowers)

[+86, -1] Here’s a legendary fan account of Lee Seunghoon at a fansign

Fan: Oppa, please write me a message!

SH: I already wrote one

Fan: Can’t you write more…?

SH: If I write more, I’ll only look at the album, I won’t be able to look at you

[+83, -0] ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ This is the funniest

Q. Jinwoo, you were the youngest in other variety shows like “Wizard of Nowhere” while you were the oldest in “Youth Over Flowers”

JW: I’m not the type of person to make a huge deal over the roles of the youngest and the roles of the oldest. I don’t think it’s right to lead the boys and be strict because I’m the oldest. Whether I’m the youngest in a group of people or the oldest, I behave the same.

JINWOO

Q. Do you have a personal favorite on the full album EVERYD4Y?

MOVIE STAR. It might be because I know the production process behind the making of the song and the motive and meaning of the lyrics but the lyrics are very realistic to me. I’ve found that I really like that kind of realism. (laughs)

Q. Is there a song [from the album] that you want to recommend we listen during this current season?

I want to recommend EVERYDAY to listen to during the spring. All the side tracks are good though.

Q. You usually always don’t do much to your hair but your curls are really eye-catching. Whose idea was it?

While I was thinking about our concept, I found this hairstyle on the internet. I said, “I want to do this hair!” while showing the pictures I found to our staff members. They all liked it. Actually, I curled my hair for REALLY REALLY promotions too but no one remembers it. (laughs) I want to keep curling my hair until the end of this promotion. Since I’ve always kept my hair long, I also want to try cutting it short like a buzz cut.

Q. Following “REALLY REALLY”, the public has become more attuned to Jinwoo’s vocal color. Is there a song you want to specially remake while highlighting your vocals?

Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”. I sang it very often when I practiced my singing [during my trainee period]. I recorded it multiple times too.

Q. You’re constantly working on your variety show skills by appearing on “Infinite Challenge” and “Live a Good Life”. You’re a vocalist in WINNER but how do you feel when you appear on variety shows alone?

As a singer, I think I’m given two options when I get to appear on variety shows. I can either forget the characteristics I show as a singer and immerse myself in the variety show or sustain my singer image on the show. I do the former. When I appear on variety show, I forget all about WINNER Kim Jinwoo’s appearance and I try to show me, the 100% human being Kim Jinwoo.

Q. Spending time as 100% human being Kim Jinwoo must also be precious to you then.

Yes, I’m a homebody so the time I stay at home amounts to quite a lot. But through variety shows, I’ve met many different people and I’ve become quite extroverted. I go outside to spend time with people more often now.

Q. Who is the artist you respect the most?

The late actress Choi Jin-shil. When I first watched the drama “My Rosy Life”, I became obsessed with it. Naturally, the acting she showed on that drama was really good too. That drama was the reason behind my wanting to officially start acting. 

Q. Many people always talk about how you are a “warm-hearted person who cries easily”. On the other hand, Seungyoon, who trained with you [for the longest time] said that you are tenacious and that you’re a “genius through effort”. Are you usually very generous to others while being strict on yourself?

That’s right. I really hate to inconvenience others. This makes me be really strict on myself. Because of that, whenever I get angry or sad, instead of depending on others, I tend to repress my emotions often. There are pros and cons to this kind of personality.

Q. Who do you think is the winner of life?

Myself (laughs). When I look back from the time when I was a child who grew up in the countryside to the present where I’m a member of WINNER, there have been many changes. I’m going to continue to work hard to go forward.

MINO

Q. Your never letting go of your camera on set really impacted me.

I’m really into photography right now. I started it as a hobby last year but I’ve become more focused(/serious) about it recently. But because of that, I’ve bought too many cameras that it’s becoming a problem. I counted the number of cameras I’ve bought so far and they totaled up nine.

Q. Do you like collecting things?

Actually, I love things(/objects) in general. Four years ago, I really loved action figures so I collected them. At the time, our dorm was small so organizing them into a cramped space was really exhausting. Now, I like things/objects that are useful and I like efficient things that I can create with more than things I just look at.

Q. What songs do you enjoy listening to these days?

Hmm, I’ll show you my playlist. My all-time favorite song is Childish Gambino’s “Redbone”. I’ve been listening to it on repeat today, here on set. I also like Bachi(?)’s “Beautiful”.

Q. It feels like your rap style is constantly changing.

When I was in high school, I admired rappers with hard/rough voices. I liked rapping voices like DMX so I made my voice raspy and even shouted when I rapped. But you need a voice that has a wide spectrum rather than an aggressive voice when you need to be able to own all the songs in an album. I became aware of that and kept working hard. Once I changed my style, the spectrum of music I could rap to widened significantly. These days, I like to put in unique words into my lyrics. I’m working hard to be aware of the very thin line between childishness and uniqueness. I hope that even if I use a word that has ambiguous meanings, the way people understand it is straightforward. Including myself, I like it when lyrics are memorable to listeners.

Q. How do you react when you are suddenly inspired in your daily life?

I note it down no matter what, whether by writing it or drawing it. I really hate it when I forget something because I didn’t note it down. I usually go to sleep at late hours because I enjoy the time right before falling asleep. Out of all the hours on the clock, that’s when I get the most ideas. When I think while lying down, I get ideas even right before my REM sleep and I either write it down or end up falling asleep, without noting anything. Whenever I fall asleep, I always regret it when I wake up. I think, “Ah! I had something amazing yesterday!”

Q. When I looked at your Instagram, I could see that you’re good at drawing and that you even design goods. It seems that you have a talent in creating. Is there an Instagram account that inspires you while producing music or designing?

Ah, I don’t want to share this… (laughs) I enjoy looking at Matt Cunningham’s Instagram feed (@moon_patrol). He’s famous for making collage artworks. I really like his art.

Q. I just noticed that your phone case has blue roses on it. I also saw a blue rose on the goods you designed.

I’m obsessed with blue roses [these days]. [One time] I was spacing out while starting at them and I looked up the symbol behind blue roses. Because they were originally difficult to attain, blue roses meant “despair/hopelessness” but as it became easier to attain, the meaning changed to “hope” and “miracle”. I loved that so I changed my Instagram profile picture to a blue rose. From that time on, my fans have been gifting me with blue roses, which I am grateful for. One time, during a concert in Japan, I received a real flower [a blue rose] for the first time. I was so worried that it’ll wilt while we were coming back home that I was really careful even on the airplane.

Q. Just like last year, you had your comeback on April 4th. What do you think WINNER will be doing on April 4th, 2019?

Fascinatingly, I used to like the number 3. But we received so much love from our 4/4 comeback last year, and we included the number 4 in the album name (EVERYD4Y), so as the point of connection with the number 4 increases, it feels like 4 is now a symbolic number for WINNER. I even feel different whenever the hands of a clock point to 4. (laughs) Director Yang Hyunsuk also supports the concept with number 4 so wouldn’t there be a high possibility that you’ll be able to listen to new WINNER music on April 4th for at least a few years from now?

SEUNGYOON

Q. Like the lyrics of EVERYDAY, what is something that feels “new every day” for you these days?

I’ve been taking photos. I like the texture of film cameras so I recently bought one. I take pictures of my members and of landscapes. I’m working on a photo album so I’m taking photos to put into it.

Q. I saw you taking photos of the flowers in the garden right outside. When you are publishing the photo album you’re working on?

It’ll most likely take some time since choosing which photos to include will take time. I’m thinking about including pieces of my writing with the photos. The writing will be about the inspiration I received from the photos. I’ll write the inspiration I got from the photo next to the photo and I’m going to leave blank spaces so people who get the photo album can fill it in themselves.

Q. Where do you usually get inspiration from?

I usually get inspirations from daydreams. With this album (EVERYD4Y), I got a lot of inspirations while thinking about our fans. Even just starting with the theme “fan” takes my thoughts to many different directions. For example, it can be about our attitude when it comes to working hard for our fans, something we receive from fans, or things we want to tell our fans. These are the strongest inspirations I received recently.

Q. Is there a song from this album where the recording process was very memorable?

MOVIE STAR, which I put the most effort and sincerity into when writing the lyrics. Most of the songs on this album can be enjoyed without much thought but we worked really hard to include our stories into MOVIE STAR. When my members wrote their rap lyrics, they tried to exert a lot of sincerity into each word so they kept revising their revisions. In the last part of the song, we all sing together and we sang it joyously as if we were out camping.

Q. WINNER has many hit songs but Kang Seungyoon’s “Instinctively” will always be remembered. Right now, as an experienced musician, is there a song you want to remake?

I feel grateful for “Instinctively” because it’s the first song that made it possible for the public to become familiar with my name. If I were to remake a song now, I think I’ll think about a lot of things before remaking it. When I covered “Instinctively”, I was young and inexperienced so I did it bravely, but now, as someone who lives as a singer who creates songs, the categories of worries I must go through while producing music has become more detailed.

Q. You are now in your mid-20s. Was there a recent moment when you truly felt like you were becoming an adult?

When I look at my past self, I think I wasn’t very understanding of myself and of others. I used to yell at myself, “Why is that all I can do? Why is this all I can do?” Now, I’m accepting of errors and mistakes and acknowledge my own. I also acknowledge that each person is different.

Q. Your members called you a “nagging mom” during their interviews. Which member does things that make you nag on them?

I don’t think I nagged on them that much recently… Actually, I nagged on Mino (laughs). When Mino becomes obsessed with something, he wants to buy all the equipments for that thing like an expert. Mino has been buying lots of cameras these days so I told him to stop buying them but he bought more (laughs).

Q. Who do you think is the winner of life?

Someone who achieves what they want to, someone who chases the happiness they define. In our case, many people liking WINNER’s music and remembering us for a long time, make us WINNERs, don’t you think?

HOON

Q. Just like last year, you came back with your full album EVERYD4Y on April 4th. What do you think you’ll be doing on April 4th, 2019?

Releasing a new album on the same date would be nice but personally, I want to show a new side of WINNER in a different season with a different vibe. We’ve promoted during spring and summer so promoting during winter would be nice too. If this becomes reality, we’ll probably be working on music [on 4/4] or we might be traveling.

Q. Which song in the album do you have special affections for?

Track 11, the song RAINING. This song is actually my first self-composition. I was treasuring it and didn’t include it in our previous albums but our Japanese agency said they wanted to release it so it was first released through our Japanese album and then released in Korea through this full album. It’s a very meaningful song for me.

Q. From your rap lyrics to your clothes, it seems like you’re a person who has your own specific color. Even when you wore the uniform for the Pyeongchang Olympic Torch Relay, there was a cheerfulness specific to Lee Seunghoon (laughs)

Whatever I do, I put storytelling as my first priority. That’s why even when I pick out what to wear, instead of something tasteless, I tend to pick out clothes that are cheerful and witty while thinking about my image. Generally, I like wearing comfortable clothes but I always make sure to color-coordinate well. Instead of black and grey, I look for colors that are fun.

Q. What’s the story behind the lunch box you posted on SNS? You posted it with the hashtag “#ihatecarrots” but the lunchbox has 6 carrots drawn on it.

The lunchbox is a goods I designed for our Japanese fans. We were able to choose the items. My members chose hats and bags but I thought a lunchbox would be fun. When I chose the band to be green and the lunchbox to be orange, I thought of carrots. The drawing of the dog on the lunchbox is my pet dog, Haute, but he doesn’t hate carrots (laughs). I was trying to come up with something witty and came up with that. Both clothes and items become memorable when there are stories attached to them.

Q. I saw the puppy academy diary you posted on Haute’s Instagram account (@maetamongisdad). There were detailed comments but which comment made you most happy as Haute’s dad?

There were many comments about Haute having a good personality. Whenever I see those kinds of things, I feel proud and think, “I’ve raised him well” so I like them (laughs). I think that dog-training is similar to human education so I make sure to be strict and establish order of rank with Haute.

Q. I saw that you also posted pictures of tasty hamburgers you’ve eaten on SNS. Can you share the #1 tastiest hamburger?

I pick New York Shake Shack burger as #1. When we went to New York to film our music video (2014 S/S), my members were very jet-lagged and tired so I searched up hamburgers and went to Shake Shack by navigating on my phone map. Rather than thinking they’re the best brand, it was memorable how it was in another country and I went to the store without depending on anyone and ordered hamburgers with limited English. I remember I said, “The taste of America!” while eating it (laughs). If I was told to go eat the same hamburger right now, I don’t think it would taste the same. Like I said, stories are important (laughs).

Q. Is there an artist who inspired you quite recently?

Chef Choi Hyunsuk. I went to one of his restaurants recently. I like what he shows as an entertainer on TV but the moment I ate the dish he made, I strongly felt the feeling of eating a piece of artwork. Experiencing the tastes and looking at the stories, decorations, and assortments that were created with the course in mind made me think, “He’s a real artist.”

translated by @chrissy96_

The year 2017 was precious for group WINNER. They released their single album FATE NUMBER FOR after 1 year and 2 months long hiatus and they swept up wins in music charts and music shows. Although they had reformed themselves as a 4-membered group, the comeback brought them rewarding outcomes after a long hiatus.

Now, they’re back with their second full album EVERYD4Y. WINNER’s last full album was in 2014. As much as it took them 4 years to release a second full album, Kang Seungyoon, Lee Seunghoon, Kim Jinwoo, and Song Mino are confident with all 12 songs.

Kang Seungyoon, “When we were preparing this album, we worried a lot. We mulled over what kind of WINNER we wanted to show to the public since this album displays our identity. The conclusion we came to was that the album should have messages that many people can relate to. The messages of each song are all different but we all have the goal of giving hope and comforting people who listen to our music.”

Song Mino, “Since it’s a full album, there were many different concepts we could try. Since we’re greedy, one of the things we worked hard to achieve was to touch the heart of the listener. There are songs that leave a mark in life and you listen to it no matter how much time passes. They’re different from songs that you listen for a few times and never look for it again. We wanted to make songs that would leave a lasting mark on listeners and also contain our unique color.”

Among the 12 songs that all the members played a part in producing, EVERYDAY is their title track. This song is about a fresh love that is like a flower that has just blossomed. Kang Seungyoon, Lee Seunghoon, and Song Mino worked together to create this song. With its release, EVERYDAY swept up #1 on numerous music charts and further proved WINNER’s value.

Kang Seungyoon, “I don’t think it’s groundbreaking to make self-composed music. Almost all groups promote with self-produced music now and they’re talented at it. We don’t think we’re radically different from other groups but our strength would be that our unique color shows itself naturally in our music. We released four songs last year and [three of them] were cheerful and energetic songs. We want to give many people the feeling of becoming youthful.”

Lee Seunghoon, “I think WINNER’s music has an energy that makes the listener feel good. Each group has their own distinct characteristics and those characteristics are their strengths. There used to be a stereotype that YG groups get swept away by their own coolness and overflow with swag. I think you can say that WINNER is an energetic boy group. I think our bright and cheerful energy make people happy.”

Among the four of them, it was the first time for Lee Seunghoon to have his self-composed songs be included in the album. He participated in all 12 songs but he has special affection for ’SPECIAL NIGHT’, a disco song about enjoying a fancy evening, and ‘RAINING’, an emotionally sensitive song where one feels the absence of a significant other because of a rainy day.

Lee Seunghoon, “I made ‘RAINING’ because I love rainy days. I made ‘SPECIAL NIGHT’ because I enjoy listening to disco funk and I wondered what it would be like to make a song of that genre with WINNER’s style and color. I took part in producing [for the first time] and I’m shy to say this but I think it was meaningful since I was able to show my potential in producing in this way.”

Kang Seungyoon, “Director Yang Hyunsuk directly praised Seunghoon-hyung for his songs. He said that if we didn’t have any songs to show him until the weekend, we would have to release a mini album so we stayed up all night for a week straight and had him listen to 2 to 3 new songs all at once (that week). He praised us for each of us having a distinct composing style since that’s what makes listening to the album enjoyable.”

The most eye-catching member of this “self-produced idol group” WINNER is none other than the eldest, Kim Jinwoo. In an interview last year, he revealed his personal thoughts, “I want to raise my discretion and release a solo song or anything [that showcases my abilities].” While talking about how he didn’t compose any songs on this recently released album, he stated that he was in the middle of preparing his solo song. It seems that this song has a different color from WINNER’s Kim Jinwoo.

Kim Jinwoo, “Many people ask me about composing and writing my own lyrics but I don’t have the confidence to do well. I think I haven’t prepared myself enough for that yet. I’m constantly working on it. I think that if I work hard, it’ll be possible. Director Yang Hyunsuk also agreed with me. Right now I’m working on my solo song. WINNER songs need to be good and sophisticated so I want the members to keep making our group songs.”

Kang Seungyoon, “Right now, Director Yang Hyunsuk is overlooking the production of Jinwoo-hyung’s solo song. We all thought it would be nice for Jinwoo-hyung to release a solo song so the workings are in progress. We don’t know yet if it’ll be a solo album or a side track on our group album. We haven’t listened to it either so we’re curious too. Jinwoo-hyung should promise that he’ll work hard to release it as soon as possible (laughs).”

From releasing their album to preparing for solo songs, WINNER’s versatility makes them a busy group. Recently, they are in the middle of preparing a concert tour to meet with their fans in Asia. Within their busy schedule, it wouldn’t be surprising if they faint from exhaustion but they are as energized as ever. When asked about the secret behind their energy, they replied, “It’s because of our good teamwork.”

Kang Seungyoon, “During our last 4 years of promoting, there were incidents and hardships. It wasn’t obvious to the public but during hiatuses, we started taking the time to talk to each other more often. From last year, we started making really happy memories and we keep wanting to make happy memories. I think this kind of conversation help us maintain good teamwork.”

Song Mino, “I think the main reason we have good teamwork is thanks to Jinwoo-hyung and Seunghoon-hyung. When there is an absence of conversation within a group of people, things build up and then explode uncontrollably in the end. We tend to share our thoughts right away. Whether it’s Jinwoo-hyung, Seunghoon-hyung, or Seungyoon, we always listen to each other’s stances and talk it out to resolve it no matter what.”

Source: Sports Korea

WINNER “RAINING”

Lyrics by SEUNGHOON, MINO, ZERO

Composed by SEUNGHOON, UK JIN KANG

Arranged by UK JIN KANG

A difference in emotions that violently shake

My predictions that are usually wrong

Make me walk in rain boots after the rain

I quickly forget this kind of depression

And live a life of repetition

Without crossing the street, just like I always do

I watch the traffic lights change again, just motionlessly

I hate my heart that clouds over when I leave it to others

Close the window today

Don’t freeze in the cold wind

If you could think about me

And if someone rings the doorbell, don’t open the door

So no one makes you cry like I did

Raining, raining, raining, incessantly pouring (in the rain)

In my eyes and in my memories, you keep flowing

Without moving forward, forward, forward (not yet)

Without an umbrella, I wait for time to wash it away

The town that’s frozen from the cold

I mistake someone for you

What if you forget your umbrella and feel flustered

And share an umbrella with a stranger

On days like this, the dam in my heart feels like it’ll overflow

Reason crumbles and my tears flow

My frustration and emptiness are like the ocean

I hate the rain and blame it

Close the window today

Don’t freeze in the cold wind

If you could think about me

And if someone rings the doorbell, don’t open the door

So no one makes you cry like I did

Raining, raining, raining, incessantly pouring (in the rain)

In my eyes and in my memories, you keep flowing

Without moving forward, forward, forward (not yet)

Without an umbrella, I wait for time to wash it away

Even if the rain reverts things as if everything didn’t happen

and make the streets muddy

Don’t ever look back

Before the sun sets, follow my footprints

With your white shoes, take the path like you would

Raining, raining, raining, incessantly pouring (in the rain)

In my eyes and in my memories, you keep flowing

Without moving forward, forward, forward (not yet)

Without an umbrella, I wait for time to wash it away

From the speaker,

the song that we often used to listen to together flow

Memories come back to life

I ride the melody, rain rain

From the leaking sky [rain] keeps [pouring down]

When the sky perfectly clears up like a sunny day

My memories will gradually fade

Calming the depths of my heart, rain rain

In my empty heart [rain] keeps [pouring down]

WINNER “HAVE A GOOD DAY”

Lyrics by MINO, SEUNGHOON, ZERO

Composed by MINO, UK JIN KANG

Arranged by UK JIN KANG

Even if you’re far away, may my heart be close to you

I’ll wave my hand and send you a smile, don’t feel lonely

The moon rises deep into the night

I think about you, who is not here

I couldn’t say goodbye, thank you, or anything in our last moment

Time passes without any salvation from God

A flower burns vividly, it flames upwards as pure white ash

What can I do to make it all a lie, don’t say goodbye

Right now, without any preparation, I pray for your life

I hold fate close right now, I send all of what I loved to you

Have a good day, have a good day, have a good day

When this life ends, until this pain that spears my heart disappears

Have a good day, have a good day, have a good day in heaven

The last LINE message I sent you, it doesn’t say “read”

It’s strangely lovely, this childish timeline

Even if I try to forget everything

I can’t erase the memory of our second kiss that I locked

We’re frozen in my memories

Words that were said habitually still stay

So that nothing is forgotten, resent me

Or else it’ll become smoke that no one can grab and fly away

What can I do to make it all a lie, don’t say goodbye

Right now, without any preparation, I pray for your life

I hold fate close right now, I send all of what I loved to you

Have a good day, have a good day, have a good day

When this life ends, until this pain that spears my heart disappears

Have a good day, have a good day, have a good day in heaven

The only thing I can do is pray

I can’t absorb the pain and loneliness that you are experiencing

The warmth of those hands barely stay in my hands that are numb with cold

I can’t let go of that voice

I hold fate close right now, I send all of what I loved to you

Have a good day, have a good day, have a good day

When this life ends, until this pain that spears my heart disappears

Have a good day, have a good day, have a good day in heaven

My lovely dear, where are you now

I want to see you

No matter where you are

Have a good day, have a good day, have a good day

When the last day arrived, if we had met…

Those unspoken words…

No matter where you are

Have a good day, have a good day, have a good day in heaven

Even if you’re far away, may my heart be close to you

I’ll wave my hand and send a smile, don’t feel lonely

Just a fan’s wish.

“May I do a photoshoot with WINNER?”

“Sure! Go and contact them!”

“…”

This is probably not what they mean when they say only non-fans get lucky. Anyways! 2017 was a busy and meaningful year for WINNER and “New Journey to the West Spin Off: Youth Over Flowers WINNER” was at the core of that. WINNER’s unfiltered, pure, and playful selves stole the hearts of people who didn’t know anything about them before. And right now, there is talk about WINNER’s comeback. When Nylon sent a love-call to WINNER, their reply was quick and refreshing but the process until the photoshoot was not smooth. There was so much to do for the photoshoot but the proposal draft got overturned. There was such little time for preparation that we even thought that a meeting with the photoshoot team was a waste of time. But we still wanted to do well. We wanted to create results that would surpass all of WINNER’s previous magazine photoshoots. We wanted to create a spread that would make people fall into it in seconds just by taking a glance. Coincidentally, the day of the photoshoot was Lee Seunghoon’s birthday. At the set location, TEAM WINNER sang happy birthday once every 30 minutes. The only celebratory thing we could do was to clap together due to the cold and cramped set location. The cover of the February issue of Nylon, graced with WINNER in blue denim at a colorful bar, was completed. When the WINNER members said, “So pretty”, “It’s pretty”, “It’s already out?” while looking at the cover photo, I wanted to high-five each one of them. Right now, at five in the morning, I am finishing up this February issue that faced more obstacles than usual. Finding myself smiling at WINNER’s photoshoot data appearing on the monitor makes me wonder if I am fated to become their fan or if it’s just a sense of volition that journalists have. Even at this time as I finish this February issue, a specific date for WINNER’s comeback hasn’t been announced yet. However, it is not a disappointing fact if we remind ourselves about how YG always announces comeback dates very suddenly.

They were quiet during the photoshoot. They were loud for a short time when they were teasing each other but they waited calmly as though the bustling of the staff did not phase them. Kang Seungyoon joked with the photoshoot team and Song Mino took photos of the set with his camera that only a few people in Korea own.

Q. You had many individual activities during 2017. We heard that your fans worked hard in 2017 as well since they followed your individual activities and your group activities.

SEUNGYOON

2017 was a very special year for us. We were very happy!

JINWOO

It was a very thankful and honorable year as we were able to receive lots of attention from the public as well as our fans! I hope we receive lots of attention and love in 2018 as much as we did in 2017. Of course, we’ll come back with even better music.

SEUNGHOON

But amidst everything, our trip to “New Journey to the West Spin Off: Youth Over Flowers WINNER” was the most fun.

MINO

It was a deeply meaningful year for each of us as well as us WINNER. The best year!!

Q. You have “The first male idol to win #1 at the shortest time”, “The first male idol to surpass 100 million chart-in streams”, among other titles. You get called “the first” more often than the usual idol group.

SEUNGYOON

Truthfully, I think whenever we’re called the “first” for something, it is a gift for us from our fans. We recently received awards at various award ceremonies and that really pleased me because now our fans had concrete reasons to be proud as “WINNER’s fans”.

SEUNGHOON

I think titles like “the first” and “the shortest time” have a special meaning that is similar to breaking a Guinness record. I want us to be singers who our fans can be even more proud of.

JINWOO

I am always thankful for our TEAM WINNER staff members and my member dongsaengs for always working hard.

MINO

That’s right. Being called “the first” is nice but we’re more thankful towards our INNER CIRCLE and TEAM WINNER for working hard to give us that title!

Q. What kind of adult do you want to be? How do you want to grow older?

JINWOO

I think I’m still a child. Honestly, rather than becoming some kind of adult, I want to be a person who isn’t embarrassing no matter who looks at me.

SEUNGHOON

The responsibilities I give myself are growing and my facial hair is gradually growing. I want to be a cool man, a tough guy.

SEUNGYOON

I think I have become an adult in some ways but I think I’m still immature in other ways. But I like living the way I live right now. I want to become an adult who is pure.

MINO

I think that becoming “a legal adult” is very different from becoming “a grown-up”. I was really happy and thrilled when I became a legal adult at 20 years old but I think I’ll be sad when I come to acknowledge myself as a grown-up one day.

Q. What is something you don’t want to lose no matter how much time passes?

SEUNGYOON

Myself

JINWOO

My beauty!

SEUNGHOON

Our fans~~ I want to be with them forever. Like diamonds!

Q. Do you ever want to be asked about something during interviews?

SEUNGHOON

Usually, whenever something funny happens or I realize something wise, I think, “I’m going to talk about this really coolly” but when I sit down for the interview, I forget them all.

MINO

I don’t really have anything I want to be asked about… Because whenever people ask us sudden or difficult questions, we have WINNER’s answering vending machine, Kang Leader!

SEUNGYOON

I want people to ask these kinds of questions! Questions that aren’t typical! (Laughs)

Q. What are you most interested in these days?

JINWOO

Acting and WINNER’s new music

SEUNGHOON

I think about how we should transform our image for our new music.

MINO

…Working on music…

SEUNGYOON

# WINNER comeback # Nylon # CKjeans # INNERCIRCLE

Q. What is something you tell yourself most often?

SEUNGYOON

I never say this out loud but I always end up asking, “Is this the best you can do? That person can do it, why can’t you?” in my heart.

SEUNGHOON

“You need to wake up…!” (when going to work in the morning)

JINWOO

“Let’s do our best!”

MINO

“It’s ok, I’m right! Let’s try our best!”

Q. What is the most precious thing in life?

MINO

Happiness. Childlike innocence.

JINWOO

Happiness for me too.

SEUNGYOON

Happiness. I want to live to become happy and then give happiness to many others.

SEUNGHOON

Inner peace. I long for a simple and pure kind of life instead of something fancy but I think I still have a long way to go!

Q. Then what do you fear most in life?

SEUNGHOON

Betrayal from a close precious person I trust.

SEUNGYOON

Being alone. Being anxious. No matter how much money a person earns and no matter how bountiful their life is, it’s meaningless and lacks happiness if they don’t have anyone to share it with so what’s the point?!

MINO

My changing without knowing it myself. The changing of a method of thinking and deciding in an environment that I adjusted with others. And that leading to losing things is so scary!

Q. Each of you had many more individual activities [in 2017]. What direction do you want to take in expanding your domain?

MINO

I’m receiving a lot of love thanks to “New Journey to the West Spin Off: Youth Over Flowers WINNER” and “New Journey to the West”. Because the public’s awareness of me and my image from variety shows is so large, I feel like many people, excluding our fans, only know WINNER through variety shows. That’s why I want to hear people say, “WINNER is good at music and they’re funny,” after seeing our music activities!

JINWOO

I want to be of strength to all the people who listen to my singing and like it or think positively about it. If it’s anything in that domain, I’m willing to challenge myself in anything.

SEUNGYOON

I don’t limit myself to certain genres or domains. Naturally, my roots are always in music but if it’s about making our fans and people happy, I’m willing to challenge myself in any domain.

SEUNGHOON

I was very thankful that we received many opportunities that raised the public’s awareness of us last year. Above anything, I want to be able to have a deeper level of communication with our fans.

Q. WINNER’s consistency! Where does your energy to keep going come from?

SEUNGYOON, JINWOO, MINO

Our fans! Of course it’s INNER CIRCLE! Seeing our fans happy is our biggest motivation and inspiration! “Our fans”. Thinking about the people who like us and wait for us makes us anxious about sitting still!

SEUNGHOON

But don’t you think the start of everything was Song Finger (laughs).

Q. Do you have habits while making music?

SEUNGYOON

Taking notes! Whenever I think of something or get inspired, I write it in my phone notes app or voice record it. Because living while moving around a lot and busily makes me forgetful.

SEUNGHOON

Save it in my computer notes app♥︎ (T/N: Produce 101 “Save it in my heart”)

MINO

I can only start working on music when I have three bottles of water, my phone on “Do Not Disturb”, have my most comfortable pants and shoes on, and block out anything that may break my concentration. Unless I know beforehand that I’ll be working with someone, I feel like things work better when I work alone. I work well at night so I don’t work any time before 10PM.

Q. There are many people who are waiting for WINNER’s new music.

MINO

We are working hard to prepare everything so that we’ll be able to come back with good music. Seungyoon will tell you more about the details.

SEUNGYOON

We’re preparing for our comeback with February as the goal. But we can confidently promise that we’ll be even more busy this year!

SEUNGHOON

We hope that everyone anticipating WINNER’s music won’t be disappointed kkyu kkyu (aegyo)…

Translated by @chrissy96_

WINNER’s beginning was different from the start as they were born through a reality program, “WIN: Who Is Next”. In the first week of their debut, they won three #1 crowns on music shows with their title track “Empty” and swept up all the rookie awards that year. The public fixed their eyes on the monster rookie that had skills, visuals, and the star quality and WINNER always put out results that met expectations. But a long hiatus followed which was unprecedented for a rookie group. A sudden piece of news that fans received during the hiatus was not about their comeback but about a member leaving the group. They became 4 members from 5 and they changed the formation of their choreographies and they adjusted the vocalist parts and they had to work hard to fill up the one empty spot. The result of this came in the form of their single album “FATE NUMBER FOR”, which was released on April 4th, 1 year and 2 months after their previous comeback. The moment the album was released, it recorded first place on iTunes Charts in 21 different countries and was featured in Apple Music’s “Best of the Week”. The fact that the public’s response to “REALLY REALLY” and “FOOL”, which are total opposites of each other, are addicting is just a bonus. WINNER is at their peak.

KANG SEUNGYOON

The response for “REALLY REALLY” is very hot. Do you feel how popular it is?

I’ve been told by people but I can’t really feel it myself. Just like it has always been, we just perform onstage and meet our fans and move according to our schedules.

During WINNER’s hiatus, with Nam Taehyun’s leave, the group became 4 from the original 5. Didn’t you feel like your responsibility as the leader was heavier with this comeback?

Of course I felt responsible. But I didn’t think things like, “I need to lead WINNER better so we can go to a higher place.” (laughs) I felt like I needed to do things instead of staying still.

I heard that you weren’t able to properly rest or travel for leisure during the hiatus.

Yes. When I didn’t have plans on making music, I was at home. Home and company. That was it. It was because I didn’t want to just rest. Even when I didn’t have any songs to work on, I went to the company. I felt more comfortable staying at the company, eating with my composer hyungs, and talking to them.

I heard you made “REALLY REALLY” and “FOOL” very quickly.

Composing for both songs came easy to me. For “REALLY REALLY”, I finished composing the melody and writing the lyrics while lying in bed in 4 hours. But I couldn’t figure out the best melody progression for the bridge part so I asked Mino to help me.

As a member who composed the songs, which member do you want to praise the most?

Jinwoo-hyung. I don’t force directions to the rappers. They have always done well with their individual styles and they know how to show off their own colors. But I was really surprised at how much Jinwoo-hyung’s singing improved while recording for this single album. The time it took to record decreased greatly. It took 30 minutes when it usually takes 2 hours.

Jinwoo told me earlier that the songs suited him so well that he was very comfortable with them.

Whenever I make WINNER songs, I compose so that it suits the members. It’s only possible since I’ve known them for almost 10 years now, ever since we were trainees. This means I probably can’t make songs for other singers.

I feel like you received a lot of stress to achieve such good results.

I feel like I don’t get stressed much but my body keeps hurting in places. (laughs) I still get migraines.

How do you relieve stress?

These days I reform clothes with Mino as a hobby. I usually relieve stress by going outside and walking under the sunlight. But I need to wear a face mask and a hoodie so people don’t recognize me. I wear black clothes to not draw attention to myself at night. (laughs)

How do you reform clothes?

I just fold them and stick them together and sew things together and cut things. I’m bad at sewing. When I have things I need to sew, I put them aside and when my mother comes to Seoul, I make her do it… (laughs) She enjoys it though! I’m usually really blunt around her so when I ask her to do things like this for me she thinks we’re playing together.

In the end, all the clothes you’re reforming are made by your mother.

No, that’s not it. I design the clothes and my mother sews the clothes. Designers don’t sew clothes themselves. Their assistants do it. (laughs)

You’re receiving good results after a long hiatus. Is there something you want to challenge yourself in in the future?

I want to hear people say, “This is what WINNER-like music is” even when we make music we want to make and not bother with trends. To make that happen, we need to become more known and further develop our careers. I think it’s possible with time. Personally, once WINNER becomes properly stabilized as a group, I want to release a solo album but I want to include all genres of music into that one album. When people think about the music Kang Seungyoon makes, they assume it’s only folk or rock music. I want to break that preconceived notion and put in dance, hip-hop, R&B, and even trot songs into the album. I’m just sharing my thoughts. (laughs)

SONG MINO

You’ve succeeded in the variety scene. You received your nickname “Song Dumb” through “New Journey to the West” and you’ve become famous enough among the older generation that they ask for your autograph. Was it your wish to appear on a variety show?

Yes, I wanted to. Other than music shows, we weren’t able to have complete promotions and as time passed, the image of the group WINNER solidified into being a group that is hard to approach and classy. (laughs) I don’t mind that kind of image and vibe but I wanted us to promote more and become more known. In that timing, I received the offer from “New Journey to the West” and I had lots of fun filming it but I didn’t expect to be shown like that… (laughs)

You’re honestly worried as a rapper, right?

At first I was worried that my image would cover my music activities. But when I thought about it, what was shown on TV is my true self and it’s separate from the music I make so there is no need to forcefully hide myself. I’ll show myself as I am and I can show my music as it is.

In a separate interview you said that you worked hard to show rapping that overflows with energy without covering the melody. Maybe because of this I feel like your vocalization changed.

My vocalization changed during “Show Me The Money”. It’s actually a change that all singers and rappers go through. It’s how we find the voice we’re most comfortable with. When I first started rapping, I made up a voice and rapped in that voice. When I listen to the songs I made when I was in high school, my voice sounds like I swallowed stones. (laughs) Back then, I thought that was cool. But gradually, I’m finding the voice I’m comfortable with.

When you promote as WINNER, rapping is a component that makes up the vibe of the song. You must want to work on your own music since you don’t rap as much compared to when you promote individually.

Yes. The rapping I do as WINNER is one part of the song so the importance lies in the overall concept. But my rap style is made up of word plays and I pour in a lot of fun elements and enjoy my music so when I get the opportunity to work on my solo music, I’m going to do whatever I want. I want to go hard in my rapping.

Do you perhaps remember the first rap you made?

I don’t remember the lyrics but I remember what happened. The first ever music I made was when I was in my 6th year of elementary school. I went to my friend’s house and wrote my first lyrics and recorded myself on a cassette tape with my friend. I didn’t know anything when I was writing those lyrics. I just scribbled something and said, “Hey, but let’s still record it” and I recorded it on a cassette tape. I wonder where that cassette tape is now.

Out of all the raps you’ve made, which one gave you the hardest time?

The song that I had the hardest time making was “Shoot” for “Infinite Challenge: Great Legacy”. The overall concept was already set in place. The larger theme was history and the smaller theme was General Lee Soonshin. And the project was about becoming aware by looking back into the past and looking at the present. It was difficult to express myself within a fixed boundary. Fortunately, the end result turned out well.

You’ve had the name WINNER for 4 years now. Is there a time when you think you have some spare time now?

I don’t think we’re at that level yet. But the chemistry between us members is really good. We’ve been living together for a long time now so I think we know pretty much everything about each other. I know what my members are thinking just by looking at their faces. The member who is in the best mood today is… Seunghoon-hyung. That hyung has severe mood swings but I think he’s pretty happy today. (laughs)

Is there a specific key point you want listeners to focus on for “REALLY REALLY”?

Um… What a difficult question. (Song Mino mulled over the question for a long time. Lee Seunghoon, who had finished earlier came and suggested, “Didn’t you say you worked hard to change your tone? Tell her about that.”) The change in my tone can just be heard. I don’t need to specifically tell that to people… I just want people to listen to it comfortably. Comfortably. (laughs)

LEE SEUNGHOON

I heard CEO Yang praised you for making the choreography for “FOOL” in 5 hours.

I was able to make it quickly because I thought about the flow of movements. “FOOL” didn’t need complicated dancing. It’s a song that is close to the ballad genre so it wasn’t necessary to dance powerfully and put in a key point dance. The first thing I thought about was how I could make us look cool.

I’m curious about your process in making choreographies.

First, I close my eyes while listening to the song and draw a picture in my head. I imagine an overall picture while thinking about the mood of the performance that people would find cool watching us. After I imagine that, I make a large outline of how the members should move. After that, I make the detailed dance movements. “FOOL” didn’t need lots of movements but the formation had to change because we became 4 members from 5.

You’ve started promoting after a long hiatus. I heard you thought a lot about what kind of fanservice you would do for the fans.

The ground-breaking invention of Naver V App is helping many people other than ourselves, I think. I really want to tell Naver that I love them. (laughs) I’ve always liked making and planning ideas and content. I’ve had interest in making videos from when I was young. So I have fun and I like communicating with our fans through V App.

I feel like you’ve been overflowing with ideas from when you were on “K-Pop Star”. I guess you’re not nicknamed “Deputy Lee of YG Planning Team” for nothing.

I enjoy producing ideas. When I get told they’re fun, I get really excited. Usually, other artists go to the YG office building to work out or go to the recording studio on the 3rd floor and they don’t really go to where the staff members work. But I always go to those staff members’ offices. So when they see me on TV, they say that I look unfamiliar and that it feels strange. They say things like, “Why is our Deputy who’s always scruffy appearing on TV like that”. (laughs)

You have good fashion sense. You’ve collaborated with fashion brands too.

Let me just tell you that good-looking people like Jinwoo-hyung never get interested in fashion. That’s because they look good no matter what they wear. (laughs) I enjoyed going around used-goods markets and looking for clothes with my friends. Since I debuted and am earning money, I can buy expensive clothes now, right? I used to not have money so I couldn’t buy expensive clothes but I suddenly realised that the ultimate end to fashion was to personally create a style of clothes I like. So later on, when I have the opportunity, I want to create my own clothing brand, like Tyler, the Creator who made “Golf Wang”.

You’re a jack-of-all-trades. I was surprised when I saw your poem called “Flower Boat” that you wrote for your fans.

I just imitated something like a poem. I feel like my fans like it so much because what I feel for my fans can be felt from that poem. I’m not good at writing and I’m not talented.

What are you talking about? Your fans say that the lyrics you write are the best parts of the songs. Were you proud when you listened to the completed recordings of the new songs?

Yes, I liked them. Seungyoon is the type to listen to the music he makes a thousand times before the release but I don’t listen to our songs often. I say things like, “Why listen to them already when we’re going to keep listening to them after they’re released?” (laughs) But I was satisfied. I worked hard to make a rap that middle school girls could imitate easily.

How did you do that?

I made sure my enunciation wasn’t hard to imitate and the speed wasn’t too fast. And most importantly, I put in many breaks between the beats where you can rest. I imagined how people would sing and rap along. (laughs)

KIM JINWOO

You’re famous among your fans for being very diligent. What kind of effort did you put in for this single album?

I kept receiving lessons while we recorded. I also learned contemporary dancing and thanks to that I became very confident. I used to sing quietly when we recorded but now I actively try singing this way and that. My singing hasn’t changed but my attitude has.

As the group became 4 members, your singing parts increased too. Were you not burdened?

I just recorded the songs comfortably. When Seungyoon makes a song, he thinks about our tones and the rappers’ tendencies. We record many songs and there are times when there are good results and there are times when there are bad results but when Seungyoon is the one who made the song, I never struggle. I didn’t put in any extra effort. I don’t need to because he makes songs that suit me perfectly.

When were you most excited while recording the songs?

I was just happy the entire time we were recording. I feel like learning how to physically express myself in a given situation through contemporary dancing made me change a lot internally. If I have the time, I want to continue learning contemporary dance.

Fans know that you’re a homebody. Do you still always stay home?

I don’t spend my spare time outdoors. I watch TV at home or I lie in bed and play with my phone. I used to play lots of phone games but I’ve stopped that now. Playing so many phone games made me spend too much money. (laughs) I stopped because I realised that if I kept it up, I would go broke. (laughs)

You must’ve watched a lot of TV during the hiatus.

I’ve watched many dramas recently. I especially enjoyed watching “Defendant”.

Who is your favorite actor?

Kimura Takuya. I love it when people tell me I look like how Kimura Takuya looked like when he was young. (laughs)

Who is your favorite Korean actor?

Jisung-sunbaenim who acted in “Defendant”. Did you watch that drama? You didn’t? You really should. I really love Choi Jinsil-sunbaenim. I didn’t know that I would fall in love with another actor besides her. Jisung-sunbaenim acted his character who would never let go of his deep sadness even in a happy situation and… Wow… Seriously…

You’ve acted in a webdrama before, right? I can feel that you’re greedy for acting.

Yes, I’m always interested in acting. I’ve acted in a couple of webdramas but I think they didn’t really suit me. I want to try acting a deep and heavy character instead of a light character. Of course, I am still very lacking.

But you’re the icon of effort. All the other members picked you as the member who improved the most.

Not just me, all of us worked really hard in making this single album. If you ask me what people should focus on when listening to our song, I want to say “all of it”. There is really no part that didn’t require hard work.

Then when is the best timing to listen to “REALLY REALLY”?

When you’re in a flirting relationship with someone. Or at the beginning of a romantic relationship, when the love is fresh. If I were to compare that feeling to a season, it would be Spring, which is right now.

When do you think Spring will start in your love life? I heard what your ideal type is on the radio. You said that you want to date someone who looks like you, right? A women with big eyes, a slender face, and is 165cm tall. Do these characteristics still hold?

Firstly, I don’t mind what kind of hairstyle she has now. But I would like it if she is shorter than me. Other than that, the general descriptions haven’t changed. But right now I will concentrate on WINNER promotions. (laughs)

Translated by @chrissy96_

Song Mino does not know a middle. He raps ‘without rest’ and knows how to ‘totally’ let go of himself in casual settings and when he talks about himself, he is ‘infinitely’ sincere. This is the reason we will ‘always’ look forward to Song Mino. 

It has been an year since we last met Song Mino. When we said that he looked better, he excitedly answered that it was because he was promoting. Throughout the interview, no matter what we asked about, he always ended up talking about work. In other words, he only thinks about working and working on music. Seeing him smile widely while talking showed us that he is a clever man who clearly knows that “people who enjoy life wins”. He is not dumb!

Song Mino constantly talked about how he was very happy these days during the interview. This is understandable because, despite anticipating and worrying about the intimidating variety industry, he successfully solidified himself as a cute character “Song Dumb”. He also successfully made a comeback as WINNER, which he wanted for a long time. Even though he doesn’t have time to sleep much, Song Mino says he is the most happy he has been in awhile and we were able to meet him in his happiness.

“I’m so busy but I’m so happy right now.” That is how he answered when we asked how he was and it showed how much he thirsted for the stage. 1 year and 2 months. In the reality of the music industry, numerous idol groups debut and make comebacks in one month alone and that makes WINNER’s comeback feel all the more delayed. “The hiatus gave my members and I a time to grow and mature. The change in the number of members is one of the reasons. I think that what we have to do is to work hard and prepare the perfect stage.” On April 4th at 4PM, that hard work was revealed and the response was explosive. When I said that it was as expected of WINNER, he shook his head no, “From our debut, we received an overwhelming amount of love and attention. Because of that, even a small bump made us stumble and weakened us. On top of that, the music market is constantly changing… We didn’t have any expectations because we didn’t want to get hurt. It’s not that we weren’t confident about our music, we just unconsciously became more afraid of things. But the response is very good so I am really happy these days.” I didn’t expect Song Mino to say “afraid” because he was such a charismatic rapper with more “swag” than anyone on “Show Me the Money 4”. Of course, he was starkly different from his naive “Song Dumb” side that was shown on “New Journey to the West 3”. “One thing I am sure of is that with every passing year, I become more thoughtful. Just last year, I had the mindset of ‘I can just do it! If it doesn’t work, I’ll forget about it’ but now, I find myself judging things by myself and worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet. Of course, I haven’t been deeply shaken by something yet but it is true that I am showing a weak side of myself that I used to lack.” Even though you survived those difficult survival shows? “Yes. My friends are on the currently airing show ‘Produce 101 Season 2’. I worry about them and feel upset for them because they are friends who dreamed the same dream as me from when we were young. I know how difficult it is because I became a member of WINNER through a survival show and I can feel their pain and what they’re feeling just by looking at their facial expressions. I really hope they do well and I hope they work hard until the end without giving up! I will also continue to work hard and not forget my origins. Every time I get tired I tell myself, ‘I am walking the happiest moment of my life right now and there isn’t enough time for me to find a cooler and brighter side of myself’ and I comfort my heart.” I also scold myself by remembering my past. “I was suddenly curious about what kind of person I’ll be next year. So I searched for a video of me performing last year and watched it. It was only an year ago but I was embarrassed of myself as if I was watching a video of me performing years ago. I was so sure that I did well at the time… Just like when you solve problems you keep getting wrong to train yourself to not repeat the same mistakes, I want to constantly check the things I lack in.” I understood what he was saying as being greedy and wanting to be good at everything. I asked him whether he has ever thought of putting down work for a bit and resting. “I dream about that vaguely. I want to travel overseas with my friends. I really love traveling but I’ve never traveled. It’s funny, right? (laughs) But I can’t let myself do that yet. First, I need to finish promoting our album and I want to have another comeback as WINNER before the end of the year. Later on, when I get to release my solo album, I think I can travel then. While I’m at it, I wish I can film ‘Youth Over Flowers’ around that time! Oh wait, is that work too?” (Laughs)

Translated by @chrissy96_

Another long hiatus that lasted 1 year and 2 months, reorganization from 5 members to 4. Upon its release, WINNER’s third mini album, “FATE NUMBER FOR” wiped out all doubt that surrounded them and recorded first place on the iTunes Charts in 21 different countries. Even now, two weeks since the release, “REALLY REALLY” refuses to drop from the top of the digital charts. We met with the two people who are at the center of all this talk, Kang Seungyoon and Kim Jinwoo of WINNER. We will suppress the urge to share all the details about how they were deeply natural with each other and how the melodies they hummed together matched so well. That is because it is unnecessary to talk about how WINNER is strong like they always have been and the fact that they still have much to show us.

I saw you two at a restaurant the other day. It was the day after the release of your album and the music videos for “FOOL” and “REALLY REALLY”.

JINWOO

Really?

SEUNGYOON

Oh, that was the day we went to eat nasigoreng and pasta!

It was fascinating. Your songs swept the charts and your music videos recorded ten million views in a day but you guys were eating lunch as if it was just another ordinary day. How did you feel?

JINWOO

The amount of attention and love we received for our debut album was unusual for a rookie group. We experienced many different things after that and after a long hiatus, we’re receiving so much love with our comeback so the greatest feeling we have right now is gratefulness.

SEUNGYOON

Oh, could you wait a second? Song Mino just video-called me saying that he wants to be interviewed with us. Hello? Hello? Oh, I can’t hear him well so I’ll hang up.

(Laughing) Is it really Mino?

SEUNGYOON

I just hung up (laughing) Like Jinwoo-hyung said, we received a lot of love with “Empty”, which was in our first album. Personally, I think I tried not to have much expectations for this album (FATENUMBERFOR). I put in the effort not to get excited even when our song got first place on the charts because it might drop soon after.

But even after 2 weeks have passed, it is still at the top of the charts. Is that satisfying?

JINWOO

It is very satisfying.

SEUNGYOON

I am a little satisfied? We were in a situation where we had to prove to people that it was possible for us to overcome the unfortunate things that happened to us and I think that’s been proven to some extent. Also, how it does on charts isn’t very important to me. I’m satisfied that our fans are liking our music.

You talked about which song you liked better in your V LIVE, right? I like “REALLY REALLY” a little more than “FOOL”.

JINWOO

Seungyoon made that.

Seungyoon took part in writing lyrics and composing the songs, right? And Jinwoo shouldered more weight as a vocalist. How did you feel when you listened to the songs for the first time?

JINWOO

Seungyoon usually sings the guide. He knows the color of our group and the vocal tones of the members so he makes songs that suit those things. Seungyoon took a large part in bringing a song that matches my voice well. I practiced and thought about how I should sing it but it feels like I didn’t need to prepare something more than my usual singing voice.

(Laughs) Aren’t you being too thankful to Seungyoon?

SEUNGYOON

I think the reason why “REALLY REALLY” is doing well is because all the members shine in it. For a group to get known by many people and to receive love, it is important for one member to really pull in the attention but the whole group getting shown is also important. I felt that this song could spotlight Jinwoo-hyung so I purposely put a lot of emphasis on Jinwoo-hyung’s parts. When someone thinks, “This person’s voice is pretty good,” then they can comfortably listen to the song while enjoying that vocalist.

Thanks to the start of the song, Jinwoo has also been called the “Where Are You Man” so it seems like what Seungyoon wanted is coming true.

SEUNGYOON

I’m personally very happy because Jinwoo-hyung’s voice tone and singing method and his other styles balance the song.

“REALLY REALLY” is a feel-good love song because it is really honest. Have you ever taken the step forward to honestly confess your feelings like the song?

JINWOO

I did have a time when I was innocent.

Do you think honestly confessing to someone would be difficult now?

JINWOO

No, I think I’ll always be like that…

SEUNGYOON

I didn’t write my experiences into the song. I just wanted to write the feelings I felt when I was very young. In a vague context. If you look at the lyrics, it doesn’t sound like a love story between adults. It has the vibes of a middle school student in a shoujou manga saying, “Where are you? I came because I missed you so come outside.” I purposely did not include the words, “I love you” in the lyrics. It’s not about loving someone, it’s about liking them.

Because you didn’t use strong words, it became a more lighthearted and innocent love song.

SEUNGYOON

It is also my style. I’m straightforward on a daily basis but when I’m confessing my feelings to someone, instead of saying, “I love you”, I say, “I like you” like a tsundere.

So it’s something like, “I love… I love… No, I like you”. On the other hand, “FOOL” is a breakup song. Excluding dating, what is the most regretful thing you have done?

SEUNGYOON

Hmm. You can say that we were at fault for our long hiatus after releasing our second album, “EXIT:E”. That is regretful to me. When I think about our fans who waited for such a long time, I become more regretful about that. I feel like I should’ve worked harder to do something. When I think about it now, I might’ve been blinded by the overwhelming response we got with our first album.

JINWOO

I regret small things. For example, if I had worked harder and studied a foreign language or learned how to play an instrument when we debuted, I would be really good at it now. I regret how I started learning how to play the drums but that has fizzled out now.

You learned the drums? Why?

JINWOO

There were no special reasons at first. But while I was learning it, I relieved stressed with it and my sense of rhythm improved too.

Talking about instruments reminds me about Seungyoon’s guitar. You were always with your guitar when you were on “Superstar K2”. What about now?

SEUNGYOON

I always have my guitars in my room but it’s been awhile since I properly played them. There is a preconceived notion that playing the guitar means that the person does rock or acoustic music. Because of that, I felt that WINNER’s music was getting discolored by me. It’s possible for people to think, “Kang Seungyoon probably does this kind of music. He plays the guitar so he probably can’t do that kind of music.” I wanted to avoid those kinds of obstacles when I’m promoting as WINNER. It is not like I didn’t practice at all but in the past year, I haven’t purposely used my guitar.

There are many people who look forward to your solo activities. Is the music you are working on right now going to influence solo activities?

SEUNGYOON

I think there will be some influence to an extent. Acoustic and rock music will not be completely gone. That type of music is one of the fields I can do. However, once WINNER solidifies as a group more, if I receive the opportunity for a solo album, I have an indefinite wish to title it, “Everything You Want” and include hip-hop, jazz, ballad, rock, and dance songs. I want to make an album that contains all kinds of music so that I can enjoy it, as the person making it, and so that people who listen to my album can enjoy it too.

Both of you are members who act. Jinwoo, do you have plans for any solo or acting activities in the future?

JINWOO

Hmm. Firstly, I’m still scared about challenging myself in releasing a solo song. I lack the certainty in knowing what song or style that will suit me best. I do think about continuing my acting. Since I started it, I want to properly work hard in it.

You made an unprecedented decision to perform in the Korea National Contemporary Dance Production of “The Little Prince” last December.

JINWOO

I really wanted to challenge myself in a new experience. When I was spending my days working out, taking lessons, practicing, and wanting to do something other than those things, I received a very good offer. I thought to myself that I needed to work really hard for it. The Seoul Arts Center stage is not a stage where even modern dancers perform on often. I also received a lot of stress because I was worried that I would be told “he’s like an idol”.

You two are part of a company that is known to make the most “hip” content in Korea. There are sub-labels of YG that produce subculture content too. Is there something you find interesting in the mainstream right now?

SEUNGYOON

DPR LIVE. I think he’s cool because he makes his own music, performs alone, produces videos alone, and just makes everything by himself. I also get inspired by what he makes.

JINWOO

I like DPR LIVE too and contemporary dance is fun too. It’s very liberating. I’m not saying this because I was in “The Little Prince”... (Laughing)

There are many WINNER songs that deal with loneliness and empty feelings. It is a universal emotion but are there times when you are more lonely because you are celebrities?

JINWOO & SEUNGYOON

Yes, very often.

JINWOO

It can’t be helped because there are always limitations on what people do every day and where people can go.

SEUNGYOON

I think celebrities are a little different from people who are recognized by others. We are aware that we are people who are recognized by other people, not celebrities. It’s not just about not keeping ourselves from drinking excessively or having harmless hobbies, we can’t easily do anything. In this context, we ended up growing apart from [non-celebrity] friends and the people who we can meet gradually become limited. It’s not like Jinwoo-hyung and I don’t contact our childhood friends at all but because we can’t meet each other comfortably like in the past, it feels like our surroundings are being compressed.

JINWOO

Once that happens, you naturally end up being alone most of the time. Even if I meet someone, it’s usually my members.

On top of that, both of your hometowns are far from Seoul. Jinwoo is from Imjado Island in Sinan and Seungyoon is from Busan. Do you guys like Seoul?

SEUNGYOON

We really love Seoul! There’s so many things to do here.

(Laughs) That’s a relief.

SEUNGYOON

There are many things to do but there’s not many things we can do. But I like shopping and I can do that to my heart’s content. Most of the friends I’ve met while working are in Seoul anyways so I’ve become comfortable with this city. It’s like my home.

JINWOO

There are really not many people on Imjado Island. I like Seoul because there are so many people. But I don’t like how there are many cars too.

You’ve been to many cities [in and out of Korea]. Is there a city you want to live in?

SEUNGYOON

We went to LA recently. Seunghoon-hyung says he wants to live in LA because the weather is nice and it’s relaxing. But if I were to choose between LA and New York, I would live in New York. For now, I like being in a busy place. I feel like if I live in a relaxing place, I would get depression. I think that’s because I don’t have a peace of mind yet.

JINWOO

I want to live in Sokcho. Unlike my hometown which is in the west coast of Korea, the east coast of Korea has really blue seas. When I saw it for the first time, I was really surprised. I thought I was overseas! I want to live in Korea while looking at a clean ocean. I don’t really like busy cities.

Your choice makes sense.

SEUNGYOON

But I still like Seoul best. New York is nice but Seoul is better.

JINWOO

That’s right. I like being in Korea the best.

I’m going to ask a heartwarming question. What are you to each other?

SEUNGYOON

You go first because you’re the hyung.

JINWOO

Hmm… I’ve been with Seungyoon for a long time. I’ve received a lot from Seungyoon but I’ve never directly thanked him before.

Then can you two say thank you to each other while looking into each other’s eyes?

SEUNGYOON

(Laughing)

JINWOO

Thank you, Seungyoon, really! I want to tell my other members thank you too. Hmm. I’m really thankful for them.

SEUNGYOON

I’m also thankful. I get lonely easily and even though we’ll probably live separately in a few years, I feel safe that my family lives with me. Jinwoo-hyung is more special to me because we’ve been together for the longest time.

JINWOO

When I look at Seungyoon, I feel really proud.

SEUNGYOON

Hyung raised me like a parent. When I joined YG, he took care of me a lot.

When Seungyoon joined YG as a trainee, he was already pretty famous but Jinwoo didn’t feel burdened by him?

JINWOO

I thought he would act like he’s all that but he wasn’t like that at all. Almost to the point where I found it fascinating.

SEUNGYOON

I really started from the bottom~

You two are more heartwarming than I expected. It’s a beautiful sight

JINWOO & SEUNGYOON

Thank you!

Translated by @chrissy96_

Source

Apparently, WINNER’s REALLY REALLY was made in 4 hours while lying in bed

Isn’t Kang Seungyoon a f*cking genius??????

People around me always say “This is 100% made by an overseas composer” after listening to REALLY REALLYㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ But the lyrics and composition was mainly done by Kang Seungyoon and other members worked with him!!! (It’s a self-composed song)

Edit: I just wrote this post without even adding pictures but it’s getting so much attentionㅎㅎㅎ

Apparently, WINNER is going to make 2 more comebacks this year!!!

Best Comments: 

1. [+110, -3] A damn genius... And Lee Seunghoon made the FOOL choreography in 5 hours. Aren’t they just a group of geniuses...?

2. [+94, -3] The song is so good but he took 4 hours, not 40. Wow

3. [+87, -3] Seriously? That is so insane...?

Looks like Song Mino will be on the black list for [his song on] Infinite Challenge

Song Mino and Haha’s song lyrics for Infinite Challenge with General Lee Soonshin as the theme

I fly because I'm a bird (Wordplay: The country is an anarchy [right now])

Heroes, come out

Gather as one, in front of General Lee Soonshin's statue

There’s not much difference between Uldolmok sea

and the current country but its a red ocean

(^All about Gwanghwamun candlelight vigils)

Rise up, rise up, until it gets blown out, burn it (Candlelights)

(Wordplay: Until it gets blown out = until she (Park Geunhye) gets lost)

I'm afraid, afraid (are you?)

I'm sea sick, sea sick (are you?) (May be alluding to the Sewol Ferry Disaster in 2014)

I'm not sure, father, father, tell me the answer (Sewol Ferry + “Fear” - the lyrics “Father, tell me the answer” is Mino asking God what the answer is. This might be referring to the “truth of the 7 hours”. Park Geunhye was not on duty during the 7 hours when the ferry began to sink)

My shoes aren’t designer shoes, they’re straw shoes, check (Choi Soonshil’s Prada shoes, the woman who was revealed to control everything Park Geunhye did. When Choi Soonshil attended police investigations for the first time, one of her shoes got left behind because of the crowd of reporters/people swarming her. Her shoes were Prada/designer shoes)

Let it be gained from fighting ten attendants (A group of eunuchs (10~12) who were very powerful at the Han Imperial Court in China (170s~180s) - Choi Soonshil and her people wielding power instead of Park Geunhye who is the president)

Even though we're not weak, we stood straight properly (Wordplay: “we’re not weak” = “we didn’t take drugs”, members of the Blue House bought viagra and propofol with money from paid taxes - “we stood straight properly without taking drugs (like viagra)”)

It’s turning, turning well (Hey ya!) (Hye-ya = Park GeunHYE-YAH)

Made a fool, made a fool well (Ha ya!) (Hayah means “resign” => Park Geunhye, resign)

Risking death made me survive (Lee Soonshin’s epitaph: “If you risk death, you live, if you try to live, you die”)

미천한 Humble

신들은 죽지 않았고 gods are not dead and

불타는 We grab

사명감을 쥐었고 the fiery sense of duty

상처가 Even if wounds

유감으로 끝나도 end with regret

십상시와 맞서고 Let it be gained

이루리 from fighting ten attendants

*The first letters aligned like this make up Lee Soonshin’s words:

“The heavens have not forsaken us. We still have 12 ships left.”

TOP 3 COMMENTS:

[+231, -3] That viagra diss in “Even though we're not weak, we stood straight properly” f*ckㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ he’s a genius

[+195, -3] Mino, I really like you, seriously, in every way possible ㅎㅎㅎㅠ

[+161, -1] Lee Hayi’s song that Song Mino featured on is really good and the rap lyrics are soo freaking good ㅠㅠㅠㅠ please listen to it

* Song Mino x Haha - “Shoot” LYRICS+WORDPLAYS+EXPLANATIONS

* Song Mino x Haha - “Shoot” PERFORMANCE

* Listen to “Shoot” on MelOn - https://goo.gl/wb99kH

* Lee Hayi - “World Tour (Feat. Song Mino)” Produced by Dean LYRICS

SEUNGYOON - “You”

Lyrics: Kang Seungyoon, Jo Sung-hwak

Composition: 8, Jo Sung-hwak

Arrangement: 8

Things disappear and change

“There’s no such thing as forever”

That’s what I believed in

But the thing that never changes

is probably you, my love is you

It’s you, my everything is you

It’s all the same

Love is a waste of emotions, it’s useless

It’s foolish, the person in the mirror, myself

I know that but I [fall in] love again

At the end, like always, we’ll hate each other

Eventually, I’ll be thrown away and I know that I’ll hurt again

I’ll probably be the one abandoned again

You’ll probably disappear anyway, I’ll be left alone again

I know that but strangely, somehow, you’re different

You’re different from people I’ve met so far

You whisper that you’ll stick to me and

that you won’t leave me, I want to believe you

Things disappear and change

“There’s no such thing as forever”

That’s what I believed in

But the thing that never changes

is probably you, my love is you

It’s you, my everything is you

When I stand in front of you (why)

unlike my usual self, I keep getting smaller

I can’t get used to it

This side of me might make things awkward

I worry alone that you’ll hate me

The thought of “what if you leave me” finds me again

What will I do if you abandon me and I’m alone again?

What will I do if even you disappear after leaving me?

When I’m scared and afraid, when I’m shaking in fear

That moment you hug me and whisper in my ear

that you won’t leave me, I want to believe you

Things disappear and change

“There’s no such thing as forever”

That’s what I believed in

But the thing that never changes

is probably you, my love is you

It’s you, my everything is you

THE BOY WITHOUT GRAVITY

For the first time, Kim Jinwoo of WINNER has been given a microphone that was prepared solely for him.

Kim Jinwoo’s heart is a knot of excitement and fear, nerves and anticipation and he has started to unravel that knot one by one, carefully, and calmly.

Kim Jinwoo? When I heard the news that he was casted for the title role of “The Little Prince”, I tilted my head. There was no face that popped up in my mind immediately. The first reason was the fact that I did not think to make the connection between the Korean National Contemporary Dance Company and an idol group. After I was given the hint that he was a member of the group WINNER, I was able to think of his face. But even then, I was doubtful. That was because Kim Jinwoo was never really coupled to phrases like “dance-idol” or “dancer”. On top of that, unlike his group members who don’t hide their talents and actively display their individual charms, he is usually standing slightly to the back, smiling at them. That Kim Jinwoo is going to perform contemporary dance? I feel that even his fans who know him best would have been surprised at the unexpected news. But all these doubts subsided when this shy young man entered the studio. That was because Kim Jinwoo himself looks so much like the Little Prince, as if he came out of the storybook itself. There is no doubt that Kim Jinwoo has an uncanny resemblance to the illustrations by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. From his blonde hair, to his large, bright eyes, and even his zoned out facial expression when he is alone. Fortunately, it wasn’t only me who discovered these similarities. “My members and the people around me tell me that I suit the Little prince. It’s probably because of the hair color (laughs). I feel embarrassed but it’s true that it makes me happy. I have to do well to satisfy those expectations. I have to do well so that even when this is all over, I still have the nickname of the Little Prince.”

The courage of the first step

“The Little Prince” is bringing him many “firsts”. For example, this is his first time to promote alone. He has never stood onstage alone without his members after debuting as WINNER. “This is my first time to take part in such a quiet photoshoot so I feel awkward and lonely. Wherever I go, I’m with my members so I’m used to noisy and hectic environments. On the other hand, it takes much less time for the photoshoot to end compared to when all 5* of us (T/N: This interview and photoshoot took place before the announcement of Taehyun’s leave) have a photoshoot, so it’s nice to end the photoshoot when the sun is still up (laughs). But that’s how much I need to do well so I feel much more burden and responsibility.” His burden is not unrelated to the genre of contemporary dancing. Unlike with plays and musicals, it is difficult to find idol members who take part in the contemporary dance stage. This probably proves the vast difference between the genre of contemporary dancing and the idol industry. It seems like that gap itself is an obstacle that Kim Jinwoo must overcome. “With musicals, meaning can be delivered through various ways such as songs and spoken lines, but with dance drama, the dancer has to express everything with just the body. That was what I was worried about the most. I was also afraid about whether I’ll be able to do well.”

However, “The Little Prince” was so charming that he willingly put aside all his worries. Each facial expression and movement add to the storytelling and that is done through each dancer’s dancing and each of those individual movements interconnect with each other and illustrate a large, directed choreography. There is a magic to the recreation of the many different planets that the Little Prince visits with vibrant colors and detailed props on the stage. As Kim Jinwoo became taken by this unfamiliar site, he fell in love with the charms of contemporary dancing as he watched every National Contemporary Dance Company performance video he could get his hands on. He became deeply aware of how WINNER choreographies and the dancing of “The Little Prince” were worlds apart after he started practices. If the goal of idol choreography is to accentuate sharpness through detailed movements, the bodily movements of contemporary dancing are determined only by the dancer. In other words, improvisation. For Kim Jinwoo to pull out this unfamiliar concept from within himself, the dancers of the dance company, who are also his teachers, gave him a homework assignment on the first day of practice. The homework assignment was for him to discover the defenceless Kim Jinwoo. He had to organise what he did when he was alone and what he thought about when he was alone. “After coming back to our dorm that day, I thought about that assignment and… Please wait a moment, I wrote down all of it.” He took out his phone and after looking through his notes, he started reading them out loud. “‘Zoning out while lying down. Going to the bathroom. Eating a meal. Watching TV’ and the thoughts I wrote down were, ‘I’m bored. I feel empty. I’m hungry’ and we started with expressing these things with my body. They told me to express them in my own way and that it didn’t matter whether or not people could recognise what I was expressing. For example, usually when people are asked to express hunger, they touch their belly. But I (actively moving around) turned my chest around like this and wrapped my arms around my belly.” The movements he created were brushed up and connected and then became the Little Prince’s dance. That is the reason why it can’t be helped but for “Kim Jinwoo” to flow out of each and every movement of the Little Prince. These days, he is most taken by the expression of lacking gravity out of all the choreographies in the performance. This is because floating in air is the most fundamental movement of the Little Prince as he travels to the many different planets in the universe. For this, these days, Kim Jinwoo walks around carefully with his heels in the air at the dorm. “Even outside of practice, I practice the feeling of being out in space. I open the door and hug my cats as if I lack gravity. I try raising my arms with this floating feeling and I think about how my eyes should travel. I realised that letting my body loose is harder than I thought. When it doesn’t work out well, I look for videos about space and get ideas while watching them. Recently, there was a special ‘Infinity Challenge’ episode on space so I enjoyed watching that.”

Other than dancing, “The Little Prince” has changed the air that surrounds Kim Jinwoo. And he is gladly enjoying that fresh air. “I went to the practice room for the National Contemporary Dance Company at Seoul Arts Center and it was really nice. There was even a fountain (laughs). Before debuting, I practiced in underground rooms that lacked sunlight so practicing at a nice place like this really feels new. The leader [of the dance company] and the teachers don’t distance themselves from me so I’m able to practice with a comfortable heart.” Although he suddenly became the youngest/most inexperienced member of the dance company from being the eldest hyung in his group, he laughed happily about it. “There are actually many things I have to worry about as the eldest hyung. I’m not the leader but I realised that there are things I have to do as the oldest. But after becoming the maknae, I feel at ease. Something like even if I make a small mistake, I feel like people will let it go? And it’s nice because it feels like I’ve become younger. Haha.”

Proving Kim Jinwoo

Kim Jinwoo wishes for “The Little Prince” to be the starting point of becoming a bigger and deeper person. He straightforwardly stated that his ultimate goal is to mature as a person through meaningful experiences. “I walk on the path of a singer but I think singing and dancing according to what is expected of me would be trapping myself in a boundary. I can’t deny that I didn’t experience enough freedom since I joined my agency when I was 20 years old and gave up my youth (laughs). But attempting to act and challenging myself in contemporary dancing naturally leads me to experience various things. I think that after experiencing new things, my thoughts and feelings will become deeper. In that sense, I think that challenging myself in contemporary dancing is a chance for me to learn many things.” He has already prepared himself for biased/negater attitudes that is common for celebrities who challenge themselves in musicals and plays. “I think professional artists of the modern dance or ballet industries will think it unusual for me to be a part of this. However, I will devote myself to practices and perform in a way that will not distance them from me. I don’t expect praises like, ‘He suits this genre,’ I will work hard to at least not make them feel that there is a disconnection.”

However, everything talked about above is all secondary worries. That is because what he desperately waits for is the stage itself. After WINNER ended promotions in March, it has been 8 months since he last stood on stage to meet the Korean audience. His heart thumps quickly with even just the thought of stepping up on the stage that he longed for. “Just the fact that I will step up on a stage makes me happy. I really longed for the stage. Although it is slightly regretful that it won’t be WINNER’s stage. I want to enjoy myself as much as I waited for this moment. Of course it’s important that I do well but more than that, my greater goal is to enjoy myself on this stage.” What does he want to show the audience on the stage he desperately waited for? Unlike with how he took his time answering previous questions after much thought and deliberation, he had an immediate but also clear answer for this question as if he had thought about it for a long time. “[I want to show] that Kim Jinwoo can do it too. The fact that I have the strength to create this kind of stage and performance and that there’s this kind of side to Kim Jinwoo too. I want to show people this side of me.” The determination in his shining eyes felt like this was a promise to himself more than to the audience. Kim Jinwoo will be given five stages and during that time, we will watch him prove his own domain just as he promised. And the audience is already prepared to accept him with joyful hearts. Just like how the Fox was able to imagine the Little Prince’s golden hair just by seeing the waves of the golden wheat field.

“The Little Prince” - Korea National Contemporary Dance Company

- Dates: 2016.12.9 ~ 12.11

- Time: Friday 8PM | Weekend 2PM and 6PM

- Place: Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater

- Choreography: Ahn Ae-soon

- Organisation & Script: Kim Jiwoon

- Music: Jung Jae-il

- Price: R seats 50,000won; S seats 30,000won; A seats 20,000won

161130 * trans: @chrissy96_

WINNER Kim Jinwoo, “First time to challenge myself in contemporary dancing, it’s a process of gathering courage”

When asked which idol group member fits the “The Little Prince” role best, Kim Jinwoo of WINNER (age 25) is the first to be named. With pale skin and innocent eyes, his personality is simple too. Born on Imjado island at Jeon-nam Shin-angoon, he is an “island boy”. He leads a simple life of dorming, going to the company, and attending schedules. The people around him all say, “There is no one more pure than Jinwoo”.

He will peer into the vast, desolate, and bleak desert on the contemporary dance stage. He has been cast for the title role in the National Contemporary Dance Company production of “The Little Prince” (December 9th~11th at the Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater - Choreography by Arts Director Ahn Ae-soon).

The contemporary dance performance was adapted from the novella of the same name by the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. When it was first performed last year, it received attention for its dynamic stage directing that included 3D technology and flying techniques. Film director Kim Ji-woon, who directed “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” and “Age of Shadows”, is in charge of organisation and scriptwriting. Musician Jung Jae-il, who interconnects mainstream music, classical music, Korean traditional music, and dancing, is in charge of the music.

Above all, we will see this current world through the eyes of “The Little Prince”. His compatible image and his passion for dancing are reasons the public is anticipating Kim Jinwoo as “The Little Prince”.

This is the first time for him to come in contact with modern dance. It is naturally rare for idols to stand on the modern dance stage. The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company asked YG to recommend them a suitable idol member for the Little Prince role. Kim Jinwoo, who was focusing on singing at the time showed desire for the role which led to the casting.

Recently, we met Kim Jinwoo at the YG Entertainment office building at Hapjungdong and he stated, “It’s a process of gathering courage. ‘The Little Prince’ is a very famous story. My first contact with it was through the animation and later on, I read the book. I hope I can express the emotions I felt through contemporary dance.”

Individual practice started three weeks ago and group practice started two weeks ago and he laughed, “It’s fun”. “At first, I worried a lot. It’s difficult and I didn’t know how to do things so I had a lot of worries. And [contemporary dancing] has so many differences with idol choreographies.”

Above all, how improvisation plays a large role is different. “Idol choreographies are based off of lyrics or special gestures are created. But I found that quick reflexes are necessary in modern dance. Thanks to this opportunity, I think my reflexes will become quicker. Haha.”

Kim Jinwoo debuted as a member of WINNER in 2014 and is part of the vocal line. “Seunghoon is really good at dancing. But being part of the vocal line doesn’t mean that I can’t dance to my heart’s content. The parts are distributed very fairly. However, even just modern dance practices are making me more flexible and I think my expressiveness is improving.”

The most recent group activity for WINNER was their mini-album release in February. Kim Jinwoo talked about how the group was currently preparing themselves for a comeback as soon as possible. He stated, “Since I’ve become familiar with a genre of dancing I’ve never experienced before, I hope that it’ll help me when we, as WINNER, start promoting soon.”

As much as he develops individually, group activities will develop too. Promoting as Kim Jinwoo, not as a member of WINNER, he stated, “I feel embarrassed and proud and weird when I see advertisements on public buses that only have my face on them but I want to create synergy through group promotions as soon as possible.”

He humbly added that he hoped that he wouldn’t be of damage to the modern dance industry. “People may see me negatively because I’m a stranger to the modern dance industry. It’s a relief that everyone working with me treat me so well. What’s left is up to me now. I’m burdened about the possibility of not doing well. It’s something that may damage the contemporary dance company, WINNER, and myself.”

He is careful and concerned but the others of the modern dance industry are busy praising Kim Jinwoo. Additionally, people who were never interested in contemporary dance have become curious about the genre.

Kim Jinwoo strongly stated that “The Little Prince” is all he thinks about these days. “I really feel that I’m burdened about it because I keep feeling myself hanging unto the Little Prince even in my sleep. I hope that people don’t feel the difference when I step up onstage at the Seoul Arts Center.”

It is well known that Kim Jinwoo and WINNER look up to their company senior group BIGBANG as their role models. Kim Jinwoo is also hungry for acting as he stated that when it comes to acting, he wishes to give viewers the same gentleness that reaches the heart as actress Choi Jinsil*.

“Doing well on my own doesn’t mean that I get acknowledged as a person. I have to provide results so that many people come to know about us. Just like BIGBANG sunbaenims and Choi Jinsil sunbaenim. I hope that contemporary dancing becomes a part of that path.”

*Actress Choi Jinsil was a very famous and talented actress who passed away in 2008. 

Lyrics: Bobby, MINO

Composition: Teddy, Choice37, Bobby

Arrangement: Teddy, Choice37

http://tvcast.naver.com/v/1101531

BOBBY

Get crowded, girl, set fire tonight

Let’s rock girl, let’s rock girl

Get crowded, girl, set fire tonight

Let’s rock girl, let’s rock girl

Hold up, let me tell you some

Beep, crowded atmosphere, it’s satisfying, right

This charging energy, flowing intoxication

I can feel your head, shoulders, knees, to your toes

My pupils dilate

Turn up, turn up, yeah, that’s my jam

Like a cold that spreads every year,

You’re more powerful this year than you were last year

Wasting away youth, till 6AM

Welcome to the jungle, yeah

We going ape, shh

We move as a group

All black everything

Gangs are always cool

Everywhere I go, I wreak havoc, a hooligan

It’s too regretful to go back home now

After party DJ turn it up

I come down riding on a stick, like the devil

But I keep my cool like Hong Jinkyung

MINO x BOBBY

Get crowded, girl, set fire tonight

Let’s rock girl, let’s rock girl

Get crowded, girl, set fire tonight

Let’s rock girl, let’s rock girl

Get crowded, girl, get crowded, girl

Get crowded, girl, get crowded

Get crowded, girl, get crowded

Let’s rock, girl, let’s rock, girl

BOBBY

This is just a song so rhythm-

MINO

Hold up

Welcome to K-Town

To the Japanese people, ‘nice to meet you’ (T/N: In Japanese)

Nihao, bonjour

When you drink alcohol with people older than you

Receive the alcohol while holding the cup with both hands

But today you can drink up with an elephant’s trunk

Don’t worry about what you’re wearing

He’s wearing a soccer uniform

There are no girls who are badder than Chaerin-nuna

If you make eye contact, unite

Psyche that explodes like a photo wall

But I won’t pose, don’t pose

Just dance, oh yeah

Water explodes like Coway (T/N: Korean water purifier company)

There’s no time for introductions

Don’t avoid it, go at it

It’s noisy so gesture “ok” with your hand

MINO x BOBBY

Get crowded, girl, set fire tonight

Let’s rock girl, let’s rock girl

Get crowded, girl, set fire tonight

Let’s rock girl, let’s rock girl

Get crowded, girl, get crowded, girl

Get crowded, girl, get crowded

Get crowded, girl, get crowded

Let’s rock, girl, let’s rock, girl

BOBBY

Let’s stay up all night to go to Hong Kong

Get on me, I’m like King Kong

Oh no, no, take no photo

Get crowded, let’s go loco

MINO

Let’s stay up all night to go to Hong Kong

Get on me, I’m like King Kong

Oh no, no, take no photo

Get crowded, let’s go loco

MINO x BOBBY

Get crowded, girl, set fire tonight

Let’s rock girl, let’s rock girl

Get crowded, girl, set fire tonight

Let’s rock girl, let’s rock girl

Get crowded, girl, get crowded, girl

Get crowded, girl, get crowded

Get crowded, girl, get crowded

Let’s rock, girl, let’s rock, girl

Lyrics: Kush, MINO, Bobby

Composition: Choice37, Kush, Teddy, Seo Wonjin, MINO, Bobby

Arrangement: Choice37, Kush, Teddy, R.Tee

http://tvcast.naver.com/v/1101524

KUSH

Call quick, call quick

Call the kid you know

Call everyone quick

Call quick, quick

Call quick, call quick

The kid you know, to the kid I know

Call quick, quick

MINO

I want to play today but no one’s picking up as if my number’s spam

On the pillow of youth, it stinks sour* (T/N: wordplay: “it stinks sour” sounds like “I rest” → “On the pillow of youth, I rest”)

This can’t do, I’m going to come home when the sun rises

Call everyone over, brother

Fashionable kids who want to play

Cowards who don’t have money

Can trust my wallet and come, woo

Leave your cars behind

Come on your two feet and go back crawling on all fours

Du dubidu dadadak, uh

Let’s make a fire with our feet, uh

Don’t hesitate and come close

Do, do, do it, a bullet to her chest, oh (T/N: “A bullet to her chest” refers to the song “Machine Gun”)

BOBBY

A night on fire can’t be spent with no purpose

Contact everyone, any gender, any age, mingle anyone

MINO

It’s so regrettable, tonight

There’s no time so

MINO x BOBBY

Let’s make secrets before the sun rises

Call people over, anyone is ok

KUSH

Call quick, call quick

Call the kid you know

Call everyone quick

Call quick, quick

Call quick, call quick

The kid you know, to the kid I know

Call quick, quick

Driver: Huh? I’ve seen you often somewhere

MINO: Yes, I think we’ve seen you often too

Sorry but can you please change the song?

BOBBY: We’re really sorry

Driver: Alright

KUSH

Call quick, call quick

Call the kid you know

Call everyone quick

Call quick, quick

Call quick, call quick

The kid you know, to the kid I know

Call quick, quick

BOBBY

The hour hand moves as fast as 4G

My heart pumps because I’m scared I’ll lose you

Everything else doesn’t matter

I want to let go of my mind tonight

Call over your friends, mingle them with my friends

Let’s make the zoo of tonight

Looking at how you’re unconfident

You’ll be the left alone, only one

Stay up all night, stay up all night

Whether you sleep now or sleep later

It’ll be really tiring tomorrow morning

Let’s say “cheers” until our noses become crooked

MINO

A night on fire can’t be spent with no purpose

Contact everyone, any gender, any age, mingle anyone

BOBBY

It’s so regrettable, tonight

There’s no time so

MINO x BOBBY

Let’s make secrets before the sun rises

Call people over, anyone is ok

KUSH

Call quick, call quick

Call the kid you know

Call everyone quick

Call quick, quick

Call quick, call quick

The kid you know, to the kid I know

Call quick, quick

BOBBY Get rid of the lock by pushing

MINO What’s after 010? (T/N: The first three digits of Korean cellphone numbers)

BOBBY Send your friends quickly

MINO I’m going to dance with you all night

BOBBY Get rid of the lock by pushing

MINO What’s after 010?

BOBBY Say goodbye tomorrow, not right now

MINO x BOBBY

I’m going to stay up all night with you

CHORUS

Your friends, his friends

Call all of them over, call everyone over

Your unnies and dongsaengs

Call all of them over, call everyone over

To where? To here!

Call all of them over, call everyone over

Don’t go home, baby

x2

MINO x BOBBY

Call quickly tonight

Lyrics: MINO

Composition: MINO, Future Bounce

Arrangement: Future Bounce

https://www.youtube.com/embed/IlJHZJ8EqeA

I miss your body, the sound of your breaths that tickle

I remember vaguely, I can’t feel you

I miss your body, your hair that flowed

I remember vaguely, so where are you

Oh God, I miss you/I want to see you

Our goals might be different

I borrow the power of alcohol

I might call you by mistake, I don’t know

My judgment is not good, not good, not good

While unconscious, I imagine, imagine, imagine you in the air

I must be insane

Apologies aren’t needed (T/N: Wordplay: “Apologies” and “apples” are homonyms in Korean → connection to the next line: “We’re not Adam and Eve”)

We’re not Adam and Eve

Being cool about it is cool, they say in America

You know what I mean

I remember your body, body, body

Your perfect proportions are almost a scam, a scam, a scam

I’m talking about your body

I’m talking about your legs

I’m talking about your lips

I’m talking about you, from your head to your toes

I’m talking about your body

I’m talking about your everything but where are you

I miss your body, the sound of your breaths that tickle

I remember vaguely, I can’t feel you

I miss your body, your hair that flowed

I remember vaguely, so where are you

We were beautiful

We had compatibility like sticky rice cakes too (T/N: Compatibility that mentions sticky rice cakes connotes to sexual compatibility)

I want to see your dancing hips and tattoos again

That bed is still at the workroom

I hear it whenever I’m tired: “Just sleep over tonight”

I got everything you need

I feel like dying because of you, you’re a killer

Uh, the pang of conscience stings me

Uh, my friends call you my ex

But I want to pronounce that word more sexily

I’m talking about your body

I’m talking about your legs

I’m talking about your lips

I’m talking about you, from your head to your toes

I’m talking about your body

I’m talking about your everything but where are you

I miss your body, the sound of your breaths that tickle

I remember vaguely, I can’t feel you

I miss your body, your hair that flowed

I remember vaguely, so where are you

Bawling on your body

Bawling on your body

Before we pass out, we make a story

100 Questions, 100 Answers

I’m lying on my bed right now to rest my back

I’ll do 100 questions, 100 answers.

Please comment with a question you’ve been curious about

I’ll do my best to answer

Let’s use only pretty words and not swear

I attached photos of Korean dishes I made

- 1 question per person please~!

*~*~*~*

1. A movie you watched recently?

I watched “Sing Street” at the movie theater! I went with Jinwoo-hyung and I really liked the music and I really enjoyed it!!

2. What do you want to eat the most right now?

Kim Joo’s love, yum yum (T/N: The person’s username is “Kim Joo”)

3. Which WINNER song are you most affectionate to? Or a song that is the closest to your preference?

I’m not sure… There’s no song that immediately comes to mind..

4. What do you think when INNER CIRCLE sings with you?

You guys have nice vocal cords!

5. I can’t think of anything because of you telling us to ask a question suddenly… I know I have so many things I’m curious about… What shampoo do you use..?…

I don’t know… Men always use the first shampoo they grab

6. Who is the admin of winnercity?

Bakuman… (T/N: Name of a Japanese manga series i.e. He’s being random)

7. Do you want to do the first pitch of the Busan Lotte Giants???? Please come to pitch!!!! I’ll escort you!!!

Sexy beauty star, Lee Seunghoon appears!!

8. What’s your favorite hat color? How tall are you? Which member are you most comfortable and close to? What do you do when you’re staying at your dorm all day? Actually, I have so many things I want to ask you but I narrowed my questions down to these TT TT I really hope you answer me TT TT It’s ok if you only answer one!!!! I worked hard to write these but it’s ok if you just answer one! Please don’t be burdened hehe

I won’t be burdened by not answering any

9. Which dance genre are you more confident with???

Dance that doesn’t make me sweat

10. Favourite food?

Japanese oil-noodles

11. Haute’s father, do you use perfume? If you do, what do you use?

I don’t really use perfumes..

12. How tall are you, oppa? T TT T

Apparently, idol heights should be left to your imagination

13. Did you know that at every concert, when you perform “Baby Baby”, IC’s do a lightstick event? When the song starts, everyone has their lightsticks off and when [Taehyun sings] “Hey!” everyone raises their lightsticks and turns them on at the same time. It’s a small event(?) we do. But every time the “Hey!” happens, the spotlights all turn on brightly towards the audience so we all thought you guys never see it but we still do it regardless TT TT TT Even if you didn’t know about it, I’m not sad because it’s because of the lighting and everything. I’m just really curious about whether you guys see it and whether you guys know about it TTT

“Hey!!!” kekekeke So cute. I didn’t know

14. How do you manage your body?

By not eating heavy foods at night

15. What are you doing?

?

16. What do you want to cook for IC????

Ramen enough for 100 people

17. Coffee brand you like!!

I like everything but these days, when I drink Americano, I don’t feel good so I don’t drink much [coffee]..

18. Do you know your nickname, “Alhjooksae”? [It means] “Powerful Lee Pains Me So Much I’m Going To Die”!!! “Pains me so much I’m going to die” means, we feel so much pain while saying, “Lee Seunghoon, ah, how can you be so lovable…” and “Powerful Lee” is from your nickname about how you’re actually the most powerful member in WINNER!! (T/N: A joking nickname that Seunghoon decides everything for the group) Do you like it? Hehe

I’ll like it even if you call me Poop-fool-idiot

19. Please recommend your favorite clothing brand and clothing brand for women. Love you

I like SPA brands. H&M (T/N: “Specialty Store Retailer of Private Label Apparel” aka Gap, Uniqlo, ZARA, etc.)

20. Out of all the awards you received until now, which award is the most memorable!!?

Grand Prize of Children Award

21. You already have tattoos but if you were to get another one, where would you have it??

I’ll have it somewhere you can’t see and I won’t let you see it and I’ll look at it alone

22. What do you want to hear from people when they’re asked about Lee Seunghoon as a person??

I think he’s a very polite and mature person

23. What do you wear at home?

T-shirts that are boxy and light

24. Please share the movie of your lifetime!

Kpop star/Who is next

25. What carbonated drink do you like the most?

Trevi grapefruit?

26. Oppa, what are you most interested in these days? For me, it’s Lee Seunghoon kekekekekekekeke

Health and wellbeing

27. Are you watching any dramas currently…?

I don’t watch dramas..

28. What do you think about older nunas?

I like them

29. Is there a place you want to travel to?

Anywhere

30. What type of women do you like~~~~~

Haute’s mom!

31. Excluding the members, which celebrity are you most close with???!!!!! hehe

No one…

32. What is Haute’s most favorite snack? kekeke

I think he likes everything..!?!???

33. Seunghoon, do you like to pour the sauce or dip into the sauce?

Pour the sauce

34. What do you want the most right now? I’m pretty sure I can buy you everything!

S..Smart watch for children…

35. Do you beat the egg and then add it to the ramen??

When the water boiled, I put in the powder and then the egg right away

36. How do you overcome difficult times? I’m studying for university right now and I’m so mentally tired..

Have strength

37. Junior-senior artists in YG who are close* to each other?

I get hit* by Jinwoo-hyung often (T/N: In this context, “close” and “hit often” are written with the same two syllables. Seunghoon made a word play with it)

38. What’s your favorite nickname?

Batting* My Life for Lee Seunghoon (T/N: Batting = Giving my everything)

39. What do you do when you rest?

Think about you

40. Do you like fried chicken with sauce seasoning or just fried chicken?

Sauce seasoning

41. Recommend a dinner menu♡

If you haven’t eaten until now, don’t eat anything and go to sleep,, (T/N: He answered this at 10:14PM)

42. Please tell me a computer game and cellphone game that you enjoyed the most!

Farmland Tactics 1, 2

43. Did you hear our encore event well??? What’s the most memorable event we did??

Haute’s tissue event

44. Is there a drama you’re watching these days?? Hehehe

I have never watched a drama

45. Who is your favorite artist!?

Sejong the Great, hurray (T/N: 15th century King of Korea who created the Korean alphabet)

46. Why did you hurt your back? TT T Was it while you were dancing?

T T

47. Do you like sweet potatoes? TT TT I had so many things I wanted to ask you but I can’t remember anything..

Sweet potatoes > Potatoes

48. Are you the admin of winnercity?

The admin is a staff member.

49. Do you not have plans to do V App??

I do

50. What’s the secret to your clear skin? Take care of your back well 9ㅅ9 Don’t be sick

Makeup

51. Does it still hurt a lot? TT TT TT TT TT

I’m ok

52. Soon! Do you like the mountain or the sea or the valley?!?!?

I like the mountains best but I fee like I go to the sea the most

53. What’s your favorite word*? (T/N: “Word” is the same syllable as “horse”)

Fast horse

54. Do you ever forget that you’re a celebrity?

My free self

55. What ramen do you eat?

S (T/N: Shin-ramen)

56. Are you really Deputy Head Lee??

Yes

57. Which do you like more: caffe mocha vs caramel macchiato?

Mocha

58. In Half Moon Friends, they said you have the dirtiest personal life but it’s not true, right..? (Shaking eyeballs)

Why are you like this to the very kind and well-mannered boy who visits his fan cafe whenever he has time!!

59. What do you do when you’re resting? Do you like novels? Do you have a favourite book?

I don’t read a lot

60. What’s your favorite character? Is it naturally Maetamong?

Minions?

61. Clothes preference! Casual vs formal

Comfortable clothes

62. Cute women vs sexy women vs pure women??????

You

63. Do you like Chocopie more or Moncher more? (T/N: Both are chocolate+whipped cream snack pastries)

Moncher

64. Do you have no thoughts of raising a cat ?-?

The cats at our house are ripping apart leather sheets with their teeth

65. If you were given the chance to travel with your fans, where do you want to go the most????

The place doesn’t matter

66. What do you think about when you dance??? Lee Seunghoon’s dancing is the best TTTTTTT The face you, the universe’ best Lee Seunghoon, make when you dance is so sexy

I entrust my body to the beat… Yup

67. Food/dish you want your future wife to make for you?? (I’m going to start preparing right now)

Future wife, you need to cook well

68. Oppa, how much have you walked on Steppy Pants??? How many steps!!??

I’m going to stop walking..

69. How do you take care of your skin!! I’m so envious of your baby skin…

Meticulous face washing

70. What do you think about women who exercise?

I like them

71. Do you like to have your bangs down or slicked back? I love your bangs down 😭❤️Actually, I love both

It changes every time

72. What do you do the most when you don’t have schedules~~~~!

This

73. Favorite ramen!🍜

Shin [Ramen]

74. Do you like watching baseball?

I don’t know it well

75. Do you keep all the fan gifts and read all the fan letters? I love communicative maetamong ><

They organise them well at the company and send them to our house once in awhile. When everything piles up, the amount is so great that we won’t have enough space even if we moved to a house that’s over 560 square meters wide. 

76. Questions: Jjajangmyun? Jjambbong?

Jjambbong

77. Drink you drink a lot these days?

Tea

78. I’m curious about your phone wallpaper~~ I have so many other questions but.. (I was watching Half Moon Friends again and I thought of this heh)

It’s a… default wallpaper

79. What’s the secret to stand in front of so many people? My personality changed so I worry about how I don’t have the courage I used to have

Try meeting a variety of people. Or take up a part-time job??

80. I’m curious about what fashion you like on women?😙 (You’re right if you think I’m going to wear clothes according to your answer when I go to the next fansigning..)

Please wear comfortable clothes when you come to the fansigning

81. I want to listen to one of your self-composed songs~ What’s your favorite genre??

I want to let you listen..

82. What’s your favorite clothing style on women?? I’m asking since you wear clothes well kekekeke

Girly clothes

83. Do you guys fight at times?? Oh yeah, do you play “League of Legends”? You know that I love you a lot, right?? This is the most important question!! keke

I don’t know how to play [League of Legends]

84. My friends tell me that I look like you. What do you think about a girl who looks like you

That’s a compliment

85. Are you the admin of winnercity?

Nope

86. Why do you treat us with such an old-fashioned mind on V App? (T/N: His “dating simulations” don’t allow ICs to hold hands/kiss/etc.)

It’s because I like you…

87. Isn’t it tiring to talk to fans like this?

I do it because I’m bored

88. When are you coming to Thailand??

I want to go to Thailand..

89. Fashion item you use often these days?-?

Sandals

90. Your favorite book! Recommendable book!

Read “20th Century Boys”

91. Do you like Lee Hee more or Haute more??

Do you like mom more or dad more?

92. If you were a girl, which member would you date kekeke

None of them

93. How many years younger is ok? (T/N: In regards to dating)

Heok

94. What’s your favorite fruit♥︎?

Watermelon

95. Japanese ramen with lots of garlic vs Takoyaki

First one

96. Do you eat Fire Chicken Fried Noodles with onigiri (rice in seaweed)

Nope

97. Please answer this truthfully: You.. have.. an account on Twitter, right? kekekeke

I don’t do Twitter

98. Are you playing any phone games these days?? Hehe

I’m on a break [from phone games] right now

99. When are you going to show us Lee Hee’s singing!!

Soon

100. Do you watch scary movies well?

I don’t watch them well and I don’t like them

101. I’m really curious about this… When you did the poem with “Sentimental” (Sen-chi-hae), Sen: ___ and one shot of soju? Chi: Makes me drunk. Hae: Hangover soup~~~ What’s the blank? Is it “strong fire” or “raw oysters”? I was so curious about this that after “EXIT Awards” that it’s been keeping me up late at night until now TTTTTT I feel like it’s “strong fire”

Raw oysters

102. Which members have drivers licenses?

Me

103. I want to watch “Maetamong Dating Simulation”… When are you going to do the next one?

Let’s do it quickly

104. how are you? (T/N: written in English)

I’m fine and you? (T/N: written in English)

105. Seunghoon, did you get a lucky-or-not game box and a certificate gift on Christmas of 2014?? Did you play with them well???

Dun dun dun…

106. Favorite food with ddukbbokki? (Choose one: soondae, fried food, kimbap)

Fried food

107. Oppa, is it difficult to dance?

It’s easy

108. Out of all the hairstyles you’ve had, what was your favorite?

Short hair is easy to wash

109. I was always curious about this one thing from a long time ago. During the Busan fansigning, I was looking at you guys by the fence to your right and you faced the side where I was and laughed in a way I didn’t understand, it was like a snort… kekekekeke I was always curious about the meaning behind that laugh so I’ve always wanted to ask you about it but never had the chance… I’ll use this chance to ask you!

It was because my nose was itchy. I can’t put my finger into my nose and scratch it.

110. Your favorite manga?

20th Century Boys

111. Do you like fried chicken more or pizza more

Chicken

112. Why do you get hurt so often?? TTT

I don’t know TT TT

113. Jeon Jei vs INNER CIRCLE

Of course, the latter

114. Can you watch movies alone? Do you have a drama you’re enjoying these days?

I went to the movie theater once alone but I didn’t enjoy it

115. Do you know about how global ICs and Korean ICs do events for each other??? G-IC means “global IC” kekeke We thank each other for being fans of WINNER and stuff kekekeke We’re so close. We try to do things for each other and everyone’s so kind

kekekeke All of you are cute

116. Seunghoon, do you know the fan page, “WINNER-CIRCLE”? Almost all events start here.. kekekekekekekeke If you know about it, have you ever visited their website?

I really like events too..

117. I don’t have anything to ask. But you’re replying to comments/questions that you can easily joke to, Aru kekekekekekekekekeke

I’m getting confused about how many questions I’ve answered so far

118. Have you ever donated blood?? I’m asking because I donated blood today kekeke Thank you so much for talking to us like this. There are so many of us and you are only one person so it must be tiring for you to reply to us and I’m sorry that there are people asking the questions that have already been answered. But I’m so happy and thankful that you gave us this opportunity to know more about you through the Internet. Eat well and have a nice day!

I donated blood often when I was in school

119. How do you feel when a nuna fan comes and calls you oppa? (I’m not showing off that I’m a nuna… But I want to call you oppa too TTTT)

/Acts like I didn’t see you/

120. I went to a nutritionist training today but can you tell me one food/dish you want to eat for lunch tomorrow? hehe I’ll include it when I make a diet list tomorrow kekeke

Marinated crab

ㄴ Bean paste soup that has crab in it

121. Seunghoon, can I be the only stain* of your life… TTTTTT I love you

I’ll fill up the rest of the 95 points* for you (T/N: “stain” is synonyms with “5 points”. Seunghoon is saying that together, they can be 100 points)

122. I’m curious about the potential names you had for Haute

Luck or Rick. Cool names that have 1 syllable

123. Oppa… I just finished my studies and arrived home just now. Please have mercy on a high school senior TTTTTT It isn’t over, right? TT Oppa, what do you want to say to a high school senior? Please reply to me (T/N: She posted this at 10:24PM)

I was once a high school senior

124. Seunghoon-oppa, I’m a foreigner~ Please come to Taiwan TTTTTTTT

I’l go~

125. Do you not want to date someone younger than you? TTTT

Is age important?

126. Noodles with water or noodles mixed with sauce

Noodles with water

127. I just finished study hall and I’m on my way home but I haven’t eaten dinner yet TTTT Please recommend a midnight snack!!!!!!!!

Ddukkbokki

128. Oppa, you have many friends in Busan, right? Can you please organise a 3 to 3 group blind date…

Yup

129. Your favorite subject at school ? (T/N: written in English)

What’s Korean Geography in English…

130. Oppa… You like… my username, right? kekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekeke Should I change it to “Big Eyes Seunghoon”? kekekekekekekekeke♡

I like “Thread Eyes”. Call me Thread Eyes

(T/N: Her username is “Thread Eyes Seunghoon” i.e. eyes as thin as threads)

131. International fans and Korean fans have such a good relationship that we make these kinds of pictures! This is all thanks to you guys T T

kekekekekekekeekekekekekekekeke So cute (T/N: The picture she attached is K-incles feeding G-incles a potato, “kamja” sounds similar to “thanks”/“kamsa”)

132. This is a gift for Haute~~~ Oppa, do you like it??♡♡♡♡

I like it (T/N: She attached a fanart of Haute)

133. Oppa, did you know that there are Chinese fans here~~~

Thank you~

134. I came in really late TTT You probably won’t see this TTTTTT I’m a Vietnamese IC. I think everyone asked all the questions I could think of hahaha I’m so thankful that WINNER knows about Vietnamese fans. I just want you guys to go to Vietnam once kekeke

You’re very good at Korean. My father worked at Vietnam for a long time when I was young so Vietnam is a very special country to me. My family and I traveled to Vietnam when I was little too.

135. What was the best thing you had when you were in high school?

My bicycle

136. Mystery/crime or romance??

Mystery/crime

137. How did you feel during the “But” event at Busan concert???

I felt touched

138. What kind of patbingsoo do you like? Let’s eat it together><

Milk bingsoo (T/N: Bingsoo is shaved ice with fruits/sweetened red beans/syrup/etc.)

139. Oppa, I hurt my back too and even though I’m a high school senior, while my friends studied, I couldn’t sit in a chair so I couldn’t study so I was so sad that I cried. Can you comfort me TTTTT

If you cried because you couldn’t study, there are so many more things that will make you cry in the future

140. Please say one word/phrase that will provoke ICs who are in exam season right now!

Once you are out in society, there won’t be a “season”. Every moment will be consecutive exams^^

141. You enjoyed watching Digimon Adventures vs You enjoyed watching Pocket Monster

Second one

142. I want to go to Busan but if I end up going, is there a place you want to recommend!!!

Beom-nae-gol Mae-dduk (T/N: Name of a ddukbokki restaurant)

143. When are you guys picking the 2nd round of Official INNER CIRLCE…?? Will it be too fast to open it during X… Please use your power as the Deputy Head Lee to have it before EXIT ends TT !! hehe

I think we’ll do it when the next album is released

144. You started this because you were bored but now you’re tired, right? kekeke

Kekeke..

145. Song you set up as your alarm?

iPhone default alarm tone

146. Do you know that you have French fans?

I really want to travel around Europe before I turn 30

147. What’s your ringtone??

Default

148. I don’t have a dream but why do people keep asking me about my dream TTTTTT I don’t have any TTTTTTT

Just tell them about the dream you dreamt last night..

149. Hoon-ah, what do you think about dating a woman 3 years younger than you TTTTT

[You must be] 22!!

150. If you were to buy a striped shirt, what colors would you like it to have?

Navy and white

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Finished Now

Thank you so much to everyone who participated

Next time, I’ll come with an even more original event.

First comment of this post: …Wails.. I didn’t get a reply

Seunghoon: Cheer up, kid