"After 6 Survival Shows, A Successful Re-debut" AHOF Cha Woongki: "Why did I keep holding on? Because I never thought I would fail" [TEN ASIA Interview]
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Allow us to present to you the one and only idol that will live on in your heart forever. TenAsia reporter Kim Jiwon met with the idol who could be your "one pick."
"Many others asked, 'Why are you still holding onto something that is obviously not going to work?' But to me, it did not feel like it was impossible."
After 8 arduous years of waiting, he finally found his perfect fit. AHOF member Cha Woongki has finally achieved his dream after waiting for so long. He recently met us at TenAsia's offices in Junggu, Seoul, South Korea.
Since making his comeback as an AHOF member in July of last year, Cha Woongki has been leading a busy life. He smiled broadly and said,
"I practice until two in the morning and leave at six in the morning to go to the makeup store. Despite my being unable to sleep, I like my job. My mind is put at ease. Perhaps I enjoy the pace since I haven't been busy for a long time. It suits me."
After participating in a survival show, Cha Woongki made his debut in TO1 last 2020; however, he was not well-known at the time. He then made an appearance on MNET Boys Planet, where he felt the pain of elimination. Despite not being included in the final debut lineup, the public was deeply impacted by his exceptional abilities and contagious good personality.
Through SBS's Universe League, he made a comeback to the survival stage and was ultimately chosen as the final member, making his debut with AHOF.
Cha Woongki of AHOF / Photo by Reporter Jo Junwon (wizard333)
Cha Woongki's group, AHOF, had a great start to their debut album, selling over 360,000 copies in its first week of release. According to Cha Woongki,
"I looked at the sales every single day during the first week. I remembered that during my previous group, our debut album sold for around 8,000 copies. I never anticipated that we (AHOF) would reach such numbers. It's really amazing."
Additionally, AHOF won several music show trophies. Cha Woongki attracted attention when he broke down in tears on stage when AHOF was declared the winner.
He admitted, "I cried even more after the show ended."
"I was surprised that we took first place. I had been waiting so long for this moment. Several of us are re-debuting members, so I wasn't alone. We all cried uncontrollably when we heard our names announced for first place since so many of us had been dreaming of that moment. I felt as though I could juggle the trophy, even though it was heavier than I had expected."
Since Cha Woongki contributed to the song's lyrics, this achievement has even greater significance for him.
"The song expresses the intense desire of chasing a dream," he said.
"I made an effort to convey the feelings I had while I was in Universe League. Every day, I would write until dawn, then delete everything and begin anew. When I eventually completed a version that I was really happy with, at around 4 am, I was already beyond the deadline by two days."
"I decided to send it to producer El Capitxn even though it was late. He stated he liked it after checking it out immediately. I started crying as I lay in bed because I felt like I had finally accomplished something."
Cha Woongki has participated in six survival programs in total. Many in his immediate vicinity persuaded him to rethink his ambitions to become an idol.
"People made an effort to stop me. And to be honest, I also said a lot of negative things about myself," he confessed.
"I'm 24 years old, which is a little old for a new idol in Korea. But I genuinely thought I could make it if I gave it one last, genuine try. I thought I wouldn't regret it if it didn't work out this time. That motivated me to put in even more effort."
"I couldn't afford to be the same as before, so I practiced a lot and fasted for almost 30 hours to look my best when we were taking the profile photos for Universe League. I wanted to show that I have improved not just in my skills but in my visuals as well."
We asked him, who has experience with survival shows, if he had any tips for the younger contestants.
"People told me, 'If it's not meant to be, then it's just not meant to be,' when I was eliminated from Boys Planet, and to be honest, they're not wrong," he remarked.
"However, I think it's up to you to decide whether something is possible or not. That's not for other people to decide."
Cha Woongki remembers the moment when he was chosen for the final debut lineup.
"I saw the fans crying in the front row," he said.
"Of course, I had been waiting to return on stage as well, but then I realized that the fans had probably been waiting for so long as well. It made me happy that they waited, but I also felt sad knowing that I made them wait for so long."
Despite the difficulties along the way, Cha Woongki's current self was shaped by those very challenges.
"It was difficult, just by looking at the rankings, my feelings would fluctuate thousands of times every day," he acknowledged.
"I can't honestly say that I had a great time on Boys Planet. It was suffocating, and I suffered a lot."
He smiled as he went on,
"However, I was able to achieve what I wanted and truly enjoy the experience with Universe League. I feel like I can handle anything now that I've experienced all of that. I think I would actually enjoy it if the company asked me to join another survival show right now."
AHOF is also well-known for its team's excellent chemistry. Cha Woongki and Zhang Shuaibo both made appearances on MNET Boys Planet in 2023, where they became teammates but clashed during their team performance. Later, the duo got back together on SBS's Universe League, making their debut in the same group, AHOF.
"We parted ways amicably and kept encouraging one another after the competition."
"It was a lovely farewell," Cha Woongki remarked while laughing. "To be honest, I thought I would never see him again."
Now, they share a room in addition to debuting in the same group.
"We talk about everything in the room we share. We've grown extremely close," he said. "It truly helped me understand that life is unpredictable."
Even though he was always in the youngest line, Cha Woongki is now one of the older members who takes care of the younger members. About 10,000 fans attended AHOF's first fan concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines, on the 30th of last month, just two months after their debut. Even though Cha Woongki was a "seasoned rookie," he was as anxious as everyone else.
"There are a lot of younger people on the team, and I have more experience. I feel like I need to be brave when I am in front of them. As their older brother, I wanted to look after them. I try my best not to show it much, but deep down, I am also nervous," he confessed.
Cha Woongki used the backstage monitor to look over at the audience before approaching the stage.
"I went out when I noticed the venue was full of fans, and there were considerably more than I had anticipated. I was really thrilled during the performance, even though I was sweating a lot. I realized that this is what I love," he remarked, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
"It all paid off in the end, and I'm really in a happy place right now. I suppose the lengthy process wasn't in vain. Perhaps this was the moment I had been waiting for."
From his first day as a trainee until the day he ascended the stage at the fan meeting, it took eight years. Cha Woongki has now finally found a role that is perfect for him.
While Universe League was airing, Cha Woongki received casting offers from several different survival shows. Some shows even made several attempts to get in touch.
"But Universe League was my choice," he grinned. "I simply had a feeling. 'Cha Woongki of AHOF' seems like a perfect match, doesn't it? The same thing has been said by those around me."
Cha Woongki started off as a child actor in the entertainment industry. As an accomplished, experienced actor with an intense interest in music and composition, he also has a great passion for performing on stage as an idol.
He revealed, "I want to be someone who is good at everything."
"I want people to describe me as a 'versatile all-rounder' when they introduce me. I want to hear things like, 'Wait, he does that too? or "Why is he there?' from other people."
Cha Woongki is a true multi-talented. all-arounder who will establish himself and make a mark in a variety of fields.
