KcGirlLovesiKON

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Jinhwan and Junhoe, the two members of iKON who are particularly good at Japanese. They’re even called “junhwan” by fans. The two of them are very active on broadcasts on apps and during the MCs of their Japan concerts, and coincidentally the first letters of their names are JJ… So, we felt the call of destiny and had them help with the feature as members of the JJ editorial department. We’ve got the info they collected in print, so be sure to look for it! [t/n: Jinhwan & Junhoe were given special staff badges.]

iKON’s JJ became JJ editorial staff members?! The Korean artist you can see even in Japan・iKON are the ones most likely to grab your attention! If you’re talking about boy groups in the spotlight right now, then you’ve got to mention iKON. They’re super popular with their musicality that’s overflowing with talent and the individuality of their characters. They’ll be starting their Japan tour in August. This time we aren’t going to only investigate their good points, but the Jinhwan and Junhoe “JJ combi” also helped us out as JJ editorial staff members. ♡

Who is iKON? The capable seven-member boy group who stand out all around the world A seven-member boy group who is the successor to Big Bang and was formed through a survival program put on by the major company YG Entertainment. The first artist in history to win Japanese, Korean, and Chinese rookie awards. Their debut Japanese album was first on the Oricon Chart. They’re the fastest foreign artist to have a dome tour in Japan, and that tour drew over 470000 people. Their new song released in February of this year, “Love Scenario,” was first on the Korean music charts for 42 days. The music video also has 100 million views, making it a mega hit.

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A prodigy adept at writing lyrics and composing music! The dependable charismatic leader B.I Born 1996/10/22. Working as a rapper since age 13. Adept at songwriting and trusted deeply by the members, he’s the stoic leader good at multiple aspects of promotion.

If B.I were my boyfriend… I’d want him to listen to my problems and struggles at work and give me advice.

B.I is positive and always hardworking when it comes to his work, and that’s cool. As leader, don’t the members often go seek him out for advice? If B.I were my boyfriend, he seems like the type to give calm and appropriate replies to my worries about whatever work I’m doing. ♡ On the rooftop of a building, he wouldn’t make fun of even little problems, and sometimes he’d be firm with advice, and other times he’d be nice. But if that type of person were in front of me, then there’s no way any problem I have wouldn’t get better! [t/n: His photoshoot was on a rooftop, so that’s why the rooftop comes up.]

With his fresh, noble features, a slender style. To our questions, cool responses, sometimes with a smile—B.I.

—–We get the impression you’re very passionate about your work, but what’s your secret to staying focused on your work? B.I: Well, I’m doing what I love for work so I can stay focused. I can’t focus on things I don’t like. (laughs) But even so, whenever I have to do something I don’t really want to, I think about it like this: I have to do the things I don’t really want to do now so that someday I can live doing only the things that I want to do. If you have some kind of dream or goal, and if you do it for that—and if you think of it as doing it for your future self… I think you can get through doing the things you don’t want to do now. —–Do you have a goal now? B.I: Yes, of course. I do! I’m working toward it right now. Stay tuned. —–How do you relieve your stress when you’re tired? B.I: I don’t really do any big thing, but I guess it’s going to the movies with my friends. We watch romantic comedies. Because you get excited so it’s a good way to turn your mood around. I recently watch a Japanese film called Kids on the Slope [Sakamichi no aporon]. —–But even so, in a really difficult time, when you’ve hit a wall, what do you do? B.I: Well then I talk with my family because they understand me the best. I don’t call them, I go back to my parents’ house. Because seeing my family and talking with them calms me down. And then of course I always try to have a positive outlook.

The vocalist overflowing with concern and who supports the members from the shadows Yunhyeong Born 1995/2/8. A vocalist who continues to work hard and evolve, and whose development can always be felt. Given a CM deal due to his love of Nivea.

If Yunhyeong were my boyfriend… Since he’s good at cooking, I’d want him to help me make sweets!

Aren’t there many women who enjoy the sight of a man in the kitchen? That’s why spending a day off making sweets with Yunhyeong, who’s good at cooking, would be positively luxurious! I want to leave the hard labor, like whipping the cream, to him and just watch him work. And if, while he’s working, he gives me a cute smile and says things like “How’s this?” or “Want a taste??”—that alone would send me to heaven.

A sweet mask and a kind expression. We were drawn in by the way he looked us straight in the eyes and spoke quietly.

—–We heard you like to cook, so what have you made recently? Yunhyeong: Hotteok! I’m obsessed with putting cheese in sweet honey hotteok. —–Do you make any Japanese dishes? Yunhyeong: I’ve made takoyaki before. When we were on our Japan tour. We played a game where we put wasabi in one and all ate one, and it was super fun. Bobby’s the one who got the wasabi one, and his face was hilarious! —–Who’s the member you want to cook for? Yunhyeong: (immediate response) B.I. When he’s writing music, he doesn’t eat. I get worried, so I want to cook for him… I recently made him cheese kimchi fried rice. —–When did you first start cooking? Yunhyeong: When we were trainees, we had food delivered a lot, but if you eat it too much, you get sick of it, right? So I was like, “I wanna eat homecooked meals.” I wanted to make the members eat healthier food, so I started cooking. —–Which of your dishes are the members particularly fond of? Yunhyeong: There’s a lot! I’m good at arancini, fried rice, and risotto. But basically everything I make is good~ Why? Because I have a specialty for my personal cooking. —–What is this specialty? Yunhyeong: Putting kimchi and cheese in everything! (laughs) If you put those two things in, everything tastes better!

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In ♡ with his sweet face and beautiful voice. The beloved oldest member Jinhwan Born 1994/2/7. With his kind and gentle personality, he’s like a mother to the members. The gap between how he’s teased offstage but has sharp dancing onstage is charming.

If Jinhwan were my boyfriend… I’d want him to make coffee with his sweet smile and talk with him. ♡

Jinhwan charms fans with his cute and sweet smile. He seems like he’d be a warm boyfriend on the outside and inside, so I’d want him to heal my tired heart. “I made you some coffee. Well? How is it? Did something happen today?” …My heart would skip a beat if I were suddenly looked at by his kind gaze. And then, my mood would go up talking with him since he’s positive. I feel like I would be able to have a pleasant and relaxing time with him just by having him sit by my side.

Fluent Japanese and a friendly smile. Jinhwan can change any atmosphere into a peaceful one in no time at all.

—–You’re the oldest member. What’s your secret to staying calm? Jinhwan: Ah, right~ I’m the mathyung but I don’t think of everyone else as my dongsaengs. I treat them like we’re in the same position, like we’re the same age, so I hardly ever get really furious. I mean, of course I get mad sometimes, but even if I do, I resolve the problem myself inside, so I don’t let it show in my attitude. I guess that’s because I’m the oldest so I’m the best at holding myself back. (laughs) —–How do you study Japanese? Jinhwan: I used to take classes, but the trick is to use it as much as possible. I’m close with the Japanese-speaking staff, so I really think talking with people a lot is the best way to study. Like, I sometimes even talk with the staff in Japanese on the phone. Talking with the staff in Kansaiben has been fun lately… My favorite Kansaiben word? It’s “akan!” [t/n: no good] —–Do you have any other Japanese words that you like? Jinhwan: Toumorokoshi! [t/n: corn] I just learned it. There was a drink called “Toumorokoshi no hige cha” [corn silk tea], and I saw that and remembered the word. So my favorite Japanese word today is toumorokoshi. (laughs) My favorite word changes every day. What else do I like… ummm. Ruitomo maybe? [t/n: a friend you make due to your shared interests/traits] Your hobbies bring you friends. I mean, good people are drawn to good people, right? So I feel like I can be a good person too. If you do your best to be like that, then I think you really can become a good person.

The world-class rapper is the group moodmaker Bobby Born 1995/12/21. With the dream of becoming an artist, he left New York for his birthplace of Korea. A talented young man who won the survival show Show Me the Money 3.

If Bobby were my boyfriend… I’d want to spend our days off together at home and just laze about and mess around. ♡

If Bobby, who never forgets to smile no matter what and no matter when, were my boyfriend… I’d want the two of us to laze about on our days off, just talking or napping, and I’d want us to make each other laugh a lot. Even if he’s just lying down, seeing him look like he’s having fun would make me so happy. I’d also be able to forget everything that had happened earlier in the week and refresh. I feel like I’d be able to get my mood up and be able to face a new week.

He was polite from the moment he entered the studio, and from the way he stayed smiling in the interview from start to finish, we could feel his happiness.

—–Bobby means sexiness. When do you think a man exudes sexiness? Bobby: Oh! Really? It makes me so happy to hear you say that. (grinning from ear to ear) I think that my personal idea of male sexiness comes out when a man is doing his best at work. —–Which member do you think is sexy? Bobby: I think Jinhwan is the sexiest, but, ummm. B.I and Yunhyeong too maybe. On the flip side the least sexy member is Chanwoo! Because he’s the magnae. (laughs) —–You’re always happy. What’s your secret? Bobby: Yeah! I am! It’s not really a secret or trick or something, but for me, I’m always thankful for and enjoy every single moment. In that way I’m glad doing the photoshoot and the interview, and there’s like a weird feeling… It’s fun. —–When we’re feeling down because of work, what should we do to continue to work hard? Bobby: If you think of it as putting your best effort into work in order to enjoy your hobbies and things you like, you can give anything your all. —–What are your hobbies? Bobby: Sleeping. (laughs) I want to sleep early, so I’m like, I have to work hard and finish work early. If I want to sleep seriously, I can easily sleep for 24 hours. By the way, I’ve got my own little sleeping habit—sleeping on my side with something between my legs. If I do that, I can sleep well!

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He draws in fans with his husky, middle-low tone voice that you can’t get out of your head Junhoe Born 1997/3/31. He’s been on TV since he was kid, and he was a hot topic in Korea. On SNS he showed his artistic poems and his detailed knowledge about Japanese entertainment.

If Junhoe were my boyfriend… I’d want to watch movies he likes with him! I want to feel giddy seeing his innocent side.

Junhoe likes watching movies, and if he were my boyfriend, I’d want him to explain his favorite ones to me while we watch them! His favorite scenes, favorite lines, and the reasons… You can see a pure, childlike side of a man while he’s talking about the things he’s into, so I’d be happy seeing that, I think. I want to be the only one who knows that side of him ♡—there’s no way I wouldn’t feel like that.

Tall, slender, well-proportioned and a balanced style. With a serious expression, he spoke with us clearly, happily, and passionately.

—-We heard you like Kitano Takeshi. [t/n: Japanese comedian, director, and actor] Junhoe: I love Kitano Takeshi! He gave me a t-shirt a while back, and I really respect him! —–Which of his works do you like? Junhoe: Hana-bi [Fireworks]. I like how the story is kind of poetic. I was captivated by Kitano’s manliness and aura. The first movie I saw was Blood and Bones [Chi to hone]. I thought he was a really amazing person, so after I saw it, I watched all his other movies. —–Have you ever thought about directing or acting in movies in the future? Junhoe: I want to be a writer. That’s why I’m always writing poems in Korea. It would be great if I could release a poem-like novel or a poetry collection someday. —–What movie have you watched recently? Junhoe: What was the title again… Ah! I remember! The Korean title is Sonyeon, sonyeo, keurigo bada. It’s a Japanese movie. The Japanese title is Futatsume no mado? [t/n: The English title is Still the Water.] It’s a poetic film with a strong message. For Korean films, I like Lee Changdong films, so I watch them a lot. —–Are there any Japanese celebrities you’re into now? Junhoe: Actually, I’m not super into comedy~ (laughs) I just wanted to do impressions for the tour so I studied them. So I actually don’t really know anything about them. (laughs) I guess I’ll look some stuff up for the next tour…

The fashionista who’s the most stylish member and in charge of aegyo Donghyuk Born 1997/1/3. Has a gentle personality and an outstanding sense of balance even within the group. Talented at playing instruments and is the biggest fashionista among the members.

If Donghyuk were my boyfriend… I’d want him to take stylish pictures of me since he has such a great eye. ♡

I’m not very good at taking pictures of myself, so since he likes taking pictures, if he’s there, I can relax. If the stylish Donghyuk takes pictures of me, they’ll definitely have good composition and form. Of course he’d take pictures just of me, but if he took pictures of the two of us, the distance between us would close and my heart would pound… ♡ I also want to see him seriously going through the pictures he took. I’d upload the pictures to Instagram right away and brag to all of my girlfriends!

A kind, warm smile filled with aegyo. A reserved manner showing concern for the staff. A strong body and manliness. The one who sometimes shows us an adult flexibility and makes us feel his trustworthiness despite his innocent countenance—Donghyuk.

—–Donghyuk means fashionista. What have you bought in Japan recently? Donghyuk: Thank you! It isn’t recent, but on the tour last year, I found a t-shirt store in Nagoya… I bought a bunch of t-shirts for summer. In Tokyo, I don’t only buy tops; I buy a lot of things, like jeans and sneakers. I feel like I go to Shibuya a lot. When I come to Japan, I always go to Supreme. I also like going to thrift stores and window shopping, so I do that a lot. —–Are there any Japanese stores you’re planning on going to? Donghyuk: I don’t really go shopping for brands… So there’s nothing like “gotta go to this shop!” but every time I’m in Japan, I try to go for “Japanesey” things. My image of Japanese street casual is that there’s one main point and it’s stylish. There aren’t really any stores like that in Korea, so I guess I want to go to a store like that. —–What item of clothing do you want the most right now? Donghyuk: I like Air Jordans so I collect them. But there are some types I don’t have yet, so I want those~ —–About how many pairs of shoes do you own? Donghyuk: I wonder… (starts counting) Ummm, I think around 60. And out of those, about 15 pairs are Air Jordans. (laughs)

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Loved by all the members. The kindhearted magnae Chanwoo Born 1998/1/26. Worked as a child actor from a young age. Major works include Boys Over Flowers. He’s the youngest member, the magnae.

If Chanwoo were my boyfriend… I’d want him to confess to me with the ace of hearts while we’re playing card games at home!

Deep down women actually want to be told things so sweet it makes their teeth rot. Even something pretentious that would make me laugh under normal circumstances, if it’s the cute, manly, pure Chanwoo doing it, then I’d actually want him to! When we travel back to our childhood and play games together, my heart would flutter at the sight of his serious gaze… If he suddenly gave me the ace of hearts and told me he loved me, it would be an immediate game over. ♡

The tallest member. With his strong body and cute eyes, he always looked at us with a smile while he answered our questions.

—–What game have you been into lately? Chanwoo: I play online games with Jinhwan a lot. Sometimes Bobby plays with us too. Bobby is really good at games! —–If a girl were to confess to you, how would you want her to do it? Chanwoo: If I were to be confessed to, I wouldn’t want her to do it forcefully; I’d rather she do it cutely, and kind of shyly. —–What kind of message would you be happy to receive from a girl? Chanwoo: Rather than getting something with a lot of stickers and emoji, I’d be happier getting normal sentences written with all her feelings. Since I’m not the type to usually use stickers and emoji… For this kind of message, I think a bit of passion is better. A message with long sentences is filled with feelings, so I’d be happy to get that! —–If you were a girl, which member would you want to date? Chanwoo: Ah, well~ B.I. He actually has a nice side, so if I were his girlfriend, it seems like it’d be good. (laughs) —–What Korean foods do you miss when you come to Japan? Chanwoo: Umm… Kimchi chijimi. —–Is there anything you want the members to stop doing? Chanwoo: I want Yunhyeong to stop trying so hard to be a gentleman. (laughs) I think he’s the most gentlemanly out of all seven members of iKON, but his constant attempts to be more gentlemanly are really a lot! (laughs)

Episodes during the shoot that show how good their personalities are

B.I It was an oppressively hot day with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. Although he was wearing thick clothes, B.I didn’t sweat and gazed at the camera with a cool expression. When the staff apologized for having him wear that despite the heat, he met our requests with a smile.

Junhoe During June’s shoot, for some reason the members started passionately singing the Don Quijote theme song. June started singing along while smiling. But his voice was so beautiful, it was like the staff fell in love at first listen. (laughs)

Donghyuk Although it seemed like he wasn’t used to using an Instax, Donghyuk took pictures of the staff. His serious expression when he checked his pictures on the monitor and the smile he had during the shoot were totally different, so we were able to acutely feel how much of a professional he is.

Bobby The bright shoot that began with a smile and ended with a smile had, from start to finish, a cheerful mood. It seemed like he really liked the cushion, and even after the shoot ended, he was lying down with it comfortably.

Chanwoo In order to meet the requests of the staff, Chanwoo did his best to grapple with the oversized playing cards. Although he was cute when he was sitting down, as soon as he stood up, he turned into a lean young man, and that gap made our hearts skip a beat.

Yunhyeong When we asked him to smile, he was embarrassed and gave us a shy smile—cute. When we did the interview, he looked each and every staff member in the eyes and politely answered our questions. His Japanese is good too!

Jinhwan Just like a man who’s put together, he actively participated in the suggestions for poses and setting the scene in Japanese. His ability to objectively analyze himself is just what we expected. His sexy expressions drew in the staff too.

When we gave them a camera and had them freely take pictures… During the shoot and breaktimes, you could hear the snap of a smartphone camera shutter. There’s where you would find group photos and selfies being taken that are filled with the members’ unadorned expressions. They took tons of shots that show their closeness with each other.

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The Jinhwan x Junhoe JJ Team interviews the members?! With a camera and notebook in hand, the JJ combi, playing the role of editorial staff, directly asked the members questions about their excitement for the next tour and other questions that they were curious about. Because it was the members interviewing them, we’ve got their unadorned responses and the relaxed expressions that they only show around each other.

The harmony between the members and the way they comfortably mess around with each other goes beyond brotherhood. But even so it devolved into chaos…?!

Jinhwan with his camera at the ready and Junhoe with his pen and notebook held tightly in his hands. The two of them rush over to where the members are with a recorder. Junhoe, exactly like a weekly magazine reporter, asks the members if they have girlfriends. And with everyone ignoring him, the interview starts! (laughs)

Jinhwan: Tell me iKON’s charms! B.I: (immediately) Yunhyeong’s face. It’s iKON’s everything! Yunhyeong: Oh stop~ I think iKON’s charm is that we’re all close and have fun like friends. Since we’re all really good friends! B.I: No! (flatly) iKON’s charm is Yunhyeong!

It’s like a done deal that the members will lovingly tease each other like this. On the last tour Yunhyeong was teased by everyone, and today too he’s become the target.

Junhoe: What should fans look forward to on the iKON Japan Tour 2018, which starts in August? B.I: Of course, our energy! I want everyone to feel it. iKON: Yeah, our energy! Chanwoo: And of course our new songs. Bobby: Yeah yeah. Our new songs are really amazing, so I want everyone to hear them as soon as possible. Jinhwan: Also, please look forward to Yunhyeong’s face! Also, my height… Ah, I’m supposed to be the interviewer. (laughs) (everyone cracks up) Junhoe: Now, what does our teasing target Yunhyeong think fans should look forward to? Yunhyeong: Our new songs, of course. There are a lot of songs we’ll be debuting for the first time, so I’m also really looking forward to it. Jinhwan: Also… Yunhyeong’s butt? Yunhyeong: (ignores him) Our new choreography is also really cool! Please look forward to it. Donghyuk: We’ll be showing you Yunhyeong’s butt! So please look forward to seeing his particularly beautiful butt line. Junhoe: I can’t organize any of this, but this is the end! (laughs)

The interview ended with the members’ explosive laughter. It seems that no matter what they do, they have loads of fun. The practice for the MCs for their next tour has probably begun with this. Although they’re friendly and easy to get close to, once they’re on stage, they become super cool. We’re looking forward to iKON’s live performances!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

The Jinhwan x Junhoe JJ Team interviews the members?! With a camera and notebook in hand, the JJ combi, playing the role of editorial staff, directly asked the members questions about their excitement for the next tour and other questions that they were curious about. Because it was the members interviewing them, we’ve got their unadorned responses and the relaxed expressions that they only show around each other.

The harmony between the members and the way they comfortably mess around with each other goes beyond brotherhood. But even so it devolved into chaos…?!

Jinhwan with his camera at the ready and Junhoe with his pen and notebook held tightly in his hands. The two of them rush over to where the members are with a recorder. Junhoe, exactly like a weekly magazine reporter, asks the members if they have girlfriends. And with everyone ignoring him, the interview starts! (laughs)

Jinhwan: Tell me iKON’s charms! B.I: (immediately) Yunhyeong’s face. It’s iKON’s everything! Yunhyeong: Oh stop~ I think iKON’s charm is that we’re all close and have fun like friends. Since we’re all really good friends! B.I: No! (flatly) iKON’s charm is Yunhyeong!

It’s like a done deal that the members will lovingly tease each other like this. On the last tour Yunhyeong was teased by everyone, and today too he’s become the target.

Junhoe: What should fans look forward to on the iKON Japan Tour 2018, which starts in August? B.I: Of course, our energy! I want everyone to feel it. iKON: Yeah, our energy! Chanwoo: And of course our new songs. Bobby: Yeah yeah. Our new songs are really amazing, so I want everyone to hear them as soon as possible. Jinhwan: Also, please look forward to Yunhyeong’s face! Also, my height… Ah, I’m supposed to be the interviewer. (laughs) (everyone cracks up) Junhoe: Now, what does our teasing target Yunhyeong think fans should look forward to? Yunhyeong: Our new songs, of course. There are a lot of songs we’ll be debuting for the first time, so I’m also really looking forward to it. Jinhwan: Also… Yunhyeong’s butt? Yunhyeong: (ignores him) Our new choreography is also really cool! Please look forward to it. Donghyuk: We’ll be showing you Yunhyeong’s butt! So please look forward to seeing his particularly beautiful butt line. Junhoe: I can’t organize any of this, but this is the end! (laughs)

The interview ended with the members’ explosive laughter. It seems that no matter what they do, they have loads of fun. The practice for the MCs for their next tour has probably begun with this. Although they’re friendly and easy to get close to, once they’re on stage, they become super cool. We’re looking forward to iKON’s live performances!