IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: Min CURRENT AGE: 25 DEBUT AGE: 18 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 13 COMPANY: Koala.T SECONDARY SKILL: Acting

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): “Minnie Mouse” - A result of Minsoo’s startled reaction to a prank during a variety show in his rookie years. The host’s witty comment had stuck to his image. That was back when he was freshly debuted and grasping for any sort of distinction. Now it’s more of an inside joke between older fans, but he’s still the highlight to every haunted house special, and he still obediently grins and dons a minnie mouse headband at every other fansign.

“Min-ergy” - He’s the mood-maker. The man with the brightest smile. The energizing force that drives conversations forward and fills in the awkward gaps.

“White Knight” - A fairly recent one that took off following a viral video of him “saving” his music show co-host from falling down the stairs. It’s suspected the nickname began as a mocking throwaway comment by an anon, but fans were quick to seize upon it and spin it into genuine praise. INSPIRATION: When asked, his greatest inspiration is trot singer Lee Mi-Ja. He says he grew up with his grandparents listening to her 24/7. He remembers being starstruck by her stage presence and may have had a little crush on her for most of his formative years. SPECIAL TALENTS:

His eye smile

Crying on demand

Making the soda bottle opening + pouring sound with his mouth

NOTABLE FACTS:

Appeared on the TV Show ‘Star King’ as the seven year old child who loved to sing trot  

He used to be a somewhat well-known trainee at Midas, but got convinced to join Koala.T after uncertainty of his chances of debut

He is an only child, but has publicly lamented many times of this fact and has frequently restated his lifelong dream to be an older brother.

It takes him longer than most to memorize choreography, and his movements are notably more stiff than those with natural talent.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Minsoo wants to capitalize on his viral moment. He wants to ride the momentum into landing more roles in dramas. He wants to do well in them. Really well. Well enough to make every girl in the nation dream about him as their boyfriend. Minsoo wants Nitro to win a daesang. It might be unthinkable with where they are now, but who knows? Maybe after a stint in a successful drama or two… A couple ace comebacks… Anything can happen, and Minsoo’s nothing but ambitious.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

He predicts he’ll always be typecast for roles as the lovable nice guy due to his ironclad public image. He’s fine with that. If anything, that’s what he’s hoping for. The acting industry is saturated with rising talents, idol or otherwise. Minsoo’s planning on staying around for the long haul, and he’ll do so by carving out a niche that only he can occupy. He wants to be unforgettable. He wants to build a legacy. He wants to touch the ceiling then retire, gracefully, maybe to a house somewhere with the ocean right next door.

IDOL IMAGE

As far as Koala.T is concerned, there’s no such thing as a Nitro member with a bad personality. They’re the well-behaved, hardworking, “Oppa-I-hope-you-only-walk-the-flower-road” boys who fill their fans with purpose from rooting for the underdogs.

Minsoo falls in line seamlessly.

For the longest time, his company markets him as the bubbly, slightly ditzy, mischievous type who incites equal parts mirth and exasperation from his members. His youthful features and boyish grin practically seals the deal. Variety shows documenting the group’s lives would frame him as the funny “younger brother” in need of constant monitoring but also as the emotional center of the group, a sensitive soul who reveals through tears in the customary letter-reading segment that he just wants his brothers-in-arms to be happy and successful.

It works. More importantly, it sells. Fans scramble to bulk-buy albums and help fund their idols’ biggest dreams. Minsoo cries some more and chokes out in award speeches that none of this would have been possible without their precious Gens.  

For the longest time, Minsoo’s content to play the role. Even when as the years add up, the role wraps tighter and tighter around his frame like a shirt that no longer fits, he’s fine with it. But it’s getting old. The same diamond-in-the-rough sob story loses its impact as Nitro crawls towards slow, yes, but respectable success.

So Minsoo refocuses his image.

He adjusts his actions and reactions from cute-younger-brother to charming-boy-next-door: less throwing pies and more baking pies to bring over to the next door neighbors.

An opportunity for that arrives in the form of a role as a long term host for MBC Music Premier. It there where he balances his bright stage-personality with dependable coordination into subject points and a tasteful back-and-forth dialogue with his co-host.

He painstakingly times the process to be as natural as possible, so that his fans comment on his maturity with appreciation rather than confusion.

But the transition is truly cemented when a stroke of luck lets Minsoo be a hero for a minute and have it get caught on camera. The drama-esque moment of him stopping his co-host’s fall circulates the internet and brushes the last specks of dust from his new image.

He’s never been one to waste opportunity. So Minsoo evolves. And he plans to keep on evolving.  

IDOL HISTORY

Ha Minsoo is not a genius.

His parents are working-class citizens. His dad’s a salaryman and his mom’s a piano teacher. He grew up in a quiet seaside town where the doors and windows were always open and the grandparents all knew each other and the ocean lived right next door. He grew up listening to seagulls and trot music, sounds that seemed to permeate the air like the smell of smoke and seaweed.

Ha Minsoo is not a genius.

It’s just that when his grandma boils mackerel stew and the handheld radio crackles out the same music that’s been playing on repeat in this part of the countryside, Minsoo sings along.

And when the neighbor who came over for lunch mentions that she’s got a friend whose son is a PD in Seoul, that he’s looking for cute little kids who can sing or dance in front of a camera, Minsoo doesn’t recognize the sounds out of her mouth for what they were– the axis of his world shifting just so.

Ha Minsoo is not a genius.

But wrapped in a tuxedo, hair gelled back, and oversized microphone in hand, he becomes the seven year old trot prodigy, paraded around stage and showered with praise and applause. Standing there in the bright lights of the recording studio, he feels the ground beneath his feet start to move.

His parents feel it too.

His dad finally earns his work promotion, and the raise means the Ha family can move out of the country and into an apartment in the city. That’s also when the private lessons start. High off Minsoo’s 15 minutes of fame, they pay for a vocal trainer. It’ll all be worth it, they say, when Minsoo earns himself a lucrative career in the music industry.

The hours of practice only get longer once he starts middle school. While the bell at the end of the day signals all the other students to go to cram classes, Minsoo goes straight to the vocal studio to practice until the sun sets. If he ever held promise as a student, he wasn’t given the chance to find out. On the other hand, the relentless training starts to pay off. He wins community talent festivals, small neighborhood contests, and his instructor switches him permanently to modern music. Little by little, his efforts begin to reap results.

Ha Minsoo is not a genius.

He wrestles for every minuscule amount of improvement. He works twice as hard to close the gaps where natural talent might have filled, easily. He grows from the ground up with only two advantages: an early start and an ingrained understanding to never squander an opportunity.

When a Midas scout approaches him after a competition and hands him a business card, it feels like a sign that he’s on the right track. He sweats through auditions. Flubs the dance portion. Miraculously passes. Signs the contract and finds it curious that satisfaction feels less like a buoyancy and more like a weight settling on his shoulders. He’s not done yet. The real work starts here.

His adolescence passes by in a blur of trainee activities and last minute school obligations. He becomes relatively well-known in his company for his young age, pretty face, and the hours he would spend training into the night.

It’s a little creepy, one of the staff members mutters to another. It’s like he never leaves the building.

Look at his pale skin. / Practically translucent. / Like a ghost. / Does he have any friends?  

He decides to learn how to mask his awkwardness with bravado. His irritation with kindness. He hides behind both like spear and shield. He pieces together how to talk with charisma by observing how the older trainees interact and listening into snatches of conversations.

The most popular point of discussion soon becomes rumors about Midas’ upcoming boy group. How many members? When’s the next evaluation? Who are they looking for?

Competition for the spots is violently fierce. There’s no one in the room who doesn’t want to debut. That’s why they’re here, at Midas Media, clawing and fighting to make it to the top. Minsoo gets so close, so close he can almost taste it. But in the end, he’s not enough (not old enough. not confident enough. not good enough at dancing.) Years of meticulous planning, of calculated sacrifice, of careful control crumble at his feet.

The results devastate him. Minsoo falls, hard, hits rock bottom and coughs up gravel.

He allows himself three panic attacks and two packs of cigarettes in total, (burned down to the filter without taking a drag, of course. He doesn’t need the nicotine, just the smoke that calms him).  

Then he tenses his shoulders, picks himself up, and trains with nothing but cold ambition to drive him forward. It’s the most hollow he’s ever been: propelling himself into an uncertain future with no strategy, no plan b, and no clear goal in sight.

Breakthrough comes in the form of Koala.T Music.  

The timing is perfect, with his Midas contract coming to a close and with little chance of a second boy group to be formed anytime soon. Minsoo switches companies. Koala.T is a new an unfamiliar environment, but it’s alright. He’s done this before. It’s easier to adapt this time around, and he knows now how to mold and shape his personality to be the person they need him to be.

Two more years of sweat drenched practice rooms and finally, finally he debuts.

The happily ever after is sweet but short-lived. As a rookie group, Nitro is faced with challenges almost right after the showcase stage. They now have to compete for the public’s affection with dozens of other idols all vying for the spotlight. The cut-throat competition, the ladder climbing, none of that changes. But while others might hate the pressure, Minsoo enjoys it. He savors every step forward because he believes every inch of progress is the culmination of his efforts.

He doesn’t mind the wait.

2015 seems to be the year where everything rolls into motion. Nitro’s slow and steady rise to popularity breaks into their first music show win. Minsoo even lands a supporting role in a rom-com drama by a screenwriter with a solid track history, an rare opportunity for an idol of his standing with only years of company sponsored acting training under his belt.

While it’s by no means easy, Minsoo finds that he takes to acting faster than choreography. His performance is especially aided by the fact that he’s playing a role similar to the one he already plays as Min from Nitro. Just a few extra tweaks, an adjustment here and there, and it’s essentially a different form of the same familiar mask.

The drama earns respectable ratings and the ground beneath Minsoo’s feet moves once more.

It’s just enough momentum to push forward his acting career, albeit slowly in the form of more supporting roles. But this realization comes at the same time Nitro is just beginning to gain traction, and Koala.T pushes to present the group as a united front of underdogs. A front that would break if one member begins to gain attention disproportionately to the rest, especially in a side job.

They tell him to wait, so Minsoo waits. He promotes diligently with his members and spends the rest of his time polishing his clean image and practicing his acting. He keeps his plans for the future close to his chest.

In 2018 a viral moment gives his public personality an electric boost. That combined with Nitro’s continued steady ascent gives Minsoo the agency to start setting his sights on acting again. He’s cast in an idol-driven drama, this time as a lead, and just glancing at the character description fills him with anticipation.

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: n/a CURRENT AGE: 26 DEBUT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 14 COMPANY: Koala.T SECONDARY SKILL: Choreography

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): n/a INSPIRATION: He is inspired by the support, hard work and dedication of his family (Especially his mother) as well as Gens. Stylistically he takes inspiration from 4ce, POWer and other second generation groups. SPECIAL TALENTS:

Can speak multiple languages (Fluent Korean, conversational English & Japanese, beginner Mandarin)

Skilled freestyle dancer

Can perform a backflip from both a standing and seated position

NOTABLE FACTS:

He has two younger sisters

Worked a number of part time jobs whilst training, including stacking shelves at a local convenience store and washing dishes.

Has a quiet and collect demeanour. The silent guardian of the group, always looking out for the other members and ensuring that things run smoothly.

Plans to learn more languages in the future, beginning with Spanish.

Has contributed to Nitro choregraphy in the past as a collaborator on two songs

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Though their rise through the ranks has taken a little longer than some of their peers, Taewoo is happy with where they are now and their trajectory going forwards. His goal is simply to carry on moving down that path, perhaps by putting greater emphasis on their international appeal and fanbase. He would also like to become further involved with production, choreographing a release on his own rather than as a collaborator.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

It’s an unfortunate truth that all idols have a shelf life, and Taewoo is fully aware of that. Though his focus right now is on increasing Nitro’s popularity, he knows that he should begin laying down plans for the future if he is to continue being a pillar of support for those he cares about. What form that takes is still a mystery, and he intends to explore a couple of different options, but right now a production path is appealing.

IDOL IMAGE

Idol life has never come naturally to Taewoo. He doesn’t have the same charisma and towering personality shared by many of his peers, nor the looks to be considered a visual or the commanding presence of a leader. The years of training have helped to hone his natural talent as a performer, but that alone makes him no better or worse than any other idol. This is an industry as cut throat as any other, and on the surface not one that he’s cut out for. His nature has always been soft and gentle, defined by his willingness to do whatever is necessary and value others needs above his own. A doormat in nearly every sense of the word. He may not be innately superior, but he’s more willing than most to put the work in to surpass them. 

Despite his flaws, the company know that they can take advantage of that. Yes, he’s an exceptionally talented dancer with a recognizable voice, but his true strength lies in his versatility and malleability. Nitro has been an ever-morphing beast, beginning with intense edginess before softening their corners and becoming a quirkier entity, and currently walking a tightrope between the two. He is ready and willing to be whatever is needed, and do whatever needs to be done to push the group forwards. Need someone step in and embarrass themselves on a variety show? Taewoo is your guy. Learn a foreign language to appease overseas fans? Done. Rehearse until you’re literally on the verge of hospitalization? Who needs to sleep anyway? No matter what Koala T throws at them, he has learned to adapt on a whim.

Given the chance though, he takes a backseat role in promotions and other appearances. Years on the job have helped his personality to more fully bloom, but he’s still a reserved and nervous person who’s just as happy in the background as the foreground. Taking advantage of his quiet nature he was initially pushed as edgy and mysterious, a man of few words who exuded cool with no effort (ironically, the complete antithesis of his off-stage persona), but as the group has changed so has his role. There are some who argue about the change, decrying it as fake and a ploy to try and increase the group’s appeal, something that bothers him far more than any criticism of his talent. Though he’s still far and away the least outwardly charismatic member, his unique brand of unwavering positivity in the face of adversity and uncertainty is utilized as a selling point. Rather than sullen and brooding, which much to his dismay was often misinterpreted as arrogance, he’s seen as warm and reliable. A pillar of the group who values his members and fans above all else. He’s the reliable one whose compassion shines through his quietness, and despite not being the most popular amongst fans, will always go the extra mile.

Away from the spotlight though? He’s barely holding himself together. The hectic schedule is finally beginning to take its toll, and the weight of responsibility piling on his shoulders is slowly causing him to falter. For better or worse, through thick and thin, he’s always been an unbreakable rock. Anything will crack when put under enough pressure though, and the dark circles that appear below his eyes are the first fault lines to appear. Exhaustion is not an unfamiliar feeling, but where before he’s been able to power through, now he is on the cusp of burning out. Despite those around him voicing their concerns, he can’t address it though. If a single cog in the machine stops turning the whole thing stops working, and he’s little more than a cog. He can’t afford to stop. For the sake of the company, for the sake of his members and for the sake of his family he needs this to work, no matter the cost.

IDOL HISTORY

There was never anything extraordinary to be said about Lee Sooyoung and Lee Hyunseung. They were just and unremarkable couple in love with a tiny house on the outskirts of Seoul, a tinier dog and three equally unremarkable children. The eldest is Lee Taewoo, a quiet kid enamoured by the world with a perpetual smile, who would go on to be more than anyone could reasonably have expected. 

Being a line cook and a waitress by trade meant that money was never particularly forthcoming. Even before his birth purse strings were pulled tight, what little remained of their wages after bills being squirrelled away in savings accounts for the future, and with every passing birth the bet was pulled tighter. By the time of the third the cashflow is non-existent. They do their best to provide, and for the most part manage to struggle on, but food is often in shirt supply, clothes are second hand without fail and basic utilities are cut off at least twice a year.

Not that Taewoo cares, or even really notices. His parents are swans gliding gracefully across the water, and he’s too young or too naïve to see the legs scrambling beneath the ripples keeping them all afloat. To him, dinner by candlelight, freezing cold baths and clothes three sizes too large are all entirely normal, and even when his peers question it, he reasons that his family are just strange rather than struggling.

That has always been his way: to search for positivity in any person or situation, even when there’s none to be found. His optimism is unwavering, even in the face of tragedy or overwhelming adversity. “You have to laugh, or you’ll only cry” is the mantra that he lives by, and one that has dragged him from the darker corners of his mind on many an occasion. Though quiet, reserved and bordering on timid he was able to light up the room with a wide smile and an infectious laugh.

He was never an especially social animal, focussing instead on pushing himself in both and academic and athletic sense. Lacking the natural charm and charisma of many of his peers, it was his hope that doing so would win him friends, or at the very least acceptance. Rather than drawing them closer though it only seemed to push them away. He was, and still is, for all intents and purposes a doormat. He will let you step all over him, push him into doing anything and be whatever you need him to be just to be accepted. The reason was never really clear: perhaps his reclusiveness was mistaken for arrogance, or the rumours that swirled about his family’s financial situation. More likely though, it was because he had all the social skills of a baked potato, and no book was likely to change that.

And so, his quest for acceptance continues once more in vain, until one day, aged ten, he comes across a street performer. A dancer, to be precise. The way that the man moves is unlike anything he’s ever seen, the fluidity of motion completely hypnotic. Of course, he’s heard of idols, but this… this is something else entirely. He’s completely enraptured, unable to tear his eyes away until thunderous applause brings him back to reality. That was the moment that he knew: this was the answer he was looking for. A path lying in plain sight that had remained completely unexplored.

Even in the early days, the internet was a wonderful tool. Every video he could find was studied in microscopic detail, every book or article on theory and technique analysed multiple times. The depths of the family financial crisis are still a mystery, but he’s no idiot. He knows they can’t afford professional training, so to begin with he’s self-taught. It takes months, but his innate athleticism helps him to master the basics.

By this point the Park’s situation has only gotten worse. The tipping point had come when they’d made the questionable (see: terrible) decision to buy out the restaurant that employed them both with the aid of their savings as well as a complex and deadly cocktail of their savings, grants and multiple private loans. By putting themselves at the top of the chain, they reasoned, they would reap the most rewards. It was not a decision made on a whim, but rather one that Taewoo would later learn had been years in the making.

Business under the new owners ground to a halt, and by the time Taewoo is thirteen it is nearly none-existent. His parents, for all their good intentions were not business people and had no clue how to run a restaurant. His father hid away in the kitchen, his mother in the office as things spiralled further and further out of control. Back home it’s never mentioned, never discussed. Instead there’s only tension hanging thick in the air, withering glares and the quiet sound of crying in the dead of night as things spiral closer to rock bottom.

The failure of the business has repercussions. Where in the past they’d been forced to skip a meal here or there, now there were days when food was forgone entirely. There were more days without power than with and mortgage payments are consistently late. In hindsight, it was perhaps not the best moment to tell his parents his grand plans for the future.

Not a doctor like they’d hoped, nor a lawyer or anything of the sort. He wanted to perform. What form that took, he didn’t know yet, and didn’t care, but he had to at least try. Silence. You can hear their hearts crack as their faces sink. They’d always had high hopes that his dedication to his schooling would take him to higher places, and give him an opportunity to be better than them. They’d never been able to say no. After reassurances that he’ll continue his studies and laying out a clear plan b that ends with him in medical school, as well as paying for his own tutoring “Okay.” Is all they manage, the silence hanging heavy before they both leave the room hoping that it’s nothing more than a phase.

And so, he scrambles to gather funds from any direction he can. Favours from friends, odd jobs that need doing in the neighbourhood. He can barely afford a session a month, but surprisingly he’s pretty good. Being self-taught he’ picked up some bad habits but that foundation allows him to move at a much faster pace. Images of the man flash through his mind as he moves; a constant reminder of the level he wants to reach.

It isn’t long before he begins to emulate the stranger that he’s seen no more than a handful of times and begins street performing himself. Though it doesn’t have quite the same fluidity or precision of his memory of that performance it’s decent enough to warrant some attention and a faint smattering of applause. A small amount of money even finds its way onto his jacket laying nearby, which is pleasant and put towards more lessons, though ultimately superfluous. The rush he gets is reason enough to carry on.

Taewoo becomes a regular fixture of street corners around the city, and pops up at least once or twice a month in different locations, every performance better than the last. At this point in time he’s still a kid, with no plans for the future or any idea how to translate this into a career. He isn’t idol material, and that’s a fact that has been subtly drilled into him over time. “The industry is cut throat and you’re… too nice…. Too good” people say, cynicism glossed over with the illusion of good intentions. It’s something that he’s resigned himself too, an idea that he’s slowly grown to believe. Self confidence has never been a strength.

So, it comes as a surprise when he’s approached by a frantic man after finishing for the day, shrugging the jacket laid out on the floor over his shoulders and preparing himself for the dark, icy (in every conceivable way) confines of the home that feels more like a prison with every passing day. The words are a blur, and he’s completely blindsided. Representative, Koala T, scout, trainee, idol. He simply laughs nervously and walks away, assuming it’s a joke.

Except the man finds him again. This time even more frantic than before, he eventually beats Taewoo down and convinces him to come to an audition. It can’t be real, it’s just some crazy dude in the streets. He agrees, mostly just to make the other leave, with no intention of actually attending. Time passes as usual and he carries on attending school, attending dance classes and performing in public.

When the day finally comes, he wakes up and goes on as if it were any other. A notification on his phone reminds him of the audition but is dismissed without a second thought. He’s still convinced that it was nothing more than a cruel joke. But then, an hour before, it dawns on him. This is not a chance that will come around again. Yes, it could just be a man being senselessly cruel just to get a cheap laugh… but it could also be the golden ticket he’s been looking for.

It turns out that, unbelievably to him, the latter is true. After scrambling to get there and arriving at the last possible minute, he’s gobsmacked. Even more astonishingly he gets through the audition mostly unprepared without a hitch and gets the greenlight to proceed. His charisma is severely lacking, they say, but it can be worked on and his other skills will be enough to carry him. For now, at least. He leaves dumbfounded, mind moving at a thousand miles a minute and unable to process the news. He thinks he might collapse when the cool air hits his face as he exits and the bus buckles his knees on the journey home.

The wide-eyed joy that has been painted on his animated face all day fades when he gets home to find his mother sat at the table, tears in her eyes. Letters are scattered around her, red and black ink screaming from the paper. Final notice, they blare.

For the first time he finds out just how much trouble they’re in, his heart sinking like a lead balloon as she tries to hold herself together. The restaurant is lost, but the debts incurred and loan repayments remain. Their home is under threat, and utilities about to be cut off indefinitely. Where before they’d been swans, grace and elegance hiding chaos, they were now a sinking ship, the passengers screaming in panic as the descent quickens. She tries to feign happiness when she finds out the news about her son, but her worry is obvious.

And so, when he begins his training, he also begins working. Some nights he follows his mothers’ example and waits tables, some nights he follows his fathers and washes dishes. Some nights he stacks shelves and others he sweeps floors. The pay is never great, but it’s funnelled almost entirely back to his family. Though they’ve not been rescued from the sinking ship, the three have slowly managed to inflate a lifeboat just big enough for five.

Training begins well, but as it grows more complex and intense, he begins to fall in the ranks. Between maintaining his grades, working most every night and trying to keep pace with the schedule he never meets his full potential. Never the best but never the worst, he’s once more unremarkable.

Faces come and faces go, each one a little more disheartening than the last. He’s a good dancer and a decent singer, but that isn’t enough anymore. He needs an edge. Something to make him a more appealing prospect, something to make him useful. Languages is what he settles on, already knowing basic Japanese. Again self-taught, he begins with English. Koala T have artists with international appeal, so maybe this would be enough to tip the scales in his favour.

The second big blow comes a little later. His father falls ill, having a stroke at work that has a severe impact on his speech and movement. The news is devastating, and it takes him a few days to process. The temptation is there to quit, to work full time to support his family in their hour of need, but on his father’s insistence he stays. “You’ve come too far to stop now. You Can do this.”

That’s the first time that anyone has said that to him other than the scout, and it acts as a shot of adrenaline. He works harder in training and takes on extra hours at work, his grades taking a hit in the process. For this to work, he needs absolute dedication, but he can’t just leave them to fend for themselves.

Finally, his debut date is set, but just a month before he burns out. During training he collapses, vision fading to black as he crumples to the floor, the strain of exhaustion on his body overwhelming him. Pure terror overcomes him when he awakens, the fear that he’s blown his one shot running rampant. He has to fight a long and arduous battle to convince the company to allow him to join the group, but eventually he manages it. Perhaps they just took pity on him, sensing the desperation, but for once he couldn’t care less.

In the early days Nitro was an ever-morphing beast, going from edgy to quirky at the drop of a hat. He was always one of the quieter members, especially during their more serious concepts, and this innate introversion was misinterpreted by some as arrogance. Seeing this the company tried to rebrand him, using that naïve innocence and infallible positivity that he’s somehow managed to maintain as his main selling point. He’s still not the centre of attention and often has to fight of the arrogance label, but his new role fits like a glove.

In an attempt to be seen as more personable and genuine, he established a presence on YouTube. His demeanour on camera is still awkward and his lack of natural charisma and confidence translates on screen, but enough people seem to find it endearing enough to warrant its continued existence. Clips from the studio, Q&As as well as some of his early dancing and choreography are all featured. He has also been known to return to his roots and perform on the streets, footage of which is available here.

More recently his focus has turned more and more towards choreography. In his eyes that is the easiest path to take when Nitro comes to an end, and a solid foundation for the future. For now, he’s happy collaborating with others for the company, learning everything that there is to know before stepping out solo.

Which brings us to now. Nitro are finally making waves, and though they’re not the most popular group in the world, Taewoo is happy with where they are and their future trajectory. Everything that he has is poured into this group, every waking second used to help push them further. With their recent Global Popular Artist win under their belts there is a new fire inside of him to be the best he can possibly be.