i love minhyuk babe!

it’s been so long time since i got and have posted something here 🙂
this past few months is the busiest month ever preparing for our school and now, that i’m a senior students means i’m graduating.
i so miss blogging the thoughts that i’ve posted … every single entry i post is the most precious post to me.

i hope i can post regularly someday 🙂

Whenever the idol group Super Junior is mentioned, the modifier “Yeneung-dol” (idol group members who are showing superior talent on entertainment programs) always follows. Every member of Super Junior is actively participating in various entertainment programs, TV dramas, and musicals, but, at the same time, they have been failing to push their image as singers.

But, surprisingly, their third album entitled “Sorry, Sorry” sold more than 250,000 copies last year, and they ranked atop the album sales. In addition, their fourth album entitled “Bonamana,” which was released recently, also sold 200,000 copies for the first order, and the total number of sales for only one week exceeded 100,000 copies.

Super Junior is differentiated from other idol groups who release mini album and are earning profits from the digital music market. In a recent interview with members of Super Junior, nine members out of thirteen members came out for the interview held in Apgujeong-dong.

One member, Kang In, had been caught in a crackdown on drunk drivers last year, and now he is planning to join the army, and Chinese member Han Kyung is now involved in a lawsuit with his agency SM Entertainment regarding his exclusive contract. Another member, Ki Bum, could not participate in the fourth album due to his busy acting activities. Also, Choi Si Won could not come to the interview as he had to receive medical surgery to remove an infection on his salivary gland.

As there are so many members in Super Junior, they could not have peaceful days last year, and had to go through hard times due to many unfavorable factors and rumors. During the interview, they talked about their feelings for what happened so far and they also said their ambition is to continue their activities until they reach their forties or fifties and host the “Super Junior Show” someday.

Followings are questions and answers with members of Super Junior.

Interviewer: You must have gone through significant distress due to some members’ personal problems.

▲ Lee Teuk: It was hard for me when I had to smile even in a difficult situation when showing up for entertainment programs. In particular, I was shocked when I found out that Han Kyung has gone through a lawsuit. But, since we left his seat empty, I want him back all the time. Kang In is burning to participate in our activities these days, and he always gives us advice after monitoring our performances. I will do my best to keep “Super Junior” together until every member can join again.

▲ Hee Chul: I was in a state of panic when my best friend Han Kyung left for China. I almost thought of withdrawing from the group because I was so depressed. I started getting more famous when I started acting, not as a member of Super Junior, and I was not as good at singing like some other members such as Ye Sung, Kyu Hyun, and Ryeo Wook, and not as good at dancing like other members such as Dong Hae and Eun Hyuk. But, members with whom I used to fight have stood by me and helped me in many ways. Only the fact that they are together with me suddenly became a great help and source of appreciation for me. In particular, Eun Hyuk helped me to change my mind. Thanks to him, I was tempted to do activities for our new album for the first time. I want to go back to the time when we released our first album and want to put forth my best efforts for activities.

Interviewer: Despite many unfavorable factors, your album sales, especially the sales of your third and fourth albums, are outstanding. Does it mean that the number of your fans has increased?

▲ Lee Teuk: I was surprised that people are buying our fourth album as well. There are good things and bad things when we appear on entertainment programs. We may lose our image as singers, but at the same, I think that we can advertise ourselves to the public. Also, besides us, many other entertainers have sung “Sorry, Sorry” on many programs.

▲ Hee Chul: When idol members show up on entertainment programs, it is easier for them to target teenage fans, but usually older viewers seem to like them. I think that appearing on an entertainment program is like a double-edged sword.

Interviewer: The title song of the fourth album, “Bonamama” sounds very similar to your previous hit song “Sorry, Sorry.” Do you think that a certain style of the music has emerged for Super Junior?

▲ Lee Teuk: When we listened to the song for the first time, we also thought that the song is very similar to “Sorry, Sorry.” It is natural that people begin to compare those two songs. We put the name of “SJ (Super Junior) Funky” for songs which combine dance and electronic sounds, and reminds people of Super Junior. I also gave it a five star evaluation on the music website.

Interviewer: But, except the title song, I could find many simple melody songs which require outstanding singing ability.

▲ Lee Teuk: In 2007, when the Super Junior unit “Super Junior K.R.Y.” planned to release an album, Kyu Hyun had a car accident, so many good songs could not be included in the album at that time. And actually those good songs have come together with this new album. So, the portion of songs that require singing ability has been increased. For example, when I listened to the youngest member Ryeo Wook’s solo song entitled “Spring Day” repeatedly while I was driving, I almost felt like crying.

Interviewer: Do you think that you have more interest in music compared to the past, as you have already released four albums?

▲ Lee Teuk: In debut, we just focused on recording songs. But, these days, we tend to present our opinions, saying, “What if we try this part this way?” when we arrange songs. In our previous album, Ryeo Wook’s own song was included, and for the repackaged album of the fourth album, which will be released soon, more songs that were made by other members will be included. I think it is time for our members to show off our talent in music.

Interviewer: Usually, the life expectancy of an idol group is regarded to range from three to five years. As Super Junior debuted in 2005, does it mean that Super Junior has already reached its lifespan?

▲ Lee Teuk: You are totally right. I can imagine that people might look at us with the same viewpoint with which I looked at senior star singers such as H.O.T. and Shin Hwa, who already released their fourth and fifth albums when I was an aspiring singer. Sometimes, I think, “Do we have to stop performing as Super Junior?” But, these days, we perform not only in Korea, but also in other Asian countries, so only four or five years are not enough. We became popular after significant time had passed, so I think that it means that we can last longer.

▲ Hee Chul: I and Lee Teuk are 28 years old now. I know there are many cute and fresh junior singers. But, I want to stress our longevity as we appear on various broadcasting, and at the same, I want to hold many performances whenever we release a new album. I like to perform on the stage because it is very exciting.

Interviewer: How do you think people regard idol groups?

▲ Lee Teuk: I think that it is somewhat exaggerated. People say that the industries of advertisement, drama, and music have been conquered by idols, but actually there are not many programs with more than ten percent viewer ratings among programs in which idols appear. “Idol” means a target of admiration. Actually, many senior doyenne singers such as Cho Yong Phil, Na Hoon A, the group Fire Truck, Park Nam Jeong, and Seo Taiji and Boys used to be idols in their times. As time goes by, people just tend to remember that they were not idols. During any time, there were idols that people admire. The word “idol” is just much more focused and stands out more than before these days. As a member of an idol group, I feel sorry that people do not have an interest in the music, but rather in other additional factors, of idols.

▲ Hee Chul: We wanted to break away from the image of idol groups in entertainment programs. When Shin Dong attaches a fake mustache and dresses himself up comically, he does not look like an idol group member, and moreover I am proud of him. Whenever Lee Teuk, Eun Hyuk, and Shin Dong come on SBS TV’s “Strong Heart,” they brainstorm for ideas like comedians do. But, sometimes I feel bad when I find out that people regard us as washed-up entertainers and criticize us rather than cheering for our efforts on the stage as singers and on the entertainment programs.

Interviewer: At this moment, when you released your fourth album, is it the time that you are trying to free yourself from idol groups?

▲ Lee Teuk: When we debuted, we wanted to abandon the title of idol group. But, we have come this far as the idol group Super Junior, so I do not want to lose the idol title. Rather, I want to keep this title until we reach our forties and fifties and become senior star singers for a long time. As we have thirteen members, if only one member stands out per year, we can last for thirteen years. But, only less than half the members have become popular and have stood out until now. As we were recorded as having the largest number of members when we debuted, we want to break new records in the Korean music industry.

▲ Yea Sung: There are also cultural differences. In the case of Japan, star groups such as SMAP and Arashi, who debuted a long time ago, are still gaining huge popularity. We want to be loved by people like those groups for such a long time for the first time in Korea. Even after we reach our thirties, we want to continue to release albums and have performances. As we see that our members become more acknowledged in various fields and our album sales are increasing, we might already have passed the limit as an idol group little by little as we approach our future goal.

▲ Hee Chul: We want to make the “Super Junior Show,” which enables us to communicate with people, like the program “SMAPxSMAP,” which SMAP has been hosting in Japan.

Interviewer: Shin Dong has become a hot topic, as he proposed to his girlfriend using codes on the album jacket of the fourth album.

▲ Shin Dong: I was surprised to see that fans had broken the codes so fast. I was wrong because I should not have put my personal messages on the album which was originally made for our fans. I am really sorry to the other members and our fans.

▲ Hee Chul: I am sorry to our fans, but I think that he was very brave as a man. But, actually it was a shocking message for me, too. I did not even know that the message was so strong like that. [Marry me. I am proposing to you.]

Interviewer: How do you evaluate Choi Si Won’s acting, who just finished the drama “Oh! My Lady?”

▲ Lee Teuk: His acting, especially his facial expressions, were much better than when he appeared in the movie “Battle of Wits.” He has shown playful looks that he used to show us. When I looked at his acting when he drunkenly kissed a girl in the drama while he left the door of the refrigerator wide open, he looked so greasy.

Source: KBS GLOBAL

Korean boy band Super Junior have returned to the local music scene with just ten of its 13 original members, namely Lee Teuk, Heechul, Shindong, Sungmin, Ryuwook, Yesung, Siwon, Eunhyuk, Donghae and Kyuhyun. Kang-in plans to enter the army to fulfill his mandatory two-year military service, Kibum is focusing on his acting career and Hangeng is currently embroiled in a legal battle with SM.

Yet once again, they are proving their reputation as one of Asia’s hottest idol groups was not falsely gained — their fourth full-length album received 200,000 preorders compared to their previous top-selling album “Sorry Sorry” which had secured 150,000 orders ahead of going on sale.

The group sat down with reporters on May 20 to talk about pursuing their singing career with three less members and the struggles they overcame to make a bigger and stronger comeback.

Q: There are a few members missing this time. How does it feel?
Heechul: Of course we’re sad. I also suffered from a bit of depression because of such incidents and I had a very hard time.

Q: A lot has happened within the team. Shindong, you confessed your love through your new album. How did your agency respond?
Heechul: I think they only let it out because they didn’t know what it means. (laugh)
Shindong: If I had written it in Korean, I think they would’ve asked me to do it next time. (laugh)
Heechul: I had talked about this earlier with Lee Teuk but if a fan had bought an album, saw that Shindong had written a code so cracks it to see he had asked someone to marry him… We’re lucky if the fan doesn’t rip up the album. (laugh) Shindong actually kept apologizing to us before we gave our comeback performance for “BONAMANA.”
Lee Teuk: There could’ve been mixed responses to what he did but we’re grateful that there have been a lot of good articles on it.
Shindong: I’ve become a romantic guy thanks to them. I’m thankful.

Q: Did you all know about this?
Lee Teuk: Heechul did.
Heechul: I agreed to Shindong when he told me he wanted to do this. I told him it’s great. A guy should confess when he has to. But when I saw what it [the code] read when it was deciphered… was it a sight to see. (laugh) I didn’t know it was going to be that serious.
Lee Teuk: We were in a photo shoot when he was writing it. He kept looking up something on the computer keyboard.

Q: Do you plan on getting married if for example, the song does well?
Lee Teuk: Like getting married if we sell over one million albums. (laugh)
Shindong: I will if we sell under one million. (laugh)
Heechul: I’ll sing the nuptial song. Love so hurts… (laugh)
Lee Teuk: It was only possible because it was Shindong. He’s the one who gave our group a friendly image. Everyone else is slim and good looking so there was a distance between the public and us…
Heechul: It sounds like you’re dissing Shindong.
Lee Teuk: No, I’m not dissing him. (laugh) I’m just saying that we must have Shindong on our team for his friendly image.
Shindong: I’m grateful that you think of me like that. I’m very grateful toward my group because I hear the word ‘pretty boy’ wherever we go. (laugh)
Heechul: Now, let’s not be too grateful toward each other. (laugh)

Q: The group went through a lot before this album came out so I think you must’ve felt different preparing for it. How did you feel while rehearsing?
Eunhyuk: Everyone was feeling different. It was great because we practiced with the determination we had when we first debuted. Donghae and I are in charge of the choreography so we had to take the lead in showing that we were going to work really hard this time. We got almost no sleep preparing for the album this time.
Donghae: I was so stressed that I even had nightmares. I was very shocked because I dreamt that we were on stage, rehearsing for our comeback performance, when everyone started snickering at us.
Lee Teuk: Eunhyuk said he had a similar dream too. I was very surprised that everyone was under so much pressure.

Q: Some poeple are pointing out that your title track “BONAMANA” is similar to your previous song “Sorry Sorry.”
Lee Teuk: I know. But I think that’s our style. It’s an extension of “Sorry Sorry” but also the last word to it.

Q: There’s a dance move which looks like you guys are skating.
Lee Teuk: The choreographer said he thinks of skating when he thinks of Korea. (laugh)

Q: The choreography for “BONAMANA” looks like it’s more complicated than before. Did you not have a hard time memorizing it? (laugh)
Eunhyuk: It was supposed to be even more difficult. We changed some of the difficult moves so they’d be easier because we had to keep some of the moves which were key to the song. The choreography was so difficult that every round of song we danced to was extremely tough. It felt like we were constantly running full speed.
Lee Teuk: Doesn’t our strength lie in the fact that we can pull off even the most complex choreography? (laugh) The choreographer said our moves this time is about energy. The person who came up with the choreography for “Sorry Sorry” came up with our choreography again this time. We’re very grateful to him because he was supposed to join the Michael Jackson tribute concert.

Q: Isn’t the new song hard to sing because there is a bounce to it that you have to ride with from the very start. Especially for the members who are used to singing ballad songs, how was it?
Kyuhyun: In my case, I’m better at singing ballads but it wasn’t too bad because I’ve been a dance singer. I have been practicing constantly. And I think I’ve been able to show diverse sides to myself through this album because there are a lot of ballad songs too.

Q: How was it singing Yoo Hee-yeol’s “Good Person”?
Kyuhyun: I was under a lot of pressure because it’s such a classic that I couldn’t mess up on it. We talked with the directors for a long time about the song, saying a certain part should be sung with such and such emotions, that we sounded we’re smiling too much in another segment, that this is a sad song.
Lee Teuk: We edited the song quite a bit because it’s a classic and Yoo Hee-yeol hosts his radio show right after ours so he asked about it too. After our album came out, he said he listened to our version of the song and when we asked “It’s not as great, right?” he said it was good so we were thankful.
Yesung: When I heard we would be recording “Good Person,” I thought it would be Park Hyo-shin’s “Good Person.” (laugh)

Q: Haha, Yesung, you must go on variety shows.
Yesung: I am extremely interested in variety shows. (laugh)

Q: Lee Teuk, Eunhyuk, Shindong, the three of you are regulars on SBS talk show “Steel Heart.” But it must be difficult trying to head a segment of the program for several minutes.
Lee Teuk: We’ve seen quite a number of photographs get ripped up (laugh) but the more it happens, the more intense photos the public wants to see but the less the celebrities want to reveal. I got to understand what a hard time comedians must have. And it’s usually hard to maintain a segment for more than three months but we’re into our ninth month now so it’s very tough. I’m thinking we should come up with something different.

Q: Isn’t it difficult getting the guests to display their talents on the show?
Lee Teuk: (Sigh and laugh) It’s really difficult. And many of them say they don’t want to so we have to keep persuading them.
Eunhyuk: I had never been that interested in variety shows but I started taking part in it little by little because it sounded like so much fun when I listened to other members of my group talk about it. And then we got to appear on “Steel Heart” but I’ve been under so much pressure to make people laugh. The other two have been leading the segment well though. Honestly, I’m doing a lot of freeriding. (laugh)
Yesung: When I see them talk to each other, it really looks like they don’t even have time to sleep because they’re so busy coming up with what they should do for “Steel Heart.” Shindong looks at the Internet a lot, Lee Teuk is the one who wraps up the jokes and Eunhyuk does well in spicing up the jokes. I didn’t know they’d do such a good job.

Q: Some of you do musicals. Have the experiences been helpful to your singing career as well?
Yesung: They have really helped a lot. I have gotten to try acting and do more thorough jobs with practicing singing live after being in a musical. I’ve also gone back to the mindset of when I was a new singer after meeting seniors in musicals. There were about 40 people who were older than me on set so I started by saying hello to each of them and handing them a cup of coffee.
Sungmin: I think I’ve learned to act with more freedom on stage after doing musicals. I used to just sing and dance before but I have to act and calculate for musicals so when I perform “BONAMANA,” I became more comfortable putting on expressions or actions that I never did before. So I want to keep doing musicals.

Q: You said on “Steel Heart” that Heechul almost quit Super Junior. Didn’t you guys need time to form some sort of mutual understanding again after having been through so much?
Lee Teuk: We talked a lot while we were on our Asia tour. Everyone usually has a lot of individual schedules to fulfill so we had time to talk before and after our concerts which is when we talked about everything. Heechul and I became very close because of our Asia tour.

Q: Then had you felt awkward around him before?
Lee Teuk: Not awkward but we had always told each other that we should only be friends. We didn’t talk much about work together. But with everything that had been going on, we ended up talking a lot about work too.
Heechul: Our personalities are completely opposite from each other and we haven’t really worked together that much either so that’s why we didn’t talk much even when we’re at home. We even started having different opinions on issues and after wondering why it was the case, Lee Teuk, Shindong and I said we should go back to eight years ago which was before we had debuted, and just let out everything, curse and all. That’s when things cleared up.

Q: What did you talk about?
Heechul: I just felt much better going back to the days we were friends and talking about anything and everything. Before, I had avoided appearing on variety shows with other members of my group because it felt uncomfortable and we had our difference of opinions. We would also have to talk about incidents we experienced as a group but there were many things I didn’t know because we were close as friends but not as a bandmates on the same group. But I ended up talking with Lee Teuk and Shindong for about five hours, felt much more comfortable after that, and decided to say what we did on “Steel Heart.” I have a lot of fun on variety shows these days.
Lee Teuk: He calls up producers himself these days and sets his own schedules. (laugh)

Q: Heechul, do you plan to continue appearing on variety shows?
Heechul: I’m considering making appearances here and there starting with the second season of “Family Outing” (laugh) but I know that I have my good days and bad days when I make guest appearances. And I don’t have that many stories to tell so I know people would get sick of me easily if I go on too many. That’s why I’m being more careful and preparing myself as an emcee. I personally would like to host a program like Super Junior’s “Super Show.” As a joke I tell producers and executives that I want to do a show like that. (laugh) I used to be very anxious. I was under the pressure to achieve something before I go to the army but it felt like I hadn’t quite found my place yet. But once I eased myself out of those feelings, I saw myself on a much larger picture. It’s my dream to act but I’ve also wanted to do a variety show with my group.

Q: We heard that Kang-in will be going to the army within the year. What about the rest of you?
Lee Teuk: I think we’ll be going next year or the year after that rather than this year. We plan on putting in our best efforts for our careers and go without having any regrets.

Q: You’re idols who are now even considering getting married. How do you feel compared to when you first debuted?
Lee Teuk: We’re aging with the people who liked us from when we debuted, which I think is amazing. I’m also surprised at how I’ve been able to stay so long in this industry. A lot has happened over the years which has helped me to grow stronger so I don’t think I’ll be shaken up by small incidents anymore. I think we’d be able to last for another 20 to 30 years at this rate. We’ll also have to go to the army soon and of course we should go since it’s our military duty to. I hope we’ll be able to say at the end of the year that we worked hard and have no regrets.

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@
Editor : Lee Ji-Hye seven@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
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SOURCE: Asiae and Asiae