#Yunho #์œ ๋…ธ์œคํ˜ธ #๋”์…€๋ฆฌ๋ธŒ๋ฆฌํŠธ The Celebrity 2017


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The Celebrity – Yunho feature, June 2017

The Thoughtful U-Know Yunho
TVXQ’s U-Know Yunho has returned. After having debuted in 2003, he has always been at the top, and as an artiste, has always displayed an earnest, and hardworking side. This time, we take a peek into his inner thoughts.

A Return To A Time of Being Myself, The Army
U-Know Yunho, who was born in 1986, entered the army in July of 2015 when he was 30 years old. The details of his basic training camp, the location, the time and so on were completely kept a secret. By way of a handwritten letter, he sent his final greetings to fans. This was his choice after much deliberation, in order to avoid causing inconvenience to the other soldiers. Like this, he completed 1 year and 9 months of military service, and was discharged on April 22nd. Upon discharge, he immediately took part in the 19th Presidential Elections voting encouragement campaign, the ‘0509 Rose Project’. In Korea, “celebrity and the military” are very sensitive issues. From being selected as squad leader from the start, in his basic training camp, until he was awarded Best Recruit, and then as Special Class Soldier, the degree with which he perfectly adapted to army life even made people worry that he may be kept in the army. It was the extent to which he had set aside his celebrity side and had led an army life that has become a model for others. He said, “being discharged feels like the time that has stopped, has started up again”, and even said “I really miss my army band mates from the 26th Division”, showing off the close comradeship that he had with them. As his father had objected to his becoming a celebrity when he was in junior high school, he went without definite plans to Seoul from Gwangju, and as a teen, entered society by sweeping all sorts of year-end awards, thus becoming an icon of Hallyu, spending his 20s in a more glamourous way than other people. How does it feel to be at the top of the world? “As my occupation in society is one where I am receiving the spotlight, there are many areas in which I had the managers by my side, and staff to take care of, so I felt there would not be another opportunity for me to return to being the person, Jung Yunho, where I would have to do everything by myself from the start until the end, as such, I spent my army life like that without regrets.” Whether it was during training or performing army band shows, after returning to the army camp, while on guard duty, watching the dim landscape at dawn, he said he would have various kinds of thoughts. While the world beyond the window passed by this fast without stopping, time inside (t/n: camp) passed by slowly, he felt the relativity of the time, and kept thinking back on the ordinary person, Jung Yunho. “Of course, while in the army, I had the moniker of ‘TVXQ’s U-Know Yunho’ follow me around, and the soldiers that I spent my army life with, marvelled about it. Because of that, I was a little more active and worked hard. My foremost principle in the army was until the extent of (as compared to the rest), to be faster by 1 minute, be the last to return by 1 minute.” It was not out of a calculated desire to earn recognition but rather, I wanted to show how I am as a person. Whether it was because of how comfortably I showed myself, I was able to get along with my friends in the army, and army life was very enjoyable.”

In the army, which was made up by groups of people who were from different (social) classes and regions, he experienced the microcosm of society. This was a society that he would not have been able to know, being on stage singing and dancing or filming on sets. From being a Second Class Private to a squad leader that was directing other soldiers, he also learnt about responsibility. While lying in cold tents with other soldiers, he would laugh over and enjoy the small things. “I was originally such a person, and I got assured that ‘I had not been wrong about myself’. In these 10 years, I had been running with just one place in mind, so I had wanted time to stop temporarily. In this aspect, the army to me, was the optimal time for this, this was because at last, it was a time for me to return to being myself, a time to check up on myself.”

A Time Lived Ordinarily
U-Know Yunho likes to have serious conversations with people. Rather than messages that one would get from books or the movies, he is very inspired by the emotions or ideas that he gets from conversations with other people. The army is a place where Korean men aged 19 years or so, are gathered together. “Of course, there were people that I did not get along with. This is because the army is a place where there are many different types of people gathered together. Nevertheless, I pulled together with them anyhow, worked hard and carried out (our) missions.” To a youth just entering his 20s, U-Know Yunho might have been seen as someone with an alien-like existence from another planet. However, he managed to face and break down these biases, and had many conversations with these friends in their early 20s, who were worried and overcome with insecurities about having to enter society right away after discharge. “As I had started life in society at a very early age, I shared a lot of advice about it. The thing these friends were most curious about was, ‘hyung, when you had your first dream, how did you achieve it?’” His answer was like this. One has to distinguish between what you like and what you are good at. After serious consideration, write it out one by one and find the common points.
In the army, the most often asked question was, “Having come to Seoul from Gwangju at a young age, what is the motivation that is keeping you going until now?” His ordinary story was extraordinary to others, while their ordinary stories were extraordinary to U-Know Yunho. The things he wants to do are considered natural and taken for granted by these people. He envies this normalcy. “To me, being able to eat ddeokbokki in street stalls is something special. I tried it when I came out on break. When people recognised me, I said confidently that ‘yes, I am U-Know Yunho. Later on, when I comeback, please cheer me on a lot.’ Before I enlisted, I had the impression of having a strong image when performing on stage, but now I think it has been reduced a little. I have gained warmth that is befitting of my age.” He said he had enjoyed watching ‘I Live Alone’ in the army. “As you know, it is a programme where one could show off one’s own lifestyle. Rather than having the desire to be on variety shows, now I feel like I am able to show off myself comfortably. Although I also watched other interesting programmes, the ones that I connected with were ones like ‘Drinking Solo’ and ‘Another Oh Hae Young’. To others, what may seem as ordinary things could be seen as special to the person directly involved, I felt that they brought across this sensibility well. In the drama, Oh Hae Young was going through a tough time because of her broken engagement, and because of the (other) Oh Hae Young who was doing well, there were also downs in school and at work, yet she still had the feeling of ‘nonetheless, this is who I am’. Although I think fame could have become the original driving force in my life, it isn’t something that can change my life itself. One has to grasp the middle well. Even when at times, my opinions match with the people whom I like, and at times, it clashes, through this process too, I am able to grow. So I am thrilled when I am able to say thank you to those around me.” When we were in the midst of writing this article, we heard that he had chosen his comeback work to be an original adaptation of the webtoon of the same name, directed by the same person behind ‘Another Oh Hae Young’, called ‘Meloholic’. It is a story about a man who has the ability to read the thoughts of others, to him who listens the stories of others, we think that this role would suit him well.

Real Jung Yunho
During the course of the interview, U-Know Yunho kept talking about ‘how I am as a person”. He who has been running without resting towards his goal, is now ruminating upon himself. What exactly does ‘how I am as a person’ mean? “Success is not everything, the important thing is ‘will it be done honorably?’ When given a topic or task, regardless of what happens, one has to carry it out until the end. In keeping with my mannerisms, if I was someone who kept on pushing myself without stopping during my 20s, then in the army, I learnt how to take it easy.” As someone that received a lot of love from people, if he had to keep the compulsion to let out what he wanted to say at once, and had the pressure to show who he was, now he has the confidence to go to the public. U-Know Yunho has drawn his own values on his sneakers. There are a lot of ‘R=v+D (t/n: the article writes it as ‘Revolution’ but it is actually his personal motto of Realisation = Vivid+Dream)’, and many words that combine ‘passion’ with ‘affection’. He has also drawn his favourite fruit, the strawberry. Although he is not good at drawing, besides his shoes, he has also reformed (customized) his denim jacket out of a desire to express his inner thoughts. “Originally, I liked doing sports, going on holidays and other such dynamic (involving activeness) activities. However, recently, I started to develop a lot of interest in sedentary activities that I had not done before. Such as going to art galleries, drawing and… when I had time, I had tried them like calmer things which I have not done before. Going to art galleries, drawing… when I had time, I tried them out. For drawing, I just fill it with whatever I feel. As I am in a profession where various feelings are stored and then expressed, I feel that they can be showed anytime, whether on stage, via my performances, or acting and so on.” During his time in the army, when he watched television with his army mates in the barracks, he had many things that he wanted to do. “Personally, the most memorable thing was ‘Kiss&Cry’. Through that programme, I had the opportunity to try out and learn figure-skating, which was something I had never done before. I wanted to show the best of my abilities on the ice. Through such an activity, I discovered the fun in learning, and to take it further, I think that this became a weapon that is just for me.” We heard that recently, U-Know Yunho has even made a bicycle, and has learnt how to play billiards. These are not just simply activities, but also things which he is currently investing time in order to understand their fundamentals.

A Person Who Is More like A Question Mark Rather Than an Exclamation Point, U-Know Yunho
We were curious as to whether U-Know Yunho who has spent more than 10 years at the peak of the entertainment industry, with his impending return after 2 years in the army, and is stretching himself, could feel the changes that has taken place in the entertainment world which changes faster than any other area. “My inner side does not just have black and white colours, it also has red, blue, green and other various colours, so I feel like I can show them all now. Isn’t there a saying of ‘be like a fairy pitta? (t/n: like an eight-coloured bird; with many different charms)’ So I have this dream of showing the various colours in me, to everyone.” Although his earnest, exemplary army life has garnered a lot of attention, he had already been very famous for this aspect of his personality in the entertainment industry. “Actually, I also have a rough side to myself. I guess I have asked myself if I am exemplary. I think it is because my nature is as long as I focus on an area, I have to see it through until the end, that it has led to earnestness. The pleasure of being immersed when I am focused on something is big so I really hate it if it is broken. I am very fortunate that because of this, it has given me a good image. However, I have the strong tendency to want to make the people around me happy and to give them enjoyment. Besides this, rather than an exclamation point, I want to be a person that makes people question. As an artiste, I want to be someone who has something curious about him. We also asked him what the fans who had waited for him for a long time, meant to him. “I feel my fans are precious, I have grown up with them. In the 2 years that I was enlisted, there could have been some who have forgotten me, but there were also some who kept their loyalty to me. Now, some of them may be working, some may have families, or some may have become mothers. Seeing this, I want to applaud them. Perhaps it is because we have spent 15 years together, but I want to say that they are my life’s good friends and partners.” Until now, who is someone who is still able to inspire him as ever? “My father. He has personally shown me what it means to be ‘unchanging’ and ‘unwavering’. It is until the extent that it would be good if I am able to be a father to my future children like how my father was to me. In the distant future, I want to be a father that is respected. As an artiste, the person that gives me inspiration to keep trying out new things all the time is Michael Jackson. To me personally, I aim to be dancing on stage even when I am 51 years old. As I started my showbiz activities on stage, I do not want to miss out on it.” To see U-Know Yunho even in his 40s, 50s, singing and dancing is something to greatly anticipate. In that case, what is his ultimate goal? “I want to be able to become someone who can display well, what Jung Yunho’s values are. I had talked before about wanting to set up a school. It is not that it is important for me that my values get recognition from others, but rather, like lubricating oil, that it should be able to help our society work (progress) well. Even if my position in society isn’t high, as long as I work diligently in a specific field and become an expert there, I would become a person that could pass along such know-how.” As an artiste, as a public figure, U-Know Yunho has had a lot of thoughts. This is the reason why we are looking forward even more to his driven (moving) 30s and 40s and 50s, holding his own weight, rather than the colourful 20s that he has already spent.

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