JAEHYUN for W Korea Vol.8 - Full Interview

What Jaehyun Showed Us

by Lee Yejin, Kwon Eunkyung Original 

Prada's Ambassador, NCT JAEHYUN, who disarms everyone with a cool glowing beauty.

Following the release of NCT 127's full album, he spoke to us with a deeper look ahead to the release of his solo debut album and first feature film.

<W Korea> You had to get up early this morning. What time did you go to bed last night?

JAEHYUN: At around 3:00AM. I slept for about five hours. Compared to the average sleep time these days, that's a little less than I would usually get.

Next week, NCT 127 - <Walk> will be released. I'm watching the pre-promotion content that is uploaded on YouTube. Almost ready now?

During the day, we shoot promotional footage for team comeback, and at night, I spend my personal practice time preparing for my solo album. My solo album will be released soon. I am preparing both things at the same time, day and night.

A few days ago, you attended The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN). <You Will Die in 6 Hours> was officially invited under the ‘Korean Fantastic: Feature Film’ Category. But you were not able to participate in the GV screening with the audience? That’s the fun part of a film festival.

I was not able to attend due to my schedule. Instead, I attended the Opening Ceremony and our film team greeted the Red Carpet together.

Is it true you received the script for the work and sent the feedback almost right away?
Oh, how did you know? I don’t think I’ve shared that before.

The Director said so in a news article to the press. The movie will be released soon. The title is so impactful - ‘You Will Die in 6 Hours’!
When I read the script, I really was charmed by it. The story unfolds when a character named Jeongyoon, portrayed by Park Juhyun, is told by Junwoo that, ‘You Will Die in 6 Hours’. Junwoo’s involvement in Jeongyoon’s death was unknown until the second half of the film, so it was mysterious and suspenseful. I was very interested in Junwoo's journey with Jeongyoon. So I was attracted to the script.

After working on your first film as an actor, you immediately attended a film festival. How was your experience on the film set?

After we finished filming, I felt a kind of healing. Yes, that's how I felt. I think I'll have to take my time to think and really process this, to understand why it is I felt healed.

Healing? I thought there might have been difficulties because the story or concept of this movie was unusual. How did you spend the time on set, that it gave you feelings of healing?

Thinking about it now. Well... I worked with people who were really serious about filmmaking. For example, a moment that I still remember is the sight of the camera director. Rather than having a ground rail for the motorised moving camera, the director was filming while riding on a board contraption with wheels. I also remember when we were filming a scene while driving on the road, the director was filming in a car with the roof popped open. Compared to movies with large production costs and scale, I can say that we are smaller production; an indie movie. There was something to be learned from the passionate attitude of everyone working together to create a work of art.

While singers usually work more individually, actors have to collaborate with many people, which is a big difference.Really? I thought the two were similar after trying both. Though I'm still in the early stages of learning acting, to me dancing, singing, and acting are all connected. Photography seems connected too.

So you've found similarities rather than differences through different experiences?
I've realised two main things. From my journey as a trainee until now, improving comes down to small differences. But applying what I felt while dancing to acting, and trying what I expressed in one area in another, has helped me improve in acting bit by bit. That's why I think they're connected. For example, when filming a scene where I was using my body, the director trusted me more because I'm always already using my body through dancing. When the results turned out well, I felt that everything was connected.

It seems that dancing, singing, acting, and photography all require similar artistic expression.
Yes, the second thing I realised is that. Even as a singer, it's not just about dancing and singing but music videos, photoshoots, and stage expressions are all necessary and require acting.

When you discover and realise new things through these experiences, there's a joy in finding enjoyment even in small things, right?
Since I was young, I've always committed to things I liked and completely ignored things I didn't. Luckily, I enjoy what I'm doing now. As I do different things, I find different kinds of fun because they're all connected in some way. Even as a trainee, if singing wasn't going well, I'd switch to dancing, and if dancing wasn’t going well, I'd try something else.

There must be more subtle points of fun that you only feel while working?
I enjoy it when I try something unusual and it works out well. It's satisfying to do good with concepts I'm already familiar with and good at, but the satisfaction is even greater when I try something different and it turns out well.

What kind of unusual things might you be thinking about? Do you like things that are not standardised and have a slightly irregular charm?
Exactly! It’s similar to wit, though I’m not sure I’d call it that. It could be nice to strike a cool pose for a photo but it can also be interesting when the photo conveys a meaning to the situation the person is in. Or when something unplanned creates an interesting scene in front of the camera.

The handsome young man doesn't just dream of looking perfectly cool but also envisions different looks... People must say you have a good face for acting, right?
No, not really.

What do your parents say about your appearance?
My mom seems to look up more about me than I do myself. Sometimes she'll say, "You looked good here," or "That wasn't great." And she also says, "You look better on screen."

I'm curious about what your mom will say about your recent activities and our photoshoot. The title track of NCT 127's new album is "Walk." How well do you think old-school hip-hop suits you?
I'm not sure if hip-hop suits me, but I do listen to that genre of music. Not specifically to just hip-hop, but I listen to various music genres like R&B, pop, soul, hip-hop, etc. I enjoy trendy music, but I also love older music alot.

How old are we talking about?
The 1970s? I also listen to music from the 80s to the 2000s. I even occasionally listen to songs by Yoo Jae-ha. I collect LPs because it’s fun to discover old music.

I suppose your tastes naturally reflect in your solo album. Thinking about the songs you previewed at the Seoul Jazz Festival or your solo releases from the past two years, it seems you're drawn to easy listening genres. Your lyrics also have a melodic quality.
For "Forever Only," I only participated in writing the lyrics, trying to tell my story. For "Horizon," I got involved in both writing and composing to infuse more of my personal colour. I always think I need to work on my own music to truly express myself.

So, the music I usually listen to, the music I was particularly into at the time of working, and the videos I often watch all influence my own music. My album will mix older and newer works, reflecting all my tastes and expressing who I am. Since it's my first solo album, I hope it showcases the diverse colours that only I can express.

You must have looked deeper into yourself while working on your solo album. What do you like most about yourself? It might be awkward to say it out loud.
Oh, I'm not embarrassed. I do have things I like about myself. I think I'm good at perceiving when to be mature and when to be childlike. It’s not like I consciously decide how to act, but it happens naturally. I hear from my members that I can be very childlike at times and dependable at others. It's nice to hear and understand such different comments.

The new NCT 127 album is about reflecting on your journey and pushing to move forward. Looking back on the past eight years, what significant lessons have you learned?
That it's best to do your best at each moment. Around the time we released our second or third album, I reflected a lot, thinking, "I should have done better during training," or "I should have prepared more." But I have no regrets so far. Both the members and I have always given our best at the time during all our team activities.

I usually ask this question to people who work in groups: what do you think is the most important factor for a group to last long?
It would be interesting to hear what others say. In my opinion, the most important thing is getting along well. Whether it's musical preferences, favourite concepts and tastes, or even the musical exchange when performing as singers, it's important to match well. Aside from the professional aspect,just getting along well as people is also important.

Do you have all your members' contacts saved on your phone?
Of course. And I'm not just talking about our team; I mean it in general. I believe experiencing ups and downs together as a team is also important. Going through career highs and lows together naturally helps a team last long.

You mean a team should share both ups and downs together, not just fight individual battles or act on personal terms?
It's okay to fight individual battles and have individualistic tendencies, but I think it's important to also go through good and bad times as a team. The more you experience them together, the more solid the team will become.

Any interesting attempts you want to make someday, even if they’re purely imaginative?
NASA comes to mind right away. I don't know exactly what we could do with NASA, but it would be fun to explore ways to collaborate while learning from them. On a more realistic note... I'd like to do a dinner show when I'm older.

NCT's JAEHYUN and a dinner show? Wow. I'm already starting to imagine it.
A dinner show. If my passion remains until then (laughs).