Seoul, Korea
CNN
–
In the quiet corner of the Huga Cafe in Seoul, there is a warm honey-scented space that once served as a dorm for K-Pop Megaband BTS, where two young men drank Ice Alienaco and sketched out their dreams of Superstarm.
There is a table, tourists tweeting lattes and not knowing that the new record label is hoping to become the next big thing for K-Pop.
Members of newly debuted Group 1 (talked to be “universe”) are modest in attitude and are mostly reluctant to speak of themselves as more than trainees who filmed something bigger. However, their stories differ from others in K-Pop history.
They both were North Korean exiles, hoping to follow in the footsteps of K-Pop megastars such as BTS and BlackPink, which became highly trained K-Pop Dreamers and won K-Pop Global in recent years, surpassing the US Billboard charts and accumulating $1 billion in fan empires.
The 25-year-old children have made a path to talking about the resilience of individual artistry under extraordinary circumstances. As teenagers, both of them crossed the North Korean border to China and reunited with their families who fled the authoritarian regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Both exiles settled in Korea and were later discovered and recruited in 2022 by new boutique music label Singing Beetle.
This month, the first album to be officially released 1verse. The group’s debut international showcase is set for the US. This is a move seen by industry observers as both bold and sensitive. This is a new K-Pop Act, which will be launched in one of the most competitive music markets in the world.
Details of the one-verse American performance have not been revealed yet, noted the Beetle-singer representative. The group consists of five members, including AITO in Japan, Kenny in California, and Nathan in Arkansas, who reflect the global appeal of K-Pop.
“I didn’t think I would do music in Korea,” Sok began. “When I was in North Korea, I liked music. I used to write down the lyrics to songs I liked, usually about my mother, about my longings. I kept those notes.
For Hyuk, the music arrived later. He came to it through discoveries, not through childhood charm. “Back to North Korea, I didn’t even have time to listen to music. I wasn’t even in an environment that allowed that,” he said.
His path changed at a high school in Korea, where teachers noticed that he was scribbling lyrics during class. “Would you like to try rap?” he recalls the teacher asking.
Hyuk joined the school’s rap club, writing his first poems and performing at festivals. The experience changed his mind. Music has become public pursuits out of private curiosity. After that, I got a conversation with Michelle Cho, CEO of Singing Beetle. She promised to help him turn his hobby into a dream.
“I started learning in stages,” Hyuk recalled. “And I began to dream of becoming an idol,” a term given to K-Pop celebrities.
Meet North Korea’s K-Pop Stars
From an early age, aspiring Korean pop stars usually experience long and intense development periods. Trainees follow a strict daily schedule, including singing, dancing, foreign languages and “idol etiquette” lessons. They are regularly evaluated and often face competitive environments with personnel removal and reshuffling.
Both Seok and Hyuk refer to not after years of intensive choreography and voice training, but with affection, not with two and a half years of training, but with fatigue that may result in fatigue.
“I had a hard time on my own,” Sock began. “But when I shared those moments, our members and staff encouraged me, and that support is the most memorable part.”
Like most K-pop behaviour, their days are long. The morning can begin before sunrise with a voice warm-up and end with fan interaction. The rehearsals last until late in the evening.
“I used to be in sports,” Sock said. “Now I’m pursuing something completely new. I start from scratch and go through each stage. That very reality makes me happy.”
Future releases of this group include a track entitled “Shattered.” This is a moody anthem that is built in moments of vulnerability. In one climactic section, Sock sings, “Who’s going to save us now?” Two months ago, he wasn’t sure he could type a note. Now he sings it with confidence.
“That line reminded us that sometimes we all need someone else’s help,” he said. “I hope the audience can feel it.”
1 Verse’s music includes past echoes from the members. But it also captures the universality of young people: doubt, hope, love, ambition. Hyuk said that group songs are less about individual lines than collective storytelling. “Every song tells one of our stories,” he said. “Our members, our company, me, Sock. For me, the song itself is a beautiful story.”
But considering the path they brought them here, neither Seok nor Hyuk wants to be simply labelled “North Korean exiles.” The term is accurate, but they say it doesn’t cover their creative ambitions. They also do not acknowledge the emotional transformation they have experienced since their arrival in Seoul, a city just 50km (31 miles) from the north border, but are a little farther away in terms of openness and opportunity.
“I feel like I’ve been reborn after coming to Korea,” Sok said. “South South Korea and North Korea are completely different, so I can dream of new dreams here.”
Hyuk says, “Sometimes, fans ask, ‘Are you from North Korea?’ That means they really felt it made sense. ”
For both artists, the experience of striving for something bigger, whether someone comes from North Korea or their ambitions are restrained, resonates across borders. At the heart of their music is not a quest for fame or escape, but a more delicate thrill than what their old life once allowed.
“There are 30,000 North Korean exiles in South Korea,” Hyuk said. “And there are many other people (not exiles) who have yet to dream. If our stories give them courage, I think the process itself makes sense.”
Both recognize interests as they prepare for their US debut. “We’ve been practicing for a long time,” Hyuk said. “But will fans like it?” The question haunts many idol groups. However, for Seok and Hyuk, the interests are even higher.
Lee Gyu-Tag, professor of global affairs at George Mason University, a Korean researcher who studies pop music, said the challenges of the new K-Pop Act are serious.
The presence of members who are North Korean exiles “can draw attention when they first debut,” Lee offered. “However, the reality is that the current K-Pop market is heavily influenced by major institutions and the competition is extremely intense.”
“Storytelling and storytelling are important in K-Pop, and that could be a strength for this group,” Lee continued. “There is still an opportunity for small institutions to attract international fans, but with so many groups, simply having good performance or strong concepts may not be enough to succeed.”
1 Vervese’s strategy has been to cultivate a fanbase known lovingly as the group’s “Starz” since the start of training for the five members. The singer interacts with followers not only on social media platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram, but also on the Beetle app, the Singing Beetle app, which sings B.Stage. The group has so far received over 22 million likes on Tiktok and is approaching 700,000 followers on the platform.
From Seok and Hyuk’s perspective, I like each comment, and Chared Clip is closer to creating music with global artists who have shaped their tastes.
Asked to name the dream collaborator, Huke replied first. “Post Malone. I really liked his song,” he blushed at the mention. “Just thinking about it makes me very excited.”
Seok is named Charlie Puts after a moment of reflection. “He’s a great musician,” he said. “He’s a genius.”
From the world of North Korean corridors to the super competitive setting of K-Pop, the journey of both one bandmates represents something rare. Survival and stardom are not opposites, they are part of the same song.
Starting this summer, the world will hear their debut notes.
