[오마이라이프] Night walk, jogging, volleyball, badminton… SEVENTEEN’s ‘Seungkwan’ off-stage hobbies

When the K-pop lecture conducted with the V app became a hot topic, he was called ‘associate professor’, and the nickname ‘associate care’ was added while passing on skin and health care know-how.

The cosmetics and nutritional supplements he recommended are also called ‘supplemental management products’ and their sales have skyrocketed. He was referred to as a ‘entertainment dream tree’ for his excellent sense of entertainment, and was given the title of ‘tangerine spoon’ by handing out tangerines sent from his home in Jeju to reporters. There are other nicknames that are difficult to list, such as ‘Mistabu’, ‘Putamine (boo + vitamin)’, etc.

There are idols who are called by their real names more often than by these many nicknames or by their official names. This is Seungkwan, the main vocalist of the popular group Seventeen. Fans often refer to him by his real name, ‘Bu Seung-gwan’, because he has a distinct and distinct color that is difficult to contain even with dozens of unique nicknames. Hearing the savage tone that conveys a solid lifestyle to the fans, it is often ‘sucked in’ by itself.

We take a look into the wild life of Seungkwan, a ‘rich of interest’ who is filled with passion for his main job, his side job, and his hobbies.

Seungkwan says that he relieved the stress he had accumulated during his activities with various hobbies. These days, I am obsessed with badminton. photo| Provided by Pledis Entertainment

“When I was in school, I always played soccer during lunch and joked around a lot during my breaks, so I was often scolded by my teachers. But since I was little, I think I was pretty ambitious about what I liked and was interested in.”

Although he is famous as a witty wit on variety shows and recently as a ‘beauty evangelist’, Seungkwan’s main job is Seventeen’s main vocalist. He is also a well-known singer in singing programs. Ever since I was in the lower grades of elementary school, I loved singing so much that I did not miss out on children’s song contests. A school teacher filmed him singing and uploaded it to the internet, and he was cast by an agency official who saw the video and became a trainee at the current agency.

K-pop idols are a profession that cannot avoid stress as it requires intense practice, self-management, and moderation in personal life. Seungkwan’s hobbies, which became a hot topic, were a breakthrough to relieve such stress.

“I think I’m looking for other hobbies or activities that allow me to cope with stress while being active. When the schedule is over, I go for a walk or jog alone at night, and sometimes I eat and chat with the members or friends. These days, crossing Seongsu Bridge and looking at the scenery is my own healing.”

If you are an idol, you can easily get over your daily exercise just by practicing dancing, but you do not miss out on regular exercise. These days, I am obsessed with badminton and volleyball.

“I am obsessed with badminton and play hard. I was learning volleyball in full swing, but after the album promotions, I can’t go because I don’t have time, but I want to go to learn quickly.”

At the Tokyo Olympics, the women’s volleyball team advanced to the quarterfinals and impressed the whole nation. This summer, Seungkwan’s social networking service (SNS) was also filled with ‘volleyball’. Seungkwan also became a hot topic as an idol who knew the fun of volleyball for women. Known as a long-time fan of the women’s professional volleyball team (KGC Ginseng Corporation), there have been several times when he was caught on TV broadcasting cameras while cheering hard in the audience. In 2017, he also gave the first pitch for the KGC Ginseng Corporation Gyeonggi.

“I think volleyball is a great sport. There is no body fight, but the thrill is huge. It’s a sport where breathing with team members is important, so the dedication to saving the ball seems to be great. When professional volleyball starts, I want to be a special commentator. I am confident that I will work hard! As a 16-year-old volleyball fan, I am very happy and happy that the sport of volleyball will be loved more and more starting from this Olympics.”

Seungkwan says, ‘I want to be a person who helps others even a little bit.’ photo| Provided by Pledis Entertainment

How is he taking care of his skin in a summer like these days when he sweats a lot and feels hot? Seungkwan said that he is washing his face more carefully. He added that putting the mask pack in the freezer for about 5 minutes helps to lower the skin heat. A video of him sharing cosmetic information became a big topic to the extent that ‘moisture cream’ is automatically completed when you hit the vice-gwan on the portal site. His recommended product, which has become a synonym for ‘management’, is building credibility with ‘out-of-stock items’.

“I just introduced the products I usually use, but I didn’t expect to see so many. I was really surprised when the company told me that 20,000 more moisturizing creams were sold because of me. Please contact us a lot in the future for advertisement sourcing… I love you (laughs).”

‘Benefits management system’ encompasses not only skin but also internal health. He said that he began to be interested in the efficacy of various nutritional supplements to keep his health amid his busy schedule.

“I was tired even though I slept a lot while traveling abroad, so I thought, ‘How can I take care of my body?’ I found a nutritional supplement. I read the blog of a certain nutritional supplement ‘artisan’ and was shocked that ‘nutritive supplements have so many different effects’, so I’ve been eating hard since then. There was a time when skin care suddenly got bad, but I think I was interested in the idea that what I eat and sleep have a lot to do with my skin.”

Seungkwan also revealed his diary and confirmed his habit of writing a diary. He organizes a busy day with a diary.

“Sometimes it is very emotional and sometimes it is written formally. When you look at the diary, the font is different every day, so it is fun to look at it, and it’s amazing to see the passage of time when you look at the diary you wrote down and say, ‘Time has passed like this already’.”

As K-pop exerts its global influence, more and more overseas fans say, “I became more faithful to my life by watching K-pop stars.” K-pop stars, who have passed the fierce competition system and are notable for their tremendous self-development, have now established themselves as influencers beyond entertainers. Naturally, even the human charm outside the stage and the sincerity of life became an effective selling point for K-Pop. In that sense, Seungkwan is a K-pop star model of a new era. The reason for communicating through various channels stems from the belief that “good things and fun things should be shared”. He says that the direction of life is to be a person who helps others even a little.

“I think about relationships when I am with people and when I am alone. I want to be someone who can help even a little bit, and I want to be the kind of person that I want to find when I am having a hard time.”