#rkwelcome

• • •   Hello, I am Kim Yoohyeon. (`she is obviously comfortable in front of the camera as result of having run not only one, but two youtube channels for some time already. after concluding her identity she bob her head towards the camera with an endearing smile resting on peach glossed lips.) I graduated from Hanlim Multi Arts this spring, but am still working hard. (`she doesn’t mention what she is working on, it’s a mouthful to voice.) Please look at me kindly, and favourably as I do my best.

• • •   Ah, my ambitions? (`she breathes out a soundless chuckle, lips curling at the corners to provide a bigger smile. should yoohyeon be honest, she thinks this bit is a little embarrassing– her cheeks flush in a soft pink before she eventually speak up, because she isn’t prone to bring her own talents to the table. truthfully, yoohyeon doesn’t like to brag.) I really love to sing, but what I love even more is to help others. I would hope that I can combine those together, and provide joy and happiness to others with my voice.

• • •   hyunjin is more than used to being in front of the cameras, after all, she takes her time to film and edit youtube videos where her face is on full display… though an interview is a little bit different. you need to be serious and careful with what you say and mention, the girl has learned that sharing too much information isn’t something one should do. “hello, i’m hyunjin! i play the violin and make youtube videos on my free time”, she says, a bright smile on her lips as she tries to focus on the cameras and not seem nervous.

• • •   “ambitions?” hyunjin repeats, finger tapping on her chin as she thinks about what she might want to do in the future. well, there are endless possibilities and hyunjin is known for always changing what she wants to do… even though she likes to believe she’s way over that phase of her life. “maybe take part in a orchestra? i’ve seen my uncle play the piano and perform ever since i was young and.. i want to be like him”

• • •   she giggles a bit too much, just too much that she needs to regain her composure all over again only to giggle a tad bit more. hands waving to the camera, beaming a smile to it as the following action. “what’s up, everyone. i’m yerin, i’m twenty one and i don’t know how to read,” there are laughter on the background. “i’m just kidding, i can read and do stuff like cartwheel and other things. i like singing and writing as well. it’s nice to meet you!”

• • •   she hums even for a short brief before she bursts into laughter and kick whoever disturbing her during her recording. “my aspiration? being influential sounds pretentious but i do want to be influential like bob ross. to be remembered is fun, you will have a lot of people remember you as someone who do something is great.”

• • •   this was easy - i mean, it was his [job] to be charming. how was this much different? so when he’s prompted to speak, he looks straight in the camera, evoking confidence as he waves to the camera. “hello there, i’m ko shinwon - let’s get to know each other better?” the way he says the phrase implies he has no nerves, but still…there’s a tinge of uncertainty. eyes a little heavy, knees a little wobbly, ko shinwon is the [epitome] of a man who’s bark is louder than his bite. but if he wanted to get anywhere, he’d have to be the person he wished he could be. shinwon, the shameless casanova. so straightening his shoulders, he shakes the thoughts off and recites the [fifteenth] take of the same cheesy intro. “i’m a waiter, living in seoul and on the path to making my true dreams come true. i’m kind of….living the life!” if only it was that easy, ko shinwon. if only.

• • •   what were they asking here…? he really didn’t know. long-term? short-term? career-oriented? personal? the realist in him is inclined to say “be anything but in the situation i’m in”, but he’s not quite sure that’s the answer they’re looking for. instead, he conjures up an answer he thinks they [want] to hear, and clasps his hands together as it comes to him. “i want to be a game changer. a lot of people have come and said they want to be famous, right? but that’’s too easy - i’m better than that.” really, fame was such a faraway goal he’d be lucky if he ever came [close], but the cocky version of him that shows up on screen forgets about all that. “think of all the greats - michael jackson, madonna, prince. did any of those people sound like something you’d heard before?” the question must be rhetorical, because he’s already implied an answer within a few seconds. “exactly - they got big because they got [different]. when i make it on the radio? you’re not gonna think i sound like anyone you’ve heard before - no, you’ll hear me and say…[that’s] ko shinwon right there.”

• • •   the view in the camera flickers in and out of focus as a tall young man with a warm look in his eyes comes into view. upon noticing the red light burning into him, he promptly switches into a dramatic, over-exaggerated pose, copying the well-known hamlet scene. “to be or not to be?”, his voice is loud and perhaps a hint too joyful to fit the said scene, “well, i dunno, but i definitely will be!” his dramatic expression turns into a wide smile plastered across his face, as he turns to the camera once more and bows enthusiastically. “what’s up! my name is jung yunho. i’m 20 years old, a scorpio, blood type o and i enjoy long walks on the beach—” his voice trails off, replaced with a deep-toned chuckle. “aha, well. i do, but i also enjoy acting. i’m a theater major, but i would really enjoy dipping my toes in the music business as well. don’t worry, they’re pretty clean right now!” he laughs, loud and clear now as he bounces on his feet. he seems comfortable in front of the camera, maybe even too much so. still, he’s ecstatic. “i think it’s pretty clear i’m made to entertain people. maybe i’ll become a clown if this doesn’t work out! anyway, thanks for having interest in me”, he points to the camera with a mischievous look in his eyes, “and i hope you’re ready for me.”

• • •   “you’re really gonna ask a question like this after an introduction like that?” yunho’s eyes widen, but his expression doesn’t shy away from a smile too long. “ah, no one is going to take me seriously now, but i guess that fits my character.” his big palm comes up to his chin, covering almost half of his face as he knits his eyebrows together. “honestly? i just— wanna bring joy to people. i wanna be that kind of person that people will search up on their miserable days and smile at”, there is a kind of burning in his eyes as he nods his head, “well- to laugh at. that’s more probable. it’s jung yunho after all!” he flings his hands up and strikes a victory pose with both of them. “i don’t care about success that much, honestly. i care about the people and the journey. and, well, the money, that is definitely important”, he nods his head once again, humming, before he chuckles. his last sentence comes out a lot quieter than the rest: “just kidding! …at least partly.”

• • •  (‘the blinking red light of the video camera watching his every move makes jihoon’s ego thrive. there’s no anxiety attack to prevent him from being himself, no churning feeling in his gut to fluster his words. it’s just him and his mind, a calm that in any other circumstances would be grounds to worry) “Hey, I’m Jihoon and I’m from Daegu. I’m a 22 year old student currently majoring in broadcasting at K-arts. (‘the stool he is perched upon is quite tall, long enough for his feet to not reach the floor entirely, option he abandons in favor of swinging his feet lightly in an onwards-backwards movement) “I have a lot of hobbies but what I like best is playing the drums and going to the gym. These bad boys can’t grow on their own you know. “ (‘he puts his bicep on display, face adorned by a cocky green before his entire face lights up with a good natured laugh) “I’m only kidding I swear, I have a lot more to work on but I’m getting there slowly but surely.”

• • •  “Aspiration huh?” (‘his eyes travel from the floor to the person behind the camera, from his hands to his still swinging legs, motion he has gotten used to making in an entirely too short amount of time if he can be honest) “I haven’t thought about it much, not really you know. I’m taking life one day at a time. For now I’d like to graduate college, get my nagging grandma off my back, maybe get a job at a good company so she can brag about it.” (‘his laugh is lighthearted but there is a strain behind it, something he does his best to hide from prying eyes)

• • •  {’ he’s used to cameras, though usually he’s only standing in front of his own phone camera - a proper, fancy camera’s a little bit more intimidating } hi! my name’s eric sohn, i’m 19, was born in sunny los angeles, and i’m a composition student at k-arts. i also work at starbucks, 7 eleven and as a pizza delivery guy, so you could say i’m kinda busy. {’ he pauses to laugh at his very obvious understatement } in my free time, which i very obviously have tons of, i make tiktok videos- it’s a… social media thing. i like dancing- well, sports in general, and the arts {’ he makes fluttery jazz-hand-like hand movements around ‘the arts’, then chuckles } i like music and drama and art; creative stuff. 

• • •  y’know, i never really knew what i wanted to do growing up - i enjoy so many things {’ he tilts his head, as if thinking deeply, a small frown tugging at his brow } but nowadays i think i’d like to be a producer. i think i’m good at making music, but really it’s a bit of a far fetched dream. honestly i’d just like a good paying job, just one, not three. i’d like a job that pays well enough that i can afford to have kids one day, i think. that’d be nice.

• • •  the boy bows down, exactly ninety degrees, “im son hyeongjun, and im the cute little boy from ur dreams” he puts a finger on his cheek. he stands in position for a second and then falls down, covers his face, oh how embarrassing. “i-im seventeen years old yeah, ill be turning eighteen in november!!” he smiles cutely “i think that’s what there is to know about me!!!”

• • •  the cute little boy scratches his head, he feels surprisingly awkward in front of the camera. “i uhm… my aspiration? like my dreams? yeah ill… ill explain about those” the boy takes a deep breath and then begins “i just want to be an idol, to be someone that makes other people happy, it’s as simple as that yeah”

• • •  “hello! han dong here! or lia, as long as you remember one.” the girl smiles coquettishly towards the camera, makeup applied with expert hand and clothing neutral, as if she were interviewing for a business position instead of an entertainment company. “if you’re watching this, you should sign me! a girl never tells all on the first filming opportunity.” with a playful wink, she concludes.

• • •  “i have big goals for myself,” she starts with a grin, “i moved here with hopes to become a kpop idol. since there’s so many chinese idols in groups nowadays, and i’m, well i’m me,” she laughs, “i’d say i have a pretty good chance.”

• • •  Bogum had always been a man of few words when it came to talking about himself. He’s always had an unspoken rule to  maintain a certain level of mystery about his background, fan loved that, and he wasn’t about to break that now. “Hello, my name is Park Bogum, i’m twenty four years old and I’m currently working as a fitting model and musical actor at Vice Management. you may have seen me in a few magazines here and there  or on a local stage near you, but i don’t like making a big deal about where I’ve been. It’s all about where i’m going, and i plan to head straight to the top of the entertainment industry.”

• • •  “I want it all. That’s my aspirations, to have it all. Fame, recognition, money, I want it. I’ve always know that I was meant for great things, and this is just my stepping stone to that. One day I want to be an Hollywood actor on the big screen, and being an idol is just a step along the way.“ 

• • •   maybe he’s a little too excited to talk to the camera. it didn’t help that just before he recorded this video, he had the brown sugar milk black tea from gong cha at 100% sweetness. so he was basically close to getting a sugar rush. regardless, he puts on his best “i’m being recorded” aura as his friend stands behind the camera and records. “hello! my name is kim taehyung. i’m twenty one years old, born in vietnam, and a capricorn sun, taurus moon, pisces rising. it’s very nice to meet you!” he bows his head to the camera before flashing his usual box smile. “let’s get along!”

• • •   “what’s my goal?” he repeats the question. he hums as he thinks about it carefully. “well, i’m gonna graduate from k-arts next year, so i want to be able to survive this year. that’s for sure!” he giggles. “i also want to make my mom proud. she’s basically been my hero since i was born. i’m an actor, but i’m also super into rapping. so i hope i can be able to release my own stuff one day because i really want people to see how super cool and talented i am.” he tries to think more about what he would want to achieve in the future. “oh! i also hope to be more handsome than i was yesterday today and be more handsome tomorrow than i am today.” he’s always got a unique way of speaking, but it’s still enough to make his friend facepalm at the introduction.

• • •  Her words are curt yet polite, though there is clear hesitance conveyed by her body language. “Kim Seola.. Again,” She smiles apologetically, “I am twenty-one and currently pursuing an entrepreneurial path, but…” Seola pauses, a hand raising to her chin to think over her next words carefully, “I still want to be an idol.”

• • •  She laughs, sighing only moments after. “I think the more I ask myself this question, the more I don’t know.” Seola admits, “I guess just to be comfortable in my stage of growth and the path that my life takes. That’s probably hard enough to accomplish, right?”