[TRANS] 161223 Suho's Interview for Star1 Magazine January Issue

Between Suho and Kim Junmyeon

In the showbiz where countless idols flow out on a daily  basis, EXO is still firm on their way to the top for a 5^th year. Following EXO’s 3^rd full album ‘EX’ACT’ which was released last June, their repackage album in August ‘LOTTO’ topped several domestic and overseas charts, and they conquered year-end music awards with 4-year-consecutive daesangs. In particular, their 3^rd album, repackage included, recorded 1 million 100 thousand in sales, earning them the “triple million seller” title, the word alone proving the strong game from a totally different class of the best singer out there. In the center of all that, there’s Suho the leader, leading the team with integrity. We met Suho, who proved his potential as actor Kim Junmyeon with the movie <Glory Day> while spending a year with more passion than ever, tomorrow promising even more than today.

You were at the height of your overseas tour, how did it feel to meet overseas fans after a long time?

The Japan tour ended with the Osaka Kyocera Dome concert on December 11^th. Now that it has ended, I feel half relieved, half sad. I felt like holding a concert in Korea too in the near future.

You released the winter special album ‘For Life’. It’s your 3^rd special album, how is it different from ‘Miracle in December’, ‘Sing for you’?

‘For Life’ the song has a similar feel as ‘Sing for you’. While ‘Sing for you’ was a lyrical song with a bit of a passive feel to it, this song has a little more aggressive feel. It’s also a song that feels more of a more aggressive man.

You set a new grand record of winning daesang for 4 years consecutively at <2016 Melon Music Awards> and <2016 MAMA>. It wasn’t unexpected that you won, still it was indeed a splendid feat that wasn’t easy  at all to achieve. Did you predict that you would win, and are you expecting to win daesang for a 5^th year too?

To win a grand award for 4 years consecutively is a great surprise and something to be thankful for. Our members were taken aback, so much that we thought “Do we deserve this award?”. Our only determination is that we want to work hard to showcase better music and performance to befit the title. It’s still early to look forward to winning for a 5^th year. I think in 2017 we need to work hard, show a better side of us, meet fans more frequently, only then can we start anticipating something at award ceremonies.

You said at <2016 Melon Music Awards> that “I don’t know why my tears threatened to fall during Sechskies’ stage, but I think I learned a lot”. Do you know now why you felt like crying at the time?

I felt like crying from a combination of complex emotions. Many fans these days use lightsticks to cheer for their singers. As far as I know, back in the days when Sechskies was active, the cheering tool was balloons. That day, what the fans in the audience were holding wasn’t yellow balloons, but lightsticks. Once again, I could feel how the seniors were receiving such great love, and how they and their fans treasured and loved each other. As I watched the seniors harmonize with their fans, I thought “I hope EXO can also grow up to be that cool”. I was given the courage that if we work hard, we will be able to stand on stage in such a cool position. Thanks to the seniors who established a good precedent, I felt thankful, among a lot of other things, and learned a lot too.

It leaves a deep impression in me how you always bow 90 degree whenever you receive a No.1 or daesang trophy.

It’s how I express how thankful I was. Also, the award presenters were all senior to EXO. I have never awarded any of our juniors (laugh).

Someone said that the path EXO is going is a record of the highest, the shortest, the longest, the  most. Is there any burden having to meet the public’s expectation, and release next works that surpass previous ones?

It’s really nice that people anticipate our next works, but on one hand the burden is huge. I think the burden that we have to showcase something a bit more different, be it the music or the stage, is huge. It feels like we will hear people say ‘So they just repeat themselves’ if we do something exactly the same as our previous works. Then if we do something a bit different, it’s also possible that people might say ‘So they’re now trying something different because what they did got weak responses’. No matter what we do, we can’t satisfy everyone. It’s a burdensome and difficult process having to find a balance to showcase a good stage.

What is the driving force that holds Suho up and going?

It’s the trips that I leave on, trying to find freedom as Kim Junmyeon the human being. Among 365 days of a year, I live as EXO’s Suho, or actor Kim Junmyeon for about 330 days. The rest of the time, I try to live as ordinarily, in a way that matches my current age, as possible. I like travelling, not the luxurious but the backpacking type. I do everything myself, like accommodation booking etc.. When I'm there, I try to enjoy my freedom to the fullest.

Member Chanyeol said in an interview that you are a ‘leader that is older than myself but not authoritative’. Is there any sense of responsibility or pressure being EXO’s leader?

Actually I don’t know how the members think (laugh). Above all, I want to be a genuine leader, a genuine person to the members. When I talk about EXO as a leader, I hope they also respect me, and I, too, make efforts to respect the members. I really love EXO. I think the pressure of being the leader is there, but so far I still don’t know how to overcome it.

The name ‘Suho’ sounds like a thorough and exemplary person. Is your real self close to that image?

I’m the serious and thoughtful type. I can’t be bright all the time, but I want to be a cheerful person. I also want to make people feel at ease. The urge to give people next to me comfort is strong. I make efforts to amuse people even as it ruins myself.   

You are the owner of the nickname ‘EX-jel-ut (the funniest in EXO)’.

I want to become a singer and actor that feels real/human, so whenever I hear that nickname, I’m really happy because it feels like I’ve succeeded. I will work hard in the future too in order to make many people feel easy.

Next year will be the 6^th year after your debut. Do you feel that you’ve come the right path to the goal you set as a trainee? Also, have you ever regretted debuting as EXO?

It’s quite close to what I had dreamed of as a trainee, but I still have a long way to go. There’s absolutely no regret regarding becoming EXO’s member, EXO’s leader. Without doubt, I feel great, happy, and enjoy myself. Fans always tell me ‘Thank you for being EXO’, ‘Thank you for being EXO’s leader’, which makes me really happy. If I were to be born again, I would still want to be EXO. This time round, let’s make it that Sehun is the leader (laugh). Sehun once said that he wanted to become the leader. If we were to be reborn, I would like to try switching.

This year was a year that you had your real name ‘Kim Junmyeon’ widely known just as much as Suho. You made an official debut as an actor via <Glory Day>. Was it a satisfying debut performance?

Manager-hyung told me ‘The moment an actor feels satisfied, it’s the end of him’ (laugh). I feel the same too. All of my acting seniors, either, never feel satisfied with their own acting. But when I look at only <Glory Day> the movie itself, I think it was such a miraculous fortune that I got to meet such a piece. The director, the actors, the story, they were all satisfying. I wonder if I will ever find another piece that meaningful.

How was your 2016? Also, how do you want to fill your 2017 as EXO Suho and actor Kim Junmyeon?

It was a year of no regret. There is, however, a pity that ‘It would’ve been greater if I had had time to look back upon myself’. In the new year, I want to take a better look at myself, and try to have some alone time too. I want to have two one-week vacations per year, so I can go travel. I want to be even more active than our debut days. If the time fits, I want to act in a good movie. It doesn’t have to be a big role,  but I want to try acting alongside great seniors.

What is EXO-L to Suho?

What I say all the time is ‘We are one’, indeed EXO and our fans are one. The awards are not for EXO, but for the fans. Just like how fans feel proud of us whenever we receive an award, we feel proud of them just the same.

(Credit: @LittleAriel13)

Shared and Compiled by Fika @ EXOdicted.net

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