K-Pop Boy Group 1verse makes history in the sector after making its global debut with two North Korean deserters among its members.
The group performed a live streaming showcase at midnight on July 18, marking the first time that the original artists of North Korea were trained for celebrity in the global K-pop industry of South Korea.
1verse, pronounced “universe”, consists of members Yu Hyuk and Kim Seok, both North Korean deserters, together with Nathan of Arkansas, Kenny of Los Angeles and Aito from Japan. The group debuted with their first EP, The first verse, Under the label based in Seoul Singing Beetle, with three tracks, including the “Shattered” debut single.
Yu Hyuk, 25 years old, originally from Northern County -eastern North Korea of Kyongsong, has lived in South Korea since 2013 after having fled the age of 13. His childhood was marked by extreme poverty, starting the work at the age of nine and sometimes resorting to theft to survive.
“After being surprised to steal, I was beaten hard until I was bleeding. I was really hungry and instinctively, I was thinking about survival,” said Hyuk to the journalists of the group’s Soul study.
Kim Seok, also 25 years old, deserted from North Korea in 2019 and grew up in a border city near China. Unlike Hyuk Hyuk backgroundSeok came from a relatively better family and was exposed to K-Pop music through a diploma of USB units and SD cards. Initially he was a footballer before pursuing the music after having arrived in South Korea.
The group is produced by Michelle Cho, founder and CEO of Singing Beetle, who had previously worked in the A&R International Department of SM Entertainment. Cho, a Harvard graduate who was appointed Asia-Pacific leader by Obama Foundation, contributed to projects that collectively sold over 8 million albums.
The name “1verse” symbolizes as various “verses” or stories come together to form a “unified” universe, reflecting the different contexts of the members.
“It can be more lonely as verse, but together we can form a song,” explained the member Kenny during the group’s press conference.
While 1verse represents a file revolutionary Moment for the North Korean deserters in K-Pop, I am not the first group to include these members. Be Boys, a group of six -members boys, made his debut at the beginning of this year with the North Korean deserter Hakseong, who fled in 2017 at the age of 13.
However, 1Verse is the first group to present two North Korean deserters as members.
The debut comes at a time when North Korea has intensified control over the life of its citizens from the Covid-19 pandemic, with continuous reports of executions, forced work and hunger. Despite these challenges, both Hyuk and Seok have found success in their new lives while keeping hope for the future.
The group has already created a global following of almost one million through social media platforms before their official debut, with a particularly strong commitment in fans in the United States, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines and United Kingdom.
