In a video uploaded on January 13 to the YouTube channel TEOtitled “A good guy supported by SM and The Black Label”, Im Si-wan spoke openly about his solo album journey and his current life. He also reflected on the most difficult period during his idol years with ZE:A.
“When I see the members, I feel like I’ve gone back in time,” he shared. “We often talk about dorm days. It was intense.”
He revealed that in the beginning, even before the debut, ten trainees were crammed into a single room, sleeping so tightly that they had no choice but to climb over others to get in or out. “It was like Tetris,” He Yes-on the one hand. “If someone came home late, they would accidentally trample on others, and those who were trampled would simply whisper, ‘It’s OK, go back to sleep.’ We were all trying to survive together.
Describing the size of the dormitory, he added, “If you divided the current filming space in half and made it rectangular, that was the size. Just enough to lie down in, almost like it was standing room only.” He said they lived in those conditions for about a year before filming any reality show, leaving the host and viewers stunned.
Im Si-wan also talked about the emotional cost of idol life after debut. “The hardest moment for me was immediately after my debut” he admitted. “After finishing filming at dawn and thinking I could finally rest, I would hear another member’s alarm clock for the next program. That’s when I knew I had to go again too. That moment brought me the deepest sense of desperation.”
Debuting with ZE:A in July 2010, Im Si-wan has since built a solid career as an actor. On December 5, 2025, he made his solo debut with his first mini-album “The reason.” He is also gearing up for his return to the small screen in tvN’s upcoming drama “Why don’t you know it’s a girl?”
Sources: Daum
