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adamwatchesmovies · 2 months

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The Host (2006)

You’d think hilarious and horrifying would be far apart, but under the steady hand of director Bong Joon-ho, you’re never sure whether you should be laughing or trembling in fear. The Host is a unique monster movie with great re-watch value due to its sharp satirical themes, well-developed characters, numerous surprises and unexpected scares.

In 2006, slow-witted Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) runs a snack bar near the river with his father, Hee-bong (Byun Hee-bong). Suddenly, his daughter Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung) is attacked and kidnapped by a large tadpole-like creature. While attempting to rescue her, Gang-du is sprayed with the monster’s blood, which government agents suspect contains a deadly, unknown virus. As Gang-du’s underachieving brother, Nam-il (Park Hae-il) and national medalist archer sister Nam-joo (Bae Doona) join the search for the missing girl, the government begins panicking.

What makes this film so funny is that nearly every character is a complete idiot. Gang-du is an ambulant disaster. He's always saying the wrong thing, always making the worst mistake you could make, always the last one to catch on. Even his father knows the man’s a half-dozen parts short of a set, and this is best demonstrated in a scene in which he tries to explain that Gang-du showed so much promise as a child. The story he tells is such a “what does that even mean?” kind of tale it would be heartbreaking if it weren’t so awful. It also shows the apple might not fall so far from the tree. Gang-du's siblings fare a little better but they also have a knack for screwing things up and when there’s a great big mutated tadpole gobbling people up, you can’t afford to make the kind of mistakes they make.

What makes this film so scary isn't only the monster; it's that nearly every government agent or authority figure is an idiot. It’s hard to tell if the constant failure to track down the monster, misunderstanding of the situation, inability to contain the Park family and knack for making things worse is done on purpose or not. Considering it would take a lot of people to work in perfect unison to orchestrate this thing, you lean towards overwhelming idiocy on everyone’s part. If Gang-du is exploring the river shore while infected with a deadly disease, they’re putting everyone at risk by doing such a poor job containing him. If he isn’t infected, then they’re wasting time and resources chasing a non-threat while a real-live monster is on the prowl. If this creature was as tall as a skyscraper and crushing bridges under its feet they would be able to get their ducks in a row right away but because it's only eating people one at a time, they can’t get anything done.

Beneath all the comedy and horrifying incompetence, there’s a lot of great material to chew on. Bong Joon-ho (who co-writes with Ha Won-jun and Baek Chul-hyun) has something to say about uncaring governments (both domestic and foreign), ineffective youth protesters, the repercussions and cause of pollution, family and social structure. That’s fun if you want to dig deep but you don’t have to. The family dynamics and main story are plenty on their own. The satirical material and terrific screenplay make up for the low budget and then some. It isn’t so much that you’d watch this movie again and realize “oh! when they said this, THAT’S what they meant!” it’s that you’ll be looking for clues to figure out if this thing that was said was meant to be sinister, or if it was just another brick to the head in this tornado of I.Q.-dropping head injuries. The line is so thin it’s nearly impossible to tell where the malice begins and the incompetence ends.

From fart jokes to tense scenes of danger, heartbreaking betrayals to well-established quirks coming in to save the day, The Host is so many things it’s hard to categorize it as belonging to any single genre. Or maybe that’s because I’ve only seen it once. I’ll let you know if I figure out where it belongs the next time I see it - and there will be a next time. (Original Korean version with English Subtitles, On DVD, October 24, 2021)

#The Host #Bong Joon-ho #Ha Joon-ho #Baek Chul-hyun #Song Kang-ho #Byun Hee-bong #Park Hae-il #Bae Doona #Go Ah-sung #2006 movies #2006 films #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews

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exoluxionlove · 11 months

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[INFO] EXO Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin file lawsuit to terminate exclusive contract with SM.

Rough translation via Papago:

"◆ The full text of the group EXO's members Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen (Byun Baekhyun, Kim Minseok, and Kim Jongdae)'s notice of termination of the exclusive contract against SM Entertainment.

━

This is Lee Jae-hak, a lawyer for Lin, a law firm that acted as legal representatives for Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen (Byun Baek-hyun, Kim Min-seok, Kim Jong-dae, hereinafter referred to as "artists"). In the following, the legal representative would like to share the artist's position on the exclusive contract between the artists and SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "SM"). Artists have previously sent content certificates to SM seven times from March 21 to recently through our legal representative, and through this, we have repeatedly requested transparent settlement data and copies of settlement grounds.

It is the artist's minimum right to request an accurate and transparent basis for settlement of accounts that have been unclear, and SM is also an obligation to comply with the exclusive contract and the Pop Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. However, SM maintained its unfair position that it could not provide a copy of the data.

At the same time, SM has repeatedly committed extremely unfair tyranny, claiming a long contract period of at least 17 or 18 years by signing a long-term contract with artists for more than 12 to 13 years and then having them sign a follow-up exclusive contract again.

Artists feel that SM is forcing artists to sign so-called slave contracts based on their superior status for more than 20 years, including a considerable amount of training.

I would like to convey the various injustices that artists have not been able to tell you through the position below.

<1> Artists' position on activities so far and SM's refusal to provide settlement data

1. Artists have previously signed a long-term exclusive contract with SM for more than 12 to 13 years and have been working diligently as members of EXO.

2. During the long-term exclusive contract period as above, artists have only trusted SM's explanation of the settlement amount that is settled every time, and have received the settlement amount by looking at the data unilaterally prepared by SM without specific and objective evidence. In response, artists have recently formally requested copies of settlement data and settlement grounds several times through their agents, but SM replied that they cannot provide copies of the data.

3. SM is obligated to provide artists with settlement data and settlement grounds, including total income details, expenses subject to deduction, and amount subject to deduction, under the existing exclusive contract, under the Pop Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. In addition, the settlement cycle under the above exclusive contract arrives twice a year, so the above settlement data and settlement basis must also be provided twice a year. However, during the exclusive contract period of 12 or 13 years, SM has not properly provided such settlement data and settlement grounds to artists.

4. According to the precedent, the exclusive contract is based on a high degree of trust. If the agency fails to fulfill its obligation to provide settlement data, the celebrity will not be properly guaranteed the right to review and dispute the profit settlement. In addition, despite several requests through an agent's lawyer, SM has already failed to comply with the obligation to provide data, resulting in a reason for termination of the existing exclusive contract.

5. Despite the artists' earnest request to provide a copy of the settlement data by May 31st through several proofs of contents, SM was forced to notify SM that the existing exclusive contract would be terminated on June 1st.

6. If SM paid the artist the settlement money accurately, there would be no reason not to provide the settlement data and settlement basis. SM's failure to provide these settlement data and settlement grounds is a strong proof that SM did not pay the artists properly, and the artists will take all civil and criminal legal actions against SM, including filing a settlement claim.

7. Also, if you haven't provided settlement data and settlement basis to other SM artists, as in the case of artists (Baekhyun, Xiumin, Chen), this may not just be a problem for Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen, but for all SM artists in the end.

8. In fact, it is very difficult for Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen to file a legal dispute against SM, a large company, but they started with the heart and courage to replace the various doubts that many SM artists have.

<2 > Artist's position on unreasonably long-term contracts and further extension attempts

1. Previously, artists have signed exclusive contracts with SM for more than 12 to 13 years. This is too different from the standard contract for pop culture artists (singer-centered) announced by the Fair Trade Commission based on the seven-year contract period, and it is unilaterally disadvantageous to artists beyond the minimum reasonable extent.

2. SM already has 13 years of contract, including an extended period in the provisional disposition of the TVXQ case, and the reasonable violation of the Seoul Central Law is that SM uses its superior position to exercise unfair control and excessively violate its economic freedom and basic rights. In the case, the court again pointed out that it is very difficult for idol stars, such as applicants (TVX members), to continue their popularity in their 30s and beyond.

3. As such, the existing exclusive contract seriously restricts personal rights for an excessively long period of time and constitutes "an act of unfairly using the position of the transaction" in Article 45 (1) 6 of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act. In addition, due to the type of unfair trade practices in attached Table 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the same Act, such a long-term compulsion corresponds to "compelling profit provision" or "providing disadvantages (setting unfavorable transaction conditions)" in the above attached Table.

4. Furthermore, SM made artists sign an exclusive contract to extend their debut date by 7 years and an additional 3 years if they are overseas. However, in the case of K-pop artists in Korea, it takes at least months and years to make their debut, and overseas activities are a natural premise. Furthermore, even though Xiumin and Chen were members who planned to work in China from the beginning, the exclusive contract, which adds three years if they work abroad, forced them to sign a long-term contract of more than 10 years based on the date of the exclusive contract from the beginning.

5. On the other hand, SM is trying to claim a minimum contract period of 17 years or 18 years by having artists sign a follow-up exclusive contract again, not even enough to sign an exclusive contract for 12 to 13 years as above. This is SM's repeatedly committing extremely unjust tyranny against artists.

6. In the process of sealing a subsequent exclusive contract, the artists were unable to negotiate properly under the existing exclusive contract, and it was difficult to set the terms of the contract or reflect their wishes on an equal footing. In the case of a provisional disposition in the TVXQ case, the court should have been able to stop the existing negotiations and negotiate with other entertainment agencies other than SM if the applicants (TV TVXQ members) only passively signed the exclusive contract form presented by SM, Even if an extension agreement was reached after the applicants (TVXI members) established their position as entertainers, applicants who were already bound by the existing exclusive contract could not strengthen their bargaining power. (Refer to the Seoul Central District Court on February 15, 2011).

7. It is also pointed out that such subsequent signing of exclusive contracts constitutes "an act of unfairly using the status of the transaction" in Article 45 (1) 6 of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act. As such, the long-term compulsion using a subsequent exclusive contract is considered to correspond separately to the "compulsory provision of profits" or "unprofitable provision of transaction conditions" in attached Table 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the same Act.

8. Also, I understand that this long-term exclusive contract is in a similar situation not only for Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen, but also for most artists from SM.

9. Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen are seriously considering filing a lawsuit against the Fair Trade Commission for the long-term signing of existing exclusive contracts and subsequent exclusive contracts.

<3> A message to the fans

1. I'm sorry for causing so much concern to the fans about this, and I can't help but feel sorry.

2. Due to the difference in position with SM, we are inevitably pushing for legal action, but we will do our best to find wise measures so that fans do not worry too much and resolve the dispute well.

3. In fact, we are very scared and scared of this moment because we want to make a small voice about injustice that we have not been able to tell you before.

4. We hope you will be interested in our words and our hard courage. Once again, we sincerely thank our fans for supporting us for a long time."

Source

#Baekhyun #Jongdae #Xiumin #Exo #Chen #Minseok #Exo CBX #CBX Lawsuit

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byunbaekhyunie · 1 year

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W KOREA VOL.3 (MAR. 2023) BYUN BAEK-HYUN

#baekhyun #byun baekhyun #exosnet #kpop #*#neox #gifs #dailybg #ksoloists #malegroupsnet #ultkpopnetwork #u guys dont even know the atrocities that are happening in my brain rn

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happykjd · 11 months

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Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin’s full statement through their legal representative.

This is lawyer Lee Jae Hak of the law firm LIN, representing EXO members Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen (Byun Baek Hyun, Kim Min Seok, Kim Jong Dae, hereafter “artists”). Hereinafter, our legal representative would like to express the position of the artists regarding the exclusive contracts between the artists and SM Entertainment (hereafter “SM”).

Previously, the artists sent certifications of contents to SM seven times through their legal representative from March 21 until recently, and through this, they repeatedly requested copies of transparent settlement reports and settlement grounds.

It is the bare minimum and legitimate right of the artists to request accurate and transparent basis for settlements that have not been clear until now, and SM is also obliged to comply in accordance with the exclusive contracts and the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. However, SM eventually maintained an unjust position stating that they cannot provide copies of the reports.

In addition, after SM signed long-term contracts with the artists that span over 12 to 13 years in the past, they pushed for the artists to sign subsequent exclusive contracts once again, resulting in long-term contracts that span over at least 17 to 18 years or more. SM has been repeatedly committing unjust use of power such as this.

Regarding this, the artists feel that SM is using their superior position to force artists to sign so-called slave contracts that span over almost 20 years including their training periods, which are also far from being short. The artists would like to convey the various injustices that they have not been able to speak of through the statement below.

1. The artists’ positions regarding their activities and SM’s refusal to provide settlement reports

1. The artists signed long-term exclusive contracts with SM for more than 12 to 13 years and have faithfully carried out entertainment activities as members of EXO.

2. During the period of long-term exclusive contracts mentioned above, the artists only believed SM’s explanation about the settlement amount and received their shares only by referring to the reports unilaterally made by SM, which had no specific and objective evidence. Regarding this, the artists have recently officially requested copies of the settlement reports and the basis for their settlement several times through the legal representative, but SM responded that they cannot provide copies of the reports in the end.

3. SM has an obligation to provide settlement reports and settlement basis including details of total income, details of expenses subject to deduction, and details of amount subject to deduction according to the existing exclusive contracts and the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. Moreover, since the above exclusive contracts state that the settlement cycle comes twice a year, the above settlement reports and settlement basis must also be provided twice a year. However, during those 12 to 13 years of the exclusive contract period, SM has not properly provided such settlement reports and settlement basis to the artists.

4. According to a judicial precedent, an exclusive contract is based on a high degree of trust. Thus, if the agency does not fulfill its obligation to provide settlement reports, the artists’ rights to review the settlement of profits and file an objection against the agency are not properly guaranteed, resulting in failure to provide settlement reports to be a reason for terminating the exclusive contract (refer to Seoul High Court order from 2019Na2034976 on January 31, 2020). Despite numerous requests made through the artists’ legal representative in the meantime, SM has failed to fulfill its obligation to provide reports, and as a result, grounds for termination of the existing exclusive contracts have arisen.

5. Although the artists earnestly requested that copies of the settlement reports be provided by May 31 through certifications of contents on several occasions, [SM] refused to provide the basis for their settlement, so it was inevitable that they have come to notify SM of the termination of the existing exclusive contracts as of June 1.

6. If SM had accurately paid the settlement to the artists, there would have been no reason why they could not provide the settlement reports and settlement basis. The fact that SM is unable to provide such settlement reports and settlement grounds is strong counter-evidence that SM did not properly pay the settlement to the artists. Thus, the artists plan to take all civil and criminal legal action including a lawsuit for settlement payment against SM in order to check the exact details of the settlement.

7. Furthermore, as in the case of the artists (Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen), if settlement reports and settlement basis have not been provided to other SM artists, this is not just a problem for Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen but a potential issue for all artists under SM.

8. In fact, it is very difficult for Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen to file a legal lawsuit against a large enterprise like SM, but they undertook it with the thought and courage that this is also for [clarifying] various doubts that many SM artists have.

2. Artists’ positions regarding the unjust long-term contracts and attempts to extend them further

1. The artists have signed exclusive contracts that are over 12 or 13 years with SM. This is far beyond the seven years determined by the Fair Trade Commission for the Standard Exclusive Contract Form for Entertainers, and it is unilaterally disadvantageous to the artists as it exceeds a reasonable limit at the very least.

2. Previously, regarding the 13-year contract period, which includes the extended period from the provisional injunction decision at TVXQ’s case, SM received the judgment that it is an excessively long-term exclusive contract that is unilateral in structure and that it is a contract that excessively infringes on the economic freedom and basic rights of the applicants (TVXQ members) by imposing excessive quid pro quo (benefit in return) or an unreasonable burden on them, exercising unfair control using their superior position. As it is a legal act that violates good moral and other social order, it was judged that there is considerable room to consider that all or part of the contents of the contract are invalid or that its validity has expired due to the expiration of the reasonable duration (refer to the Seoul Central District Court order from 2009KaHap2869 on October 27, 2009). In addition, in the case of provisional injunction in the above case, the court once again pointed out that it is very difficult for idol stars such as the applicants (TVXQ members) who have teenagers as their main fanbase to maintain their existing popularity in the same field until or after they are in their 30s. Thus the exclusive contracts with unreasonably long contract periods deprive the artists of the opportunity to acquire appropriate compensation for their exceptional talent and constant efforts they put in to succeed in the entertainment industry, and in fact, they may perform the same function as lifelong contracts (refer to the Seoul Central District Court order from 2010KaHap1245 on February 15, 2011).

3. The existing exclusive contracts have contract validity periods that severely bind personal rights for a long period of time, which is applicable to “making transactions with the other party to the transaction by unfairly taking advantage of the bargaining position of the business entity itself” from Article 45 Paragraph 1 (6) of the Monopoly Regulation And Fair Trade Act. In addition, according to the types of unfair trade practices from Table 2 of this act’s decree, enforcement of a long time period like this applies to “coercive provision of benefits” or “provision of disadvantages.”

4. Moreover, SM made the artists sign exclusive contracts for seven years based on their debut date and an extension of additional three years in the case [they do] overseas activities. However, in the case of K-pop artists, it takes at least a few months and up to several years to debut after signing an exclusive contract, and overseas activities are presupposed. Furthermore, even though Xiumin and Chen are the members who [SM] planned from the start to be active in China, they were forced from the beginning to sign long-term contracts which span over 10 years or more from the date of their exclusive contracts.

5. Meanwhile, as if a 12 to 13-year-long contract period is not enough for them, SM is trying to claim a contract period of at least 17 to 18 years by having the artists sign the subsequent exclusive contracts again. This is SM repeatedly perpetrating extremely unjust use of power against their artists.

6. In the process of sealing the subsequent exclusive contracts, the artists were unable to negotiate properly, and it was difficult to reflect their wishes or set the terms of the contract on equal footing. Even in the case of the provisional disposition for TVXQ, the court determined that the applicants (TVXQ members) only passively signed a fixed exclusive contract presented by SM, and they were not involved in determining the contents of the contract through negotiations with SM. In the case that an agreement was not drawn between the applicants (TVXQ members), it should have been possible to stop existing negotiations and start negotiations with entertainment agencies other than SM, but no choices were guaranteed, and therefore, no negotiations in the true sense of the word could occur between the applicants (TVXQ members) and SM. Even if there was an annex agreement after the applicants (TVXQ members) became established as celebrities, as applicants who were already bound to the pre-existing contract, they could not link their elevated status to strengthening their negotiating power. It was determined by the court that subsequent contracts are unfairly signed contracts with defects due to the difference in bargaining power (refer to the Seoul Central District Court order from 2010KaHap1245 on February 15, 2011).

7. Furthermore, regarding the act of signing a subsequent exclusive contract, we criticize that it falls under Article 45 Paragraph 1 (6) of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act under “making transactions with the other party to the transaction by unfairly taking advantage of the bargaining position of the business entity itself.” Compulsory long-term periods such as this using subsequent exclusive contracts applies separately to the “coercive provision of benefits” or “provision of disadvantages” of attachment 2 of Table 2 of the act’s decree.

8. Furthermore, we are aware that long-term exclusive contracts such as these are the similar cases for the majority of SM artists and not only just Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen.

9. Regarding the act of signing a long-term existing exclusive contract as well as a subsequent exclusive contract, Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen are sincerely considering filing a complaint to the Korea Fair Trade Commission.

3. Words to fans

1. We apologize for causing great concern to fans through this issue, and there is no way to fully express our apology.

2. Although legal action is inevitable due to a difference in our position with SM, we will do our best to find a wise way to resolve this dispute so that we do not cause fans too much concern.

3. As we try to speak up with our small voices regarding the unfairness we couldn’t speak of until now, we are actually very frightened and fearful of this moment right now.

4. We hope that you take interest in what we are saying as well as our difficult courage. We once again sincerely thank our fans who have supported us for a long time.

source

#insane i;m going to sleep now because this is exhausting my little brain #kim jongdae #chen #jongdae #exo #info

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holdingforexo · 1 year

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holding for baekhyun: completed

Byun Baek-hyun (Korean: 변백현; born May 6, 1992), better known mononymously as BAEKHYUN, enlisted in South Korea’s compulsory military service on May 6th, 2021. The sixth member of EXO to enlist, BAEKHYUN served for 640 days. EXO and EXO-L welcomed BAEKHYUN’s return on February 5th, 2023.

#baekhyun #byun baekhyun #exo #baekhyungifs #exogifs #kyoongtube #holding:baekhyun #WelcomeBackBAEKHYUN

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army-in-the-stars · 1 year

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... and he is back 💚

#he is back #so happy #i couldn't wait any longer #baekhyun is back #kpop #baekhyun #baek hyun #byun baekhyun #exo #exols #exol #baekhyun exo #exo baekhyun #aeri #aeris #weareone #weareoneexo #we are one #we are one exo

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baekhvon · 1 month

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(via Exo Baekhyun GIF - Exo Baekhyun Byun Baek Hyun - Discover & Share GIFs)

#Exo #Baekhyun #Byun Baek Hyun

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letthefairyinyoufly · 27 days

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Lee Joon Ki as Wang So, later King Gwangjong (4th Prince) Kang Ha Neul as Wang Wook, later King Daejong (8th Prince) Hong Jong Hyun as Wang Yo, later King Jungjong (3rd Prince) Kim San Ho as Wang Moo, later King Hyejong (1st Prince) Yoon Sun Woo as Wang Won, later Crown Prince Hyoeun (9th Prince) Byun Baek Hyun as Wang Eun, later Prince Gwangjoowon (10th Prince) Nam Joo Hyuk as Wang Wook / Baek Ah, later King Ahnjong (13th Prince) Ji Soo as Wang Jung, later Vice King Moonwon (14th Prince)

Source: x

#moon lovers #scarlet heart ryeo #moon lovers scarlet heart ryeo #kdramadaily #olddramas #kdramedit #dailyflicks #cinemapix #kdrama #kdramaedit #chewieblog #kdramasource #useryd #catronac7 #my gifs*#mlshr1 #their real life counterparts names in hangul #apparently wang eun birth name is unknown #2nd attempt I found few mistakes so I deleted the last post and remade gifs

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userbbh · 3 months

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BYUN BAEK-HYUN Madame Figaro China Feb. 2024

#baekhyun #byun baekhyun #exo #madame figaro #editorial

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dailyexo · 1 year

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[INTERVIEW] Baekhyun - 230223 W Korea: “Days With Baekhyun”

Returning after two years, Baekhyun used the word “comfort” often.

Baekhyun’s only wish is to sing heart-felt, timeless songs for us. Baekhyun talked about the days spent with us and the days ahead of us.

How many days has it been since you were discharged from the military?

Today is precisely the third day since I’ve been out.

You have finally gifted flower shoes to the fans. (‘Giving flower shoes’ is a Korean phrase that means returning to the significant other who had been waiting for their partner to return from military service.)

I know. Before I left for the military, I told the fans that many things could change in a year and nine months. How could I make them wait? I told them to focus on their own lives but come back if they feel like it when I return. I said, if anything, I would try to win them back again.

So, you recently did a live show to celebrate discharge. Seeing you’re still as bright and youthful, fans recalled the time you promoted your second solo mini-album, “Delight,” released three years ago.

Honestly, I was super worried. But I was relieved to see their warm reactions. I’m grateful to my parents. Haha.

You talked about your time in the army during the live show.

Most of my training campmates were born after 1999, except for a few. I was the eldest there. Everyone followed me like their older brother. I still keep in touch with the friends I met then. Recently, I got a call from one of them. He said, “I am working out at the gym right now.” He was a skinny one, and every single day at the training camp, I told him to work out.

Baekhyun, as we know, was the life of the party among the EXO and SuperM members. Your bubbly personality would have shined in the army training camp.

There was no exception. I didn’t let anyone fall behind. Whenever I saw someone wanting to give up, I said, “You can’t lose to things like this,” “If you keep giving up, this becomes your habit,” and, “Real life outside is much harder than this.” I don’t let my friends give up or fall behind. I pull them together.

I presume the past two years have been a time to realize and reassess who Byun Baek Hyun really is as a person, not just Beakhyun from EXO.

Yeah. My MBTI changed during the break from ISFP to ESTJ. I’ve been known as a homebody for a long time among my friends. But I’m actually an extrovert and a very active person. But when I look back on my childhood, I barely had time to spend at home. To the point where my mother always said, “How come I see my son only for breakfast?” I felt like I went back to my real self during the break.

Was it also a time to realize again what your fans mean to you?

Of course. I still have a long way to go to learn about the fans thoroughly. There’s something I learned this time, though. The fact that our existence to each other is a lot bigger than what we think. During the first year of my alternative military service, I looked back a lot. I watched a lot of the past concert videos. At concerts, I had a lot of fun with them. There were times when I saw my facial expression on the stage and thought I really did bust my butt to pull everything. Also, sometimes I felt really empty and felt this unfillable void. At one point, I thought, “Will they still be there?” while listening to the cheers of fans in those videos. They are like a really good teacher who would grade me and encourage me. They inspire me to do my homework. They have had me run, take lessons and become a better person. I want to do well to hear their acknowledgment. If they didn’t exist, I probably would not have tried so hard to come this far.

Your Namu-wiki page has a “Fan Love” section. As we read through the things you’ve said to the fans, we thought even a real boyfriend couldn’t say such sweet things.

Haha. Definitely my mom’s influence there. She speaks so gently. She is the sweetest person, really. And I am the youngest in the family. My family poured sweet love on me. Sometimes, fans ask me how I can speak so nicely. To be honest, I don’t know. I feel it’s nothing special, to me, a very ordinary and everyday thing.

It seems like fans could rarely feel the army break. You filmed 20 pieces of YouTube content ahead of time and released them during the break.

I know how hard it is to wait. Even when we did the EXO concert tour, we couldn’t release an album during that time. So it had been a long-standing concern about how to fill the vacancy. In particular, no one was trying to do something special to fill the vacancy during the military break. At first, I thought about making a small game instead of a video. Like the Tamagotchi game, fans can foster ‘Baekhyun’ from level 1 for 641 days while I am away. Feed him, water him. Haha.

The background in planning the pre-created YouTube Content was to give fans something to calm their longings, but also in some parts, wishing your fans would not forget you by watching these videos, right?

Yeah, that is pretty much it. Actually, I was swamped when we were filming the YouTube videos. I had a hectic schedule. It was just around when my third solo mini album Bambi came out, and on top of that, SuperM’s promotion overlapped. But after filming them, I felt so indescribably proud.

The 2021 album Bambi leaves much to be desired in some ways because it had no official activities due to your military service. Nonetheless, it recorded high sales, enough to bring the double million-seller title. It was also the album released in the year of your 30th birthday, showcasing your finest skills as a vocalist.

Bambi was created strictly with my own needs and vision. I tried everything I wanted to do without looking at anyone, and I wanted to free my mind by doing so. You are right. I put in everything I could as a vocalist. I first rearranged my vocal tone around the time of my first solo mini-album City Lights in 2019, and I wanted to see how much I had grown since then. I became very dedicated because I thought I could make a better sound than two years ago. I tried the vocal ranges that I wouldn’t have chosen in the past because I was too nervous. I purposely chose difficult music because I wanted to experience both failures and trials.

In particular, the title song "Bambi" seems to have been a regular song for the music school entrance exam that year. It’s perfect for showing off your vocal skills going back and forth freely with your falsetto, modal, and head voice.

Well, I don’t really recommend it. It’s a high-risk song, the beat and rhythm are tough. It’s a pretty challenging song to sing well.

With the release of Bambi, Baekhyun’s genre and brand have become more apparent. "Baekhyun" reminds us of groovy R&B beats from "UN Village" in the album City Lights and "Candy" in Delight.

R&B is a genre that I’ve been attached to for a long time, so I’ll continue with it. However, I also want new challenges. I want to try this and that without being too picky. I want to be an all-rounder. I’m interested in singing-rap these days.

Which musician are you paying attention to as a reference these days?

I’ve gotten closer to Colde recently. I like his singing style, and it’s fabulous that he pulls off the melody rhythmically as if he’s rapping. I’ve requested songs from Colde. I don’t know what kind of work will come out yet, but we’ll work together soon.

As a musician, there’s no more valuable experience than getting a “response” to your song. All three solo albums released so far have recorded respectable sales. Did you expect such success?

Not at all. It exceeded my expectations. This record was possible thanks to the efforts of many K-pop singers ahead of me. In particular, the sales volume of the second album was the highest in 20 years of Korean pop music history.

Delight became the first solo album to achieve the million-seller title, and you became the second artist to hold such titles for both the group and solo albums, following after Seo Tai-ji.

Yes, but it’s all thanks to the dedication of so many Korean musicians. As K-pop became more known worldwide, more people started paying attention to K-culture. The Korean artists before me had already paved the roads and I just got to piggyback on them.

I don’t feel any guilt when I listen to your music. Maybe it’s a complete anachronism, but there’s still a certain prejudice regarding idol music. Similarly, some idol music is referred to as a ‘hidden masterpiece.’ But when I listen to Baekhyun’s solo music, I feel like I’m just listening to really good music.

Thanks. I indeed paid a lot of attention to that. I chose a lot of genres that wouldn’t come from SM. SM prefers strong and intense sounds, but I wanted to focus on easy-listening music. It was partly because of my preference and strategic choice to differentiate between EXO and solo activities. Seeing that many of the tracks from my solo albums are still receiving a ot of love, I think it was a good decision.

It is common to spot excessiveness in solo albums by Idol group members. It was rather unique that Baekhyun has an easy mood, as you’ve just said.

I pushed for that. I kept thinking, ‘I’ll make more easy-listening music,’ ‘The music should not change in the middle,’ and ‘The melody should flow as expected.’ I wanted to minimize statement sounds and focus on the lyrics. There was even some feedback from the company that it fell short. But I kept pushing. My motto was to do something that sounds easy to people’s ears, like passive music, even if it may not feel ‘sophisticated or innovative’ for some.

What you just said seems connected to the question of, ‘what is good music to me as a musician?’

Probably. In a way, I’m making music that’s pleasant to listen to. But I don’t usually listen to a lot of music. My ears are so tired. Since I’m a singer, I need to know a lot of songs, but when I find one I like, I listen to it over and over. There’s something in common when I look at the songs I’m hooked on. It’s not too much, and it just has one or two significant factors.

For example?

I especially like old-fashioned pop songs. Fibo Bryson’s "Why Goodbye" is also a song that I love, for example. If you listen to it, there’s a particular section once in the bridge, once in the chorus, and once in the verse. You can listen to it comfortably, and the sound is completely filled with only vocals.

What is the vocal tone you pursue?

If I could have a voice that doesn’t go out of date, I couldn’t ask for more.

It’s also the most challenging thing.

I know. I once imagined, “Will Baekhyun’s episode of ‘Hidden Singer’ come out?” I don’t think so. Because my voice doesn’t have a distinctive feature. But it’s definitely a voice that can give you some comfort. A good tone depends on the time and taste. It’s something that keeps moving without being fixed. So I just want my voice to be peaceful and stable. I hope I can make the sound warm enough to relax your body. That’s all I want.

It’s been 11 years since your debut, and you’re still taking vocal lessons every week, right?

Yes. I have a big desire to evolve. I thought about it when EXO received a lot of attention with Growl in 2013. ‘Why are so many people going crazy? Am I really that good? I don’t think so. If the heat goes away, they will see me.’ That’s why I kept trying. I always criticize myself more than others do. It’s not a matter of high self-esteem and low self-esteem. I’m just continuing to make up for my shortcomings because I know my weaknesses better than anyone else.

To me, Baekhyun is not a person with low self-esteem but one who constantly and carefully self-censors himself.

Yes, that’s right. Maybe I am a perfectionist, and I hate it when there’s no complete ending. If I don’t think I can finish something properly, I don’t even start. I tend to get extremely disappointed with myself if I don’t do something perfectly at work.

A perfectionist who pursues easiness… It sounds hard. Haha

Haha. As a musician, I want to be an easy person who can blend in with the public. I don’t want to be a musician who is so cool that people admire and want to follow. I want to be someone people can talk to easily when they meet me on the street while listening to my song.

The only regret for Baekhyun as a solo musician is that he had little opportunity to tell autobiographical stories in music. What kind of stories do you want to tell through your music as 32-year-old Baekhyun?

I want to deliver encouraging lyrics. And deliver the message that you shouldn’t give up easily and try to face more challenges. I think the disappearance of the “Jeong” culture played a role in making people get easily tired these days. In the past, when a neighbor moved in, we used to make steamed rice cakes. If the next door neighbor cooks a lot of food, they would share it with others. But living in a disconnected world without affection, people seem to think only of themselves. I want to put a hopeful message in my song that we can all unite in harmony again.

It’s been two years since W Magazine and Baekhyun met—, since the cover of the March 2021 issue, right? Throughout today’s shoot, the staff said you were sexy. Baekhyun’s “soft sexiness” that you’ve shown in your solo career seems to be reflected in today’s shoot.

Sexy… Haha. I don’t think the sexiness that I have is the sexiness that’s full of intense emotions. It’s more like this. Sometimes you play with your friends, and you feel unexpectedly sexy. I think I have the sexiness to make people a little curious about me. Haha

Today’s shoot was with Cartier’s Tank Frances Watch and Icon Collection. These are pieces that have been called Wannabe by many artists for their timeless classic aesthetic. Regardless of timea and nationality, who is the greatest artist for Baekhyun?

Michael Jackson! Michael Jackson was the only artist who stood still on stage for a few seconds or minutes and people couldn’t stop cheering. His songs have made many people cry for a long time, giving them joy and happiness. So just seeing him standing still on the stage makes them tear up. There isn’t an artist who can beat Michael Jackson.

Still, what would be your secret weapon that you could win over Michael Jackson?

Hmm… My gentle way of talking? Haha.

EXO recently announced the news of EXO’s 11th-anniversary fan meeting. What would it look like if you were to compare EXO to family?

Children who were raised by a strict father but had an infinitely sweet mother? Maybe the stage is our dad. We work hard on stage until it feels like our bodies would break literally. But when we get off stage, we act like kids. Not one friend is rude, and everyone is so kind. When we talk to each other, there’s no difference from when we debuted 11 years ago or when we were trainees.

What are the three things Baekhyun is focusing on these days?

I’m into golf. Out on the golf field, my arms got so tanned, dark enough to leave a watch mark on my wrist. I feel very relieved when I go rounding and see the open space. The second one is the direction of the vocals. And for the third, I was going to say exercise but I’m going to change that. (Kim) Jong-kook, whom I became close with through workouts, said, “It’s time for you to focus on your back.” But hip workouts are too hard. Haha. The last one is EXO’s comeback. We will return as soon as possible with a high-quality album this year.

Photo links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Credit: W Korea.

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