A North Korean defector who used to steal food to survive and sleep on the streets is now set to debut as a K-pop star.
Yu Hyuk, 24, is a member of 1VERSE, a boy band formed under the label Singing Beetle – and despite not having any official songs of their own, the group already has thousands of social media followers and avid fans.
After fleeing his home country at the age of 13, the rising musician faced further problems as he struggled to adapt – and years later found himself dropping out of art school, with huge debts thanks to scams, and taking up work at a Samsung semiconductor factory. .
But now Yu and fellow bandmate Kim Seok, 24 – who is also from North Korea – are making history as the first K-pop group to feature defectors.
The lineup also includes American-Chinese artist Kenny, 21, and Murita Aito, 19, a Japanese.
Yu Hyuk, 24, (pictured) is a member of 1VERSE, a boy band formed under the label Singing Beetle – and despite not having any official songs of their own, the group already has thousands of social media followers and avid fans
Speaking to the BBCYu revealed that he is now “half happy, half scared” – but his childhood was filled with struggles.
As a young boy in Kyongsong County, North Korea, he was “lucky to have a house,” but often slept on the streets.
“It was a crisis,” he explained, recounting that his family’s poverty became so acute that he “could have died if he had done nothing.”
He admitted that he had been forced to steal and beg. In an interview with the Wall Street JournalYu revealed that his parents separated when he was just three, and his father squandered their money on bribing officials to avoid working.
His mother, who had also been living apart, eventually fled to South Korea – and would later send brokers to help him get there.
He told the newspaper how he would feel “obligated” to provide for his family at the age of seven, by the heartbreaking sight of his grandmother picking up grains of rice from the floor of a train station.
“We were essentially beggars who happened to have nothing but a house,” he added.
When he was 12, Yu said his mother reached out with a plea to persuade him to join her in the South – an offer he initially refused.
But now Yu (above) and fellow bandmate Kim Seok, 24 (below) – who is also from North Korea – are making history as the first K-pop group to feature defectors. The lineup also includes American-Chinese artist Kenny, 21, (right) and Murita Aito, 19, (left), a Japanese
North Korean defectors are participating in a three-month program to help them assimilate, which Yu (front) told the WSJ he was placed in. Seok, pictured on the back, is also a defector
Michelle Cho, who worked at one of South Korea’s ‘big three’ music agencies, SM Entertainment, started her own independent label: Singing Beetle. Pictured on the left, Seok, and on the right, Yu
It was then revealed that his father had persuaded him to go – after Yu’s mother reportedly promised to send him monthly payments if he could send for their son.
At the age of 13 – after a perilous journey that took him through China and several other surrounding countries – he made his way to Seoul.
North Korean defectors undergo a three-month program to help them assimilate, Yu told the newspaper WJ he was posted. He was also placed in a boarding school for children in situations similar to his own, but admits he felt lonely.
Instead of living with his mother, with whom he was not close, Yu decided to try to finance his own life and worked part-time at a restaurant.
At the age of 15, he received the tragic news that his father had died. He told the newspaper that the news made him “angry” because his father was “the only person who had always been on his side.”
“I was the loneliest of all the loners,” he admitted, revealing that the problems that killed him could have been medically treated had he been in the South.
Through his struggles, Yu found reprieve from writing rap lyrics.
Problems arose again when he fell victim to a scam – and with enormous debts on his shoulders – went to work in a Samsung factory.
Yu had dropped out of art school at the time and soon experienced life-changing circumstances again when a meeting with a K-pop representative occurred through a mutual acquaintance.
Michelle Cho, who worked at one of South Korea’s ‘big three’ music agencies, SM Entertainment, started her own independent label: Singing Beetle.
In 2021, Yu quit his job at Samsung and worked on his music. He hopes that 1VERSE will one day help him connect with others who have encountered difficulties
By contrast, his fellow defector Seok (right) – who came to South Korea in 2018 – grew up in a fairly affluent household and enjoyed ‘bootlegged’ K-pop songs and music videos, which are sometimes illegal domestically. Yu pictured on the left
Yu impressed Michelle with a song he wrote and she helped him develop his rap skills with lessons.
In 2021, Yu quit his job at Samsung and worked on his music. He hopes that 1VERSE will one day help him connect with others who have encountered difficulties.
“At the end of the day, there is not a single person who has not faced hardship,” he told the WJ. ‘I hope to move the world with our music.
“Since even North Koreans can have big dreams, I hope other marginalized people can also have big dreams in their lifetime.”
He also hopes to one day pursue acting, so that friends and family in North Korea have more opportunities to encounter his work.
By contrast, his fellow defector bandmate Seok – who came to South Korea in 2018 – grew up in a fairly affluent household and enjoyed “bootlegged” K-pop songs and music videos, which are sometimes illegal domestically.
“I would like to make music that can move people’s hearts from the first verse,” he said.
Speaking to the BBCYu added, “Where else can I have this experience? The world turns.
“I’m anxious every moment… I think, ‘Am I doing this right?’
1VERSE – formerly known as SB Boyz – has no confirmed debut date, but boasts thousands of social media followers who are excited about their impending success.
Currently, they have released a series of covers online, including songs from K-pop artists like Stray Kids to Western stars like Justin Bieber and Troye Sivan.
Yu has also written lyrics for a pre-debut mixtape, featuring a song called Ordinary Person.
“Grab a pad and a pen / Let my story begin / I’m going in,” you can hear rapping.
‘Cause I know they wouldn’t believe my story if I told you / I was the loneliest of the loners / No one around
“I don’t wanna be shown all that hate / Turn the tables / I’ll show them why I’m great.”