Photo = HANTEO GLOBAL

 

 

Group NAZE (KAISEI, YOUNKI, TURN, YUYA, KIMKUN and DOHYEO) revealed the members’ individual charms and behind stories alongside their debut.

 

NAZE recently met with Hanteo News at Whosfan Studio and shared each member’s hobbies and personal stories. From a skilled b-boy to an Overwatch ranked player and former trainees from major entertainment companies, the seven members each showcased their unique personalities.

 

ATO and TURN are members who use stage names within the team. Recalling the process of deciding his stage name, ATO said, “We wrote down over 100 candidates in a memo and discussed them together as members, and suddenly this name just flashed through my mind.” He added, “I thought it suited my image, and it was easy to pronounce, so I felt it would make a good stage name.” Among the candidates were ‘Songhyun,’ created from his real name Song Doohyun, and ‘Dudu,’ a nickname his friends used to call him. ATO shared that using a stage name makes him truly realize he is living life as an idol, saying, “I plan to show a lot of the human side of Song Doohyun as well, but I continuously find myself wanting to show more of idol ATO.”

 

Thai member TURN derived his stage name from the meaning “turn” or “sequence.” TURN explained, “It’s a name that came to mind because it felt like writing a new life and having new experiences,” adding, “The Thai name I used before, Tsuren, meant ‘hunter,’ but I thought ‘my turn’ matched well with debut and would also be memorable, so I personally suggested it to the company.” Since both members chose their names themselves rather than receiving them from the company, they also feel a greater sense of responsibility toward them.

 

Japanese member KAISEI enjoys exploring unknown places as a hobby. KAISEI said, “Rather than searching beforehand and deciding where to go, I just go first and enjoy freestyling by stopping wherever feels right in the moment,” adding, “I think I’m lucky when it comes to accidentally finding good places.” When asked whether he had similar experiences in Korea, he laughed and replied, “I once discovered a better store while heading to buy pants.” His interest in fashion is also exceptional, and he often visits Seongsu in Korea. He shared, “I still don’t have a Korean phone number, so I can’t shop online much, which is why I think I go around in person.”

 

Likewise from Japan, YUYA is skilled in b-boying. YUYA revealed the reason he dreamed of becoming an idol, saying, “I had been doing breaking since I was young, and because my parents and older sister liked K-pop, I naturally ended up watching it on TV with them. I really loved seeing idols singing on big stages and shining brightly.” However, since the genres were different, there were difficulties at first. “I thought a lot about how to show cool angles and charms, but the members helped me a lot,” he said gratefully. He also added, “Someday I want to show big actions like windmills and Thomas moves on stage.”

 

KIMKUN’s hobby is Overwatch. At his peak, he reportedly reached 4,400 points, close to the professional cutoff, ranking within the top 200–300 players. As soon as game talk came up, KIMKUN’s eyes lit up as he said, “As a tanker user, I mainly played characters like D.Va, Orisa, and Zarya.” KIMKUN also shared, “Later on, I definitely want to communicate directly with many fans while gaming together,” adding, “Even if I make mistakes and don’t play well, I think we could still encourage each other and have fun together.” When someone joked that fans might intentionally interfere just to see his cute whining reactions, he laughed and responded, “If that’s what they want, I’m confident I can whine as much as possible.”

 

YOUNKI is a member who previously trained under YG ENTERTAINMENT and SM ENTERTAINMENT. YOUNKI revealed, “Among the friends I trained with, there are older trainees who debuted first and also people around our age.” When asked how it would feel to meet them again on music shows or during content shoots, he replied, “I think it would feel really exciting and heartwarming,” adding, “Since we trained together, it would be so fun if we could perform on stage together someday, and I’m also looking forward to year-end collaboration stages.”

 

Youngest member DOHYEO usually enjoys monochrome styles, but he is still in the process of finding his ideal image. DOHYEO said, “My ideal style keeps changing, so I’m trying different styles and looking for what suits me best.” As for the most recent item he purchased, he picked a spring jacket, and KIMKUN, who was listening nearby, chimed in, saying, “He’s been wearing it diligently.”