Team A Aims to Become True Winners as They Become WINNER!

The brand-new K-pop idol group WINNER, formerly known as Team A from the YG Survival program WIN: Who Is Next, came here at three in the afternoon on November 6. When I mean ‘here,’ it’s the KPOPPlanet’s office at Kyunghyang Shinmun. The boys were taller than I’d thought, from what I’d seen on TV, and already looked like a stylish K-pop idol group. This in spite of their nervous smiles as they looked around.

The first thing I asked was: “How old are you all?” ^_^

Their answer was:

Seung Yoon (19), Seung Hoon (21), Jin Woo (22), Min Ho (20), Tae Hyun (19)

After a quick round of ‘how are you’s’ and handshaking, we began our interview.

Q: How do you feel now that you’ve won?

(Seung Yoon) The fact that it’s over feels great but our heart aches for Team B, because they are our dong-saeng-deul (little brothers). Also we’ve shown so many of our weaknesses on-screen that rather than celebrating our debut, we’re worrying how to present better performances at our debut.

Q: Seung Yoon, this is your second debut! You could’ve stayed as a solo. Do you have any regrets?

(Seung Yoon) I have any regrets. I believe I’ve learned a lot from training for three years and from working on this project, that I’m happy with how things turned out.

Q: Did you envy the other Superstar K2 friends who debuted before you?

(Seung Yoon) Whenever I saw one of them debut, I did wonder when I would make it myself. But I felt I was lagging behind them back then. I knew I wasn’t ready to come out, so I focused on my training.

Q: Min Ho, why did you cry so much in the final episode?

(Min Ho) It was the final battle and we won, and I realized our trainee days were finally over. That realization made everything seem so emotional. (Smiling shyly)

Q: Did you feel sorry for Team B?

(Min Ho) We felt bad of course. After the second battle we were quite sure of ourselves, and at the final battle, we again felt that we’d prepared as best as we could. But Team B did so well. We actually cried watching their performances.

Q: Jin Woo, do you know what Team B is doing nowadays?

(Jin Woo) Both of our teams’ schedules are over and we’re training again. CEO Yang actually gave us a break (for a few days) but we didn’t know what to do so we just hung out at the practice room. (Laughing)

Q: How long have you trained? Did you feel any camaraderie with the other team?

(Jin Woo) Some of Team B were trainees with me from the beginning. I was a YG trainee for four years, so in a way, I’m as close to Team B as I am to Team A.

Q: Tae Hyun, how do you feel now that you’re going to debut?

(Tae Hyun): For me, the years as a trainee weren’t so short, considering how old I am. Now I’m finally debuting, it’s so surreal and feels incredible. The first thing that came to my mind was how my mother supported me all these times. I’m thankful that I could finally be a proud son to her. (Everyone agrees and nods)

Q: This is like a new beginning right? Another start?

(Seung Hoon) I feel this is just a first step. If, before, we  lived a patterned life for several years, now, everything is so new, and we’re meeting new people and seeing new things… Of course, we will be required to be even more responsible than before.

Q: Do you want to go overseas?

(Seung Hoon) Of course! We are actually studying Japanese and will do an opening performance at Big Bang’s dome tour.

Q: What did you gain from these battles? Teamwork?

(Seung Yoon) Yes, the biggest is and has to be teamwork. Honestly, when we were just trainees, we knew we could be kicked out anytime. Even when we lived in the same dorm, we were still conscious that any one of us could be told to leave. But since the project, we trained as a team, knowing that we will either debut as one or fail as one. Now that we are WINNER, we are like a family and we know we won’t leave any member behind.

Q: Do you like the team name WINNER?

(Seung Yoon) We love it. There’s a popular belief about how singers’ fates follows their names. So WINNER is an excellent name.

(Seung Hoon) It may be a bit juvenile (Everyone Laugh) but it’s not sensitive about the trends, so we think it’s a great name.

_{source: KPOP PLANET}

_{(c) fy-winner}