AA’s Kimchi : “At first I wasn’t too thrilled about my stage name…”

by leesa86

Without a doubt, member Kimchi is the one that most stands out from the five member rookie group AA.
With ‘Kimchi’ being the name of a traditional Korean side dish, it just doesn’t seem to pair well with the trendy ‘idol group’ image. What’s more interesting is that Kimchi’s birth name ‘Yoo Yae Hyanggi‘ is actually really unique and would probably be more advantageous for the image of an idol singer. When Kimchi’s name and photos were revealed on the internet, netizens wondered what the group was thinking when they decided on his stage name.
Kimchi revealed, “There were actually two names that were being considered.” He continued, “Kimchi and Kkakdugi (another variation of the side dish). Both are hot and refreshing, and just like kimchi it’s a staple dish that represents Korea, the agency wanted me to become a singer that could represent the nation. After some debate, we decided to go with Kimchi“.
The eldest member Aoora explained, “They had the ‘kimchi’ idea even before we decided on all five members. They wanted a member to come in and take the stage name, and wanted to meet someone who would be the perfect fit. There were many that were taken in consideration, but he made the final cut.”
When Kimchi was asked how he felt when they decided on his stage name, Kimchi replied, “At first I wasn’t too thrilled about my stage name, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. It’s a name that everyone is familiar with and just like the dish represents Korea, I want to be a singer that can represent our country. I will work hard to appeal to many people with this unique name.”
“A lot of my friends tell me that they like the name, that it’s easy to remember and it leaves an impression because it’s unique“, he continued. “My parents are also very supportive of the name.” According to the other AA members, Kimchi has the largest fan base thus far thanks to his cute and innocent image. Kimchi went as far as to showcase his aegyo during the interview, proving that he was indeed the cute maknae of the group.
Kimchi who is currently a high school student was at first faced with strong opposition from his parents. He stated, “My parents were really against me becoming a singer. I studied hard when I was younger, but I realized in Junior High that studying wasn’t for me. I fell in love with music, and that’s what I wanted to do.”
He continued, “When I told my parents that I wanted to do music, they told me to just take up an instrument. I learned the clarinet along with the piano, and it was a lot of fun at first. But I didn’t think that was for me, and I started singing all of a sudden and knew that’s what I wanted to do. I even went to take vocal lessons behind my mother’s back. And finally not too long ago, my parents were proud that I had accomplished my dreams and they have faith in me now.”
AA was produced by Wellmade Star M, home to well-known actors such as Ha Ji Won, Kim Seung Woo, Choi Jung Won, Lee Jun Hyuk, Lee Jong Suk, etc, who poured out their heart and soul into this project. The five members Aoora, Woosang, Joowon, Hoik, and Kimchi participated in writing and composing their songs, as well as helping create the choreography to their dance and designing their stage-ensembles.
Source & Image: dongA

Source:allkpop

AA’s Kimchi and Joo Won show off their good looks

On November 6th, AA‘s maknae, Kimchi uploaded an adorable picture with his labelmate, Joo Won through AA’s official me2day page.
Along with the photo, the rookie idol wrote, “Hello! This is Kimchi.  After wrapping up the ‘Nongshim Love Sharing Concert‘, we are heading to our practice room right now.  Thank you so much to the fans who cheered us on today.  Today it became cold all of a sudden.  You have to wear warm clothing.”
In the photo, you can see blonde haired Kimchi posing in an adorable fashion with his older labelmate, Joo Won.  Joo Won who has been compared to actor Won Bin for his charming looks, treated fans with an adorable pose by clenching his fists near his cheek.
Happy netizens commented, “A group with a good visual” and “Cute.  They act different when offstage“.
Source + Photos: Osen via Naver

Source:allkpop