Go Away With … Woosung

By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune and other outlets
March 8, 2022

While Woo-sung Kim’s bandmates in South Korea are serving their mandatory military duty, the Korean American guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for the pop-rock group The Rose is back in Los Angeles – not far from where he grew up. For our Zoom interview, the musician wore a simple black T-shirt and could easily pass as a college student, rather than someone who recently celebrated his 29^th birthday. His aesthetics reflect his global travels. One of his favorite purchases for his L.A. home is a limited-edition sofa designed by France’s Mojow Yomi NEP, which is visible in the background. (His is the 34^th out of 35 pieces.) Known professionally simply as Woosung, the artist currently is on a North American tour with the hip-hop trio Epik High and said he’s looking forward to performing songs from his solo album “GENRE.” Woosung stays in touch with fans on Twitter and Instagram.

Q: Many children dream about becoming a rock star. Was that your dream as well?
A: No, when I was younger, my dream was to do something with sports. But when I was really young – five or six – I wanted to be a Pokemon Master. I believed that Pokemon was going to be real in the near future and that I could travel around the world and have a little Pikachu with me and catch Pokemon. I am still doing half of it. I get to travel around the world.

Q: But now it’s fans who are trying to catch you.
A: (Laughs) I am the Pokemon now.

Q: What was it like growing up as a visible minority in California?
A: I grew up in Thousand Oaks where I didn’t see a lot of Asians. I didn’t have friends who were Asian until later in high school. Honestly, I never thought it was possible for Asians to be in (pop and rock) music in America until I heard the Far East Movement. Wow. I didn’t even know they were Asian American until later.

Q: I know that you split your time between homes in Seoul and L.A. Where else have you lived?
A: When I was younger, I traveled a lot because I moved a lot. So, I lived in Canada, the Philippines, South Korea, America. I went back and forth a lot. But other than that, I didn’t really travel travel until The Rose started touring.

Q: Where were some of those places?
A: When we started touring, Europe was the first place we got to go. And it was amazing because, first of all, I’d never been to Europe before. I didn’t know what to expect. I remember Brussels, because (our show) was the first K-pop concert they had in that city. It was us. That’s how we started the first tour with The Rose. Brussels is really beautiful. We’ve been to Japan, the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, a bunch of cities in America. I also really like Paris, London, and Amsterdam.

Q: What was the first concert you saw and where was it?
A: So, I’m gonna be honest. My very first concert was when I was 26. That’s why these days, I try to go to as many as I can just to kind of feel the vibe. I didn’t really get to experience that as a teenager. My first concert was Coldplay in Seoul. I was blown away. We barely got tickets and we were at the very, very back where you couldn’t even see them. But the music was amazing. I was standing the whole time.

Q: Do you get to be a tourist when you’re on tour?
A: Yes and no. We have the option to see things if we have a day off. But when I’m on tour, I like to save my voice for our shows, since that’s the main reason why we’re there, so I stay in my hotel room a lot. But if we have two days off, then yeah, I’ll go out. The first day I’ll go shopping, explore and eat. You’re in Chicago, right? We performed there two or three times and the crowd was always amazing. The pizza was great and I remember it was pretty chilly there each time we went. I really liked the people there. They just gave off very good vibes.

Q: Does living in both Seoul and L.A. feel chaotic?
A: No, they both feel like home to me. L.A. feels like home from my younger age. This is where I grew up. Korea is home for me as a young adult. They’re different vibes and my goal is to spend half a year in each place. Ideally, I’d like to live three months in Korea, then three months in the U.S. and continue like that.

Q: What is a stereotype about either U.S. or Asian nationals that you’d dispel?
A: In the U.S. growing up, everyone says Asians are such bad drivers, right? No! They are good! I’m almost scared because they’re too confident. They’re going in (tiny) spaces with their SUVs. It’s crazy.

Q: If you had unlimited time off, where would you want to visit?
A: Hmmm, I want to fly to somewhere that I’ve never been before like Greece. The pictures (I’ve seen) are beautiful. I like nature. I don’t like hiking, but I like the fresh air. Greece has a lot of cool architecture. Yeah, I want to go there.

Q: You mentioned not liking hiking, but do you enjoy camping?
A: (Laughs) You know what? I used to be so active in my teenage days. I loved camping, fishing, playing basketball, football, skateboarding, mountain biking – I did all that. But after 10 years of being a young adult in Korea living my life mostly indoors doing music, I like being inside.

© 2022 JAE-HA KIM
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