5 Seconds of Summer! Welcome to Korea!

By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
September 12, 2019

It’s always fun to see Korean groups like BTS, Blackpink and Day6 being interviewed on American talk shows. But it’s also eye-opening to see international acts having fun on South Korean programs, whether it’s Tom Cruise appearing on “Running Man” or NBA star Stephen Curry on “Infinite Challenge.” But one of the most charming segments I’ve seen in a long time is 5 Seconds of Summer‘s guest appearance on “YO~! WELCOME TO KOREA!”

As some of you already know, I write a column for a U.S. news syndicate, where I interview groups like BTS, Monsta X and EXO about their travels. 5SOS’ segment was like the video version of my column, with the quartet enthusiastically showing fans that they love exploring new cities as much as the rest of us.

Like most bands, 5SOS has a really tight schedule when they’re on tour and they often don’t have time to do much other than perform on stage and then head by bus or plane to their next gig. But this time around, the Australian pop-rock group made a point to carve out an entire day to be tourists in Seoul.

They planned their excursion, found their way around by themselves (er, sort of) and interacted with fans they met along the way.

The problem was, none of them can speak Korean and they didn’t bring an interpreter with them. When they couldn’t figure out the train stop they needed to get to, they asked people for help. But it turns out everyone they asked was a tourist from Japan, Australia or the United States. Luckily, they ran into Michael — a Korean-American student visiting from Houston — who sorted them out and got them on the right track. Literally.

The group — which includes drummer Ashton Irwin, bassist Calum Hood, lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Luke Hemmings and lead guitarist Michael Clifford — found their way to Gwangjang Market. Not surprisingly, they started the day off checking out all the food stalls, where they ate mini kimbap, bibimbap, kimchi, pajeon and mandu.

I’m not sure who had more mandu: Calum or Ashton, but all of the boys ate a lot. Who couldn’t relate to Ashton, who kept saying, “I’ll have just one more…” about 14 times? Watching the taped footage, the hosts of the series pointed out that the boys must be able to eat a lot (without gaining weight) because they’re all tall.

Koreans are pretty blunt when it comes to discussing people’s appearances. In the U.S., it would be considered rude. And for foreigners not used to having their appearance discussed by strangers, it can be unsettling. The hosts mentioned among themselves that Calum was now chubbier than when 5SOS started out. But it also was clear that he was their favorite. They pointed out often how cute he was (and how adorable he acted) and they loved his eagerness to try all the food he’d never seen before.

In many ways, I also identified with Calum the most. He was scoping out what else there was to eat while he was still enjoying his first course. LOL! The boys used internet recommendations to guide them, but they also used their sense of smell to find sweet treats like hotteok to eat.

After wolfing down all the delicious food, they made their way to a record store. The boys discussed what albums they were interested in buying to take back home.

They looked around at all the albums on display there and decided on buying CDs by BTS and Blackpink. They also bought the last copy of their own eponymous debut album, with the intention of signing it and giving it away to someone in Seoul. When the clerk gave them posters along with the BTS and Blackpink CDs, they jokingly asked her if a poster came with their CD as well. Later, they said they learned a lot about CD packaging from looking at all the records for sale at the store.

By now, it was pouring outside, which they said was refreshing compared to the heat wave Seoul was experiencing. On their way to a tea museum, they obliged fans who asked for selfies with them.

At the museum, they went to the cafe and relaxed with some tea. Their favorites were the date plum, lotus and green tea. For dessert, they treated themselves to the popular Korean treat patbingsu. Korea is a no-tipping culture. But remember their own CD that they purchased at the record shop? They gifted it to their server, who then thanked them by playing their record in the cafe.

Of course they had to buy souvenirs to take home. They bought things like socks and scrolls. And Michael bought a dojang (name stamp) with his name written on it in both English and Korean. He was delighted when the saleswoman told him that the design he picked of a dog on the handle symbolized good luck.

The finished result looked really nice. To be honest, it’s nicer than the ones I had gotten made for my family in Insadong.

Their self-guided trip ended here, with their management picking them up to whisk them off to a radio interview. But once work was done, the boys checked off the last item on their Seoul Wish List: to enjoy the skyline at night from the top of Lotte World Tower. The 123-foot high skyscraper is the tallest building in South Korea (and the fifth tallest building in the world). While Ashton and Luke showed no fear standing on the glass floor taking photos, Michael (who said he has vertigo) and Calum were more cautious.

Have you seen this episode? Tell me what your favorite parts were in the comments below.

Be sure to follow @GoAwayWithJae, where I tweet about all things Korean.🇰🇷