[TRANS] Junho's interview from Singles Magazine, Oct 2011

Excerpt from Singles Magazine, Oct 2011 issue | Kor-Eng by Haeda @2pmalways.com | Scans credit to kangri_ri

How did you spend your Chuseok holiday?
Luckily I didn't work but spent it with the family. Saw mum, dad, older sister for the first time in a while and came back a bit early because I had recordings to do. My house is in Ilsan but to come to think of it, it was my first visit since the New Years. Mum told me to come home once a month.

It was nice to see all the members in a comfortable manner during promotion. Which aspects were you satisfied and unsatisfied about this album promotion?
Being comfortable was both relieving and a problem, too. I guess it's because to me I have a strong opinion of that a performance should always be like a performance but this felt more like us playing around on stage. But disregarding my worries, it was a huge success. It was kinda sad that the promotion period was short of being only a month long. Oh, and it was really strange because it always rained whenever we were promoting.

Your own song 'Give It To Me' was also used as the soundtrack in the music video for the movie . Is this song reflecting your own experiences or is there some kind of a story behind it?
It's a song where I tried to portray the feeling of being in love. I really felt like loving someone after I had a dream that I was dating someone. And yeah, apparently there's a research that says after you've had a dream about someone you actually start to like them temporarily... Anyways I wrote this as soon as I woke up from sleep and it only took me 30 minutes. Somedays, I'd be holding onto a work for the whole day or even for months and wouldn't work out, so it was pretty amazing. Writing songs really only works when you're feeling personal about it.

Where do you get your inspirations for your lyrics and songs from?
Sometimes I'd suddenly come up with something while playing some piano chords or hum something in bed before sleeping and run for my phone to record it. There was a time where I was squeezing my head to remember the melody I heard in a dream. But because melodies I hear in dreams reflect scattered memories, there is a possibility of plagiarism(laughs). Usually I'd carry a notebook around and write down any words that might pop up in my head.

What songs do you have in your MP3 player at the moment? Any songs you play repeatedly these days?
Lately, I've been trying not to listen to any music. You know, you can get sick of even the greatest cuisines of the world. I'm kinda like that right now. My ears get tired even when I'm listening to a great song. So I'm trying to stay away for a bit by reading books or comics instead.

Oho, so what books are you reading now?
Just what boys would read. I read up to volume 71 of Detective Conan . And some stupid comic called Elite Gang. I like books that I can read without thinking. I've also read the first few pages of Justice. And I've seen many books with lots of cat pictures such as Be cheerful, cat . I guess I like to see animal pictures because I like them so much.


I've seen several tweets showing your concerns for abandoned dogs or animals in danger. Is there a special reason why you became so fond of animals?
There isn't a special reason but I've raised many animals since I was young. Chicks, rabbit, guinea pig, hamster... About a year ago, we received a kitten from someone we knew and they sent it to my mother telling her to raise it like me(own child). That's how we started raising a cat for the first time but it was truly adorable. Now I even send cat food home whenever I'm overseas. So I've become more and more fond of them because I started to like them. And also watch TV programmes about abandoned animals, too.

And you've raised your voice about it a few times.
There are so many shameless incidents that I cannot hold back myself. To kidnap and kill, or even worse incidents happen far too many times. Anybody who had the power to raise their opinion would've done the same. There are many celebrities who work with animal organisations out there. I want to go and volunteer too but don't have the time so I'm only donating small amounts right now.

The aim of today's shooting was to portray the loneliness and tiredness of people who stand on stage. When do you feel sad and lonely?
These days I do. When you're extremely busy with schedule you'd be lacking sleep but then again when you're too tired you can't actually fall asleep. So then I think about this and that while lying down. That's when I feel lonely, I think. Even if you have colleagues around you, it's still different to that feeling of loneliness from lack of love. Nowadays, I want to find something I can trust and depend on. But then I don't mean I want to be in love so desperately. I wouldn't think about it when I'm concentrating on work but when I'm by myself that's when I get lonely and, yeah.

What do you do when you're lonely?
Mindlessly read comic books or chat with the members while eating, is about it. Frankly, I want to release my stress by doing things related to hobby but there's really no time. I haven't been able to do any sports to sweat out since my debut.

What kind of student were you in school?
Introvert. I did plays in high school. Used to practice all day apart from when I had classes. When we went on church camps or school trips I'd present a few plays. I wasn't that active but definitely not passive. I started acting because I didn't like my reserved personality and I guess it helped a bit.

When did you decide to become a singer?
I really enjoyed dancing and singing even when I was in the acting club. Back then, X Man was a big hit. You know that section where the celebrities had to show off their talents, I used to watch it and copy their dances a lot.

What are the opinions of the members on their increasing individual promotions?
For the past 3 years, there was no time to think about individuals as we were so busy with just 2PM things but nowadays there are lots of discussions about this. I think that 2PM will become even stronger if the members can have the power to stand on their own without having to break away from the group. There will be members involved in Japanese dramas in the future and actively take part in their fields of interest. Now is the beginning.

Which area do you want to try out apart from 2PM promotions?
As a singer I would like to try going solo and because I'm a little greedy, I have dreams about acting, too. You portray a strong emotion during a short amount of time on the stage as a singer, but acting is another different field. There are parts where you have to deliver your emotions through your eyes rather than speaking or through sounds. I think of every opportunity such as this shooting today a chance to learn about it, bit by bit. Oh yeah, I've thought about doing the narration for documentaries, too. I have the confidence that I can do anything if I had the chance. I am quite emotional so I do have ups and downs a lot. When I'm feeling good I think that everything is easy but when I'm depressed I don't wanna do anything at all.

When you're on a variety show, do you prepare lots by studying your script or become spontaneous?
I used to get cut out all the time on variety shows such as Family Outing during our first album promotion. Because I worked hard, and only hard, not thinking about the overall atmosphere. I guess it's all because I had no 'sense' and was boring but nowadays I just don't think about other people and do whatever I do normally. I do go overboard at times on 2PM SHOW, because it has our name in it and I feel responsible about it. That's how 'Ambitious Junho' came about. 2PM SHOW has no script so we talk about anything. Literally anything. Variety shows work well when you feel comfortable so I don't prepare too much for it but it definitely is a lot harder than singing or acting.

Nowadays, people 'win' with their character(personality). Do you have any special characteristics you would like to have? You're quite well known as the go-hard person.
Whenever at an interview people tell me I'm a go-hard person but that's too boring. I'm not gonna do it anymore(laughs). One character I envy is someone like Khun. A character where one spoken word is stronger than a hundred words of other people. But then Khun doesn't like it that much because people see him only as a pretty boy. That's something only the person experiencing it would know, so we understand each other.




Do you normally observe and assess yourself?
I used to think that because I'm 'this' kind of person, I have to act this way, so there were parts where I had trouble trying out new things at times. Now I just want to leave it to the 'flow' and not think like the past. Rather than drawing a line, I'm trying to find more about myself by trying new things.

Comparing to living your life as just Lee Junho and the 2PM Lee Junho of now, are there any changes?
I used to be a real quiet person but I've become a lot more brighter than before. My father is from Jeonranamdo and is very serious. I also follow his traits of being boring(laughs). I saw somewhere that sons become like their fathers and meet a partner who is like their mother. So the point is, I used to be a quiet person but did say what was necessary, then picked up a few more words since I started promoting on television.

Anything you've become highly interested in lately?
Thoughts of going on a vacation? I want to hire a camping car, grab a camera and travel all over the country because I've been having trouble writing lyrics and melodies lately. I used to like taking photographs but now I'm at a stage where even pressing the shutter button is so troublesome because we're so busy. Right now I just want to rest. Not just doing nothing but to build my knowledge I guess? I want to see the world.

What do you talk about when you're with friends?
I'm the one who usually listens to friends. It's more like counseling for friends that want to step in to the entertainment industry.

This question is asked by the journalist next to me. How do you take care of your 'cute duck-butt'?
My parents gave it to me. Even if I lose weight my bottom stays the same. One time I seriously tried to lose my bottom weight but it was still 'alive' despite losing all the muscles in my body. Not only the fat but I think it's the bone structure. Rather than taking care of it, I guess I'm just born with it.

How do you think of your appearance as a singer?
Not bad. Sometimes I think I'm really handsome but then at other times I don't know why I look like this. Thoughts change everyday.

What is the most important aspect of a singer?
To a singer, singing is the ultimate aspect.

What kind of person would you like to be in the future?
A person who has no regrets and knows how to let go. Often you think of the past and blame yourself for making regrets but past is a past and if you keep lingering onto it there would be no progress. I just want to show my true abilities by not getting swept by the surroundings.

What is your next goal?
To let myself known, bit by bit, through both 2PM and solo promotions.

Kor-Eng by Haeda @2pmalways.com | Scans credit to kangri_ri

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