BIGBANG's G-Dragon (권지용) was once eliminated in the first round of a dating variety show, an experience that unexpectedly led to the creation of his classic song "Look at Me, Gwisun." This anecdote now resonates with recent revelations from Eun Ji-won (은지원), a member of first-generation K-pop group SECHSKIES (젝스키스), about the inner workings of early dating shows. Eun Ji-won disclosed that, to enhance program entertainment, idols were often required to "confess to a different female guest every week," even if they had no genuine feelings for the person, a revelation that drew laughter from his fellow guests.
YouTube channel "Channel Bandal" released a new video on the morning of the 21st, featuring SECHSKIES leader Eun Ji-won, EXO (엑소) leader Suho (김준면), SEVENTEEN (세븐틴) leader S.Coups (최승철), and BOYNEXTDOOR (보이넥스트도어) member Myung Jae-hyun (명재현) in a casual chat. During the show, Suho commented on Eun Ji-won's free-spirited image in variety shows, saying, "Whenever I see you on TV, hyung, I envy your playful and relaxed demeanor." Eun Ji-won, however, chuckled and replied, "I wasn't like this at first."
Eun Ji-won revealed that he will celebrate his 30th debut anniversary next year. Having been in the entertainment industry for a long time, he has known many program staff members for years, gradually building trust that allows him to be himself in front of the camera.
Recalling his early debut days, he admitted that he was very quiet back then, "barely speaking much," a stark contrast to his current image on variety shows where he is known for his outspoken and uninhibited personality.
Eun Ji-won, now considered a representative variety star in Korea, confessed that he initially disliked appearing on variety shows. He noted that dating variety shows were even more prevalent in the past than they are today, citing examples like Kang Ho-dong's (강호동) *Love Letter* and *Rose War*.
Suho then interjected, mentioning, "In our generation, there was *We Got Married*." Eun Ji-won playfully retorted, "People didn't really believe that, did they?" He suggested that early audiences were more naive and many actually believed the romantic setups on the shows.
What surprised everyone most was Eun Ji-won's subsequent revelation of his "bitter history" on dating variety shows. He admitted that while he didn't want to participate in variety shows, idols at the time often had to comply with variety activities to appear on music programs. "I couldn't do it consciously," he stated.
Eun Ji-won recalled that the show even demanded he confess his feelings to a different female guest every week. "Even if I didn't like them at all, they told me to confess. The next week, it would be another woman, and I'd have to confess again." He mimicked host Kang Ho-dong urging him on: "You know Kang Ho-dong, right? He kept shouting, 'Hurry up!'" Eun Ji-won laughed, explaining that despite his reluctance, the production team kept making him confess, causing the other guests to burst into laughter.
This revelation highlighted the differences between early Korean idol variety shows and current ones. While today's dating reality shows emphasize authenticity and natural interaction, idols in the past often had to comply with various scenarios, including being "paired up" or making confessions to female guests, for promotional purposes and to maintain program entertainment. Eun Ji-won's recollection unexpectedly unveiled another side of idols' experiences on variety shows back then.
G-Dragon's past experience on a dating variety show remains a classic story in the Korean entertainment industry. G-Dragon and other BIGBANG (빅뱅) members once appeared on a matchmaking program similar to *Yapsilhan Sogeting* (얍실한 소개팅), which can be translated as *Sly Blind Date*. Unexpectedly, in his first-ever appearance on such a show, he was eliminated in the first round.
According to G-Dragon's later recollections, after being eliminated, he returned to the waiting room and even declared he would write a song about his blind date experience. He then spontaneously sang, "Nal bwa, nal bwa, Gwisun" (날 봐, 날 봐, 귀순), meaning "Look at me, look at me, Gwisun."
Interestingly, the woman's name was "Gwiseon" (귀선), but G-Dragon revealed he initially misheard it as "Gwisun" (귀순), which unexpectedly became the origin of the song's title. This impromptu creation was eventually developed into a full song, and BIGBANG member Daesung (강대성) released "Look at Me, Gwisun" (날 봐, 귀순) in 2008, making it one of his representative trot works.
From Eun Ji-won being asked to confess to different female guests weekly, to G-Dragon's first blind date show elimination leading to the unexpected creation of "Look at Me, Gwisun," looking back at these early idol experiences on dating variety shows makes one realize how much more "uninhibited" variety show segments were back then compared to today.
