South Korean girl group RESCENE (리센느) recently shot to unexpected fame thanks to the highly addictive meme "Geoje YAHO (거제 야호)." This not only boosted their public recognition but also saw their debut song achieve a miraculous chart resurgence, climbing back onto Korean music charts. They were even invited to serve as city ambassadors, making them one of the most inspiring comeback stories in the recent K-pop scene.
Member Minami (미나미) recently appeared on MBC's variety show Radio Star, where she shared her lifelong ambition of becoming a K-pop idol. She revealed that this dream was not only unsupported during her childhood but was also openly ridiculed by her classmates. Now, not only has she successfully debuted, but she even returned to perform at her alma mater as an idol, an experience that moved her to tears.
Minami disclosed that she first harbored the desire to become a K-pop idol in third grade. She even seriously wrote "I want to be a K-pop idol" in the "Future Aspirations" section of her elementary school graduation album.
However, after her graduation album was seen by parents and classmates, she received a lot of negative reactions. Minami recalled one classmate even telling her own mother, "My friend wants to be a K-pop idol, she wants to be like TWICE. Isn't that ridiculous?" This classmate also spoke ill of her behind her back, which deeply hurt the young Minami at the time.
Despite the ridicule from her classmates, she never gave up on her dream. Minami admitted, "I was very serious about this dream, and my friends kept making fun of me, which made me really angry." Instead of spending time arguing, she channeled her energy directly into practice. "Rather than spending time mocking me, I used all that time at the dance studio, practicing for hours, sometimes until the early morning."
After enduring years of doubt, Minami eventually made it to Korea and officially debuted as a K-pop idol. She also revealed that it wasn't until her successful debut that the friends who once mocked her finally acknowledged her.
One particular experience of "returning to her alma mater" after her debut remains unforgettable for Minami. She explained that she attended the same school system from elementary school through university. When her friends graduated high school, she specifically returned to the school as Minami, a member of RESCENE, to perform a congratulatory show for the graduates.
Speaking about her feelings at the time, Minami confessed that she didn't return to prove anything to those friends. "But I wanted to show them just how hard I worked." During the performance, she thought of all the people who had helped her get to where she was, and emotions suddenly overwhelmed her. "Thinking about the people who brought me here, I couldn't help but cry."
After hearing Minami's story, host Kim Gura (김구라) couldn't help but laugh, saying, "What year were you born? How are you so mature? I'm still living with the feeling that 'I'm amazing.'" This unexpectedly became a humorous moment on the show.
Minami debuted as a member of the girl group RESCENE in 2024. The group has steadily gained recognition on platforms like YouTube, thanks to their distinct Y2K and 'hot girl' aesthetic, as well as viral memes such as "Geoje YAHO," which has also brought more attention to Minami herself.
