[100819][INTERVIEW] Jay für INSTYLE

Page 1

“They’re amazing, the fans. In fact, I came back because I was grateful for the people who kept cheering for me. If I didn’t have the fans, I probably wouldn’t have came back.”

He looked somewhat uncomfortable. More truthfully, he looked slightly lonely. No, he might’ve just stayed quiet for the first little while in the studio full of strangers. It was probably that. The fact that in his eyes which had unusually teary whites, an anxiety that was like waking up just as dusk set was read was probably because the one who saw it was over-empathizing. For a long while, the name ‘Jaebum’ was a syndrome and disease. People talked about him too much, or clamped their mouths closed and didn’t talk about him at all. Even after he left Korea, people used the name ‘Park Jaebum’ as a publicized issue, and his every move was turned into an article. And one day, like a dream, he came back. Fussy eyes were all concentrated on him, but from then till now he’s only being doing his own thing. Really, quietly, as an interviewee, Jaebum had few words. And talking with him, who grew up in America, I could realize how many Chinese words we used on basis like a habit. It was because every time an expression he didn’t know very well popped out, he asked about the meaning of the word. Just like a person who tries to translate thoughts inside their head into the most exact words possible. Him repeatedly using ‘Just because’ in his answers many times seemed like a request to not overexaggerate meanings in the times that past and this moment right now. This, too, was probably because the one listening was over-empathizing with him.

After the interview finished, Jaebum looked like free child who had finished the day’s homework. The view in which the tattoist drew in the tattoo for the filming on his bare skin was regarded by all women staffs, but he joked, “It’s all right. If all guys glared at me like this, it would’ve been a little scary…” As he looked at a wristwatch being drawn on his wrist patiently, he suddenly asked, “Do you want to try listening to my song? It hasn’t been officially released yet.” The song which he said he’d wrote lyrics himself had the title ‘Bestie’. When the song started, Jaebum started lightly grooving to the rhythm and started moving his body. For sure, moving, dancing and running and rolling like he was defying gravity, throwing out a passionate mind that couldn’t be tamed and a craze-like excitement freely. Because that’s Jaebum-like.

Later, he who was met again on the backstage of Naksan Summer Week & T, started a conversation without hesitation with a comfortable face, saying “How was I? Could you hear the rap well?” but that was 3 days later, in the late night of August 7th. When I pushed the recorder towards the direction he was sitting in, the Jaebum of August 4th fixed his position and pulled his chair up.

It’s been 9 months. How were you during it (the months)?

In America? Yes, in America. Hmm… At first, I just went to America. I said hello to the relatives I couldn’t meet for a long time because I was in Korea, and had dinner with them…. I wanted to work again as quickly as possible so I practiced with a breakdancing crew called AOM.

It’s the team in which you appeared with in movie (Hype Nation), right?

Ah, yes. I practiced together with them, practiced acrobatics every Thursday, and lived like that.
You must be in the midst of filming the movie right now. Yes. In fact, I have a filming tomorrow.
Since the director’s American, an article that said that you ‘Advanced into Hollywood’ came up. (A face like he was about to laugh or not) Ah, I don’t know. For me, it’s good if it gains success. It’s good if it succeeds.

That face expression that just past by, it seems like that you’re embarrassed?

You’re right. The saying ‘Advanced into Hollywood’ is a burden to me. The people saying ‘Jaebummie is going to act’ is embarrassing enough, but ‘Advancing into Hollywood’ on top of that….
It was a surprise, though. A sudden movie (appearance). At first, I wasn’t going to do it. But when they said I could do it with my crew, my mind started changing.

You mean AOM?

Yes. They’re my old friends. Since it was the crew I was in since 2002. At first, being a singer wasn’t my dream. I wanted to be a bboy. So I always thought about how great it’d be if I could do what I wanted with my friends. But when I debuted, I came to Korea alone. So this time, I really wanted to do it with them.
Your Twitter was also almost all about dancing, practice, and music. Like a person who’s head is always filled with that thought. Just because it’s fun. (Laughs) Dancing, writing raps, and singing, I’m doing it all because it’s fun. If it’s something that I had to do, I probably couldn’t have done all this. I don’t practice every day, but I play games with my friends.

What kind of game?

After I came to Korea, I played Starcraft in the PC room. Since I couldn’t go anywhere with friends, we went to the PC room after work was finished. (Laughs)
I don’t know where that is, but that PC room’s ‘worker’ has won a lotto. Didn’t s/he ask for a signature?
Ah, yeah. (Laughs) There was a person who wanted to take a photo with me, too.

Did you know that every time a video of Jaebum-sshi on YouTube or when a tweet came up on Twitter it was made into an article in the country?
I didn’t know about all of them.

How did you feel?
I think it could’ve been a little too much. Actually, it was something to be thankful about. It means that they’re paying attention to me. I was also amazed that they made something that I thought insignificant into an article. If I was a person that was paid that much attention to. (Laughs) Truthfully, I tried to pay not much attention to the articles about me.

You must be broad-minded.
It’s not that. (Laughs) It’s just that I do the things I should with effort, and fans are curious about how I live so I tell them what I’m doing, that’s all.

Really, Jaebum-sshi is an idol that has a unique fandom.
Ah, I’m like that?
Yes. Not even an entertainment paper, a news magazine did an article with ‘Park Jaebum’s Fandom’ as the theme.
Ah, I see. (An amazed-looking expression)

I heard in passing, that fandom’s characteristic was ‘Maternal Instinct’. What’s maternal instinct?
A mother’s mind in which she thinks for her child. Ah, that. They’re amazing, the fans. It’s because of the thankfulness for the people who cheer for me that I came back and am going to release an album, and stuff. If it weren’t for the fans, I wouldn’t have came back.

Do you personally contact the fans?
No, I try not to do that as much as I can. It isn’t fair if I talk with some fans and I don’t with the others. Actually, it’s my parents who talk with my fans a lot. Especially my mom. My mom does that because she’s thankful, too. Because my fans worry for me, she tries to make them relax.
You say ‘I’m thankful (for the fans)’ a lot.

2nd page

“Of course, it’s a good thing that I have popularity. However, that can change or disappear. However, family lasts forever. The reason I engraved the years in which they were born on my chest in a tattoo is because I’m certain we’ll love each other forever.”

(continued form page one)

After seeing the YouTube video I uploaded from the States, the fans said that they wanted to see me go up on stage again. That’s why I’m doing the fanmeet tour this time. Because I want to show them a good stage, at least like this.

Your international fan meeting schedule was pretty packed up? How many countries are you going in total
Very many. Eight? Nine? For now, they’re all Asian coutnries, but I might be doing it in L.A. too. It’s not decided for sure yet.

If you were to compare the feeling from when you first came to Korea to be a singer to the feeling nowadays when you came back again, how are they?
They’re very different. At first, I came here thinking of my parents, and now, I’m thinking of my fans. I came back to show my thankfulness towards them.

Did you contact with 2PM members once you came back?
Mm, no.

You might run into 2PM while doing your activities in a broadcasting station’s powder room or a waiting room in a concert?
If we meet, I think I’ll say hi to them gladly. If we could be close, I’ll be really happy. It’s good that 2PM succeeded, too.

What was the thing you most paid attention to, looking at your in-country comeback up close?
So, you mean when I come back this time?
Yes. Your new song’s coming out, you’re filming a movie, you have to stand at the Naksan Summer Week & T stage
… Yes, you’re right. I have to pay attention to many things. Especially, Summer Week & T is the first big stage I’m standing on after 9 months as a singer, and I paid a lot of attention to it because I had to prepare a performance in short notice… (Laughs)

First performance after 9 months… you must be nervous.
I kept coughing for a month. I keep coughing whenever I sing. It’s not a cold… I’m not sure what it is.

Oh dear, did you visit the hospital?
Yes. Even if I go to the hospital and take medicine, it won’t stop. So these days, that’s the main worry I have. That I’ll cough in the midst of singing in Naksan.

The fans with a ‘motherly mind’ would be concerned if they knew?
The fans are actually worrying for me a lot already. They send me honey everyday, Yuja tea, telling me to get better soon…. (Laughs)

Instead of ‘Singer Jaebum’, what does ’20s Man Jaebum’ spend his time doing? What do you like doing?
Truthfully, I don’t do much. I play games on PS3 with my friends. I never play games by myself. That isn’t much fun.

More like, you might just like being with your friends instead of gaming.
It’s probably that. Whatever I do, I have to do it with my friends in order for it to be fun. However, a while ago, my friends went back to the States so I was alone most of the time recently. So I look at Twitter to see what my friends are doing…. If I’m alone, I almost always exercise. (Laughs)

You must be bored. And lonely.
Yes. So I’m just practicing breakdancing.
Omo, practicing again?
Ah, no. It’s a bit different from practicing….
Is there just no boundry line between work and play?
(Glad-looking) Yes, right. That! Because it’s fun, and I’m trying to always dance my best every time. Here, the tattoo… (showing the tattoo on his left chest) Always Come Proper, it means ‘Always Do Your Best’ (T/N: Or something like that.)
What are the numbers below that?
'55 is the year 1955 in which my father was born, the 60 beside it was my mother, the next is me (87) and my brother (89).
It’s a tattoo only a person who really loves his family could do.
Yes. It’s because I’m certain that we’ll love each other forever. Ah, and this is our crew’s name. (Shows the tattoo that says ‘AOM’ behind the right ear.)

What kind of woman do you like?
I don’t really have a specific style. The women who I think ‘Oh, they’re pretty’ all had different styles.
Question again. Then what point of a woman do you feel appeals to you?
Mm, a woman whom her smile is cute but beautiful as well?
That’s hard. How do you have to smile like to attain that?
I don’t really know. (Laughs) And I like a woman who has a natural feel. A woman whom her face is prettier without makeup. At that, it’d be good if she danced good. (Laughs)
Oh my, does a woman like that really exist?
Yes, of course.
It’s not that you met a woman like that recently?
Of course, I had a person who I thought was appealing. (Thinks for a moment) Since I can’t think of one off the top of my head, I don’t seem to have one. (Laughs)

Are you the type who thinks that you yourself have charisma?
No, I don’t think I have much.
Why not?
First, these ‘slippers’… (lifts up leg and shows a slipper he was wearing) and these gray socks… I’m like this, how am I charismatic. (Laughs) I don’t think I have charisma. I don’t think that someone will yell ‘Wow, he’s charismatic’ when I’m eating in a restaurant. (Laughs)

You’re smiling right now, but the points of your eyes are sharp?
This? It’s eyeliner. (Laughs)

‘Count On Me’ is a song that has a very different style than from back in the 2PM days.
Yeah, it is. These days, I write my own lyrics and it’s formulized into the music and dance I want. Before, I did songs that another person made.
There must be a great difference between doing a song another person made and doing a song you yourself made?
Ooh, it’s different. ‘Bestie’ was lyricized by me, so I’m anticipating revealing it more. I’m really excited and curious about what other people will think after listening to the song.

If you were to choose one thing that you couldn’t give up in life?
My family.
You answered in 0.1 seconds.
Really? Truthfully, I’m not interested in cars, or other things. I’m fine with cars as long as they just roll along fine…. (Laughs)
Popularity, too?
Popularity… but popularity can’t last all your life.
But it’d be different thinking about it like that versus actually receiving it.
Of course, it’s a really thankful thing to have popularity. However, things like that can change or disappear. However, family lasts forever.
Are you happy these days?
Yes, I’m happy. I’m happy that I came back. I’m happy that I’m being welcomed for my comeback, happy that people are giving me interest. I’m happy that I’m rapping and singing and dancing on stage. I’m happy these days.

Okay, now the last question. If someone asks ‘Who is Park Jaebum?’, how do you want to answer?
I don’t really know. What kind of person would I be? Hmm… this is a very hard question. I’m not a person who thinks hard thoughts like that. (Laughs)
Really, I guess we kept on talking about it for the past hour. What kind of person Park Jaebum is.



Original Source: Tellzone
Translation Source: JinaStar @ITSJAYPARK.COM