Trot singer Haru, Photo|Reporter Lee Sun-myeong
A powerful rookie has appeared in the trot world. The protagonist is Haru (22), a rookie trot singer who, just over a year after deciding to become a trot singer, seized victory by beating formidable contestants in KBS1 ‘Morning Yard–Challenge: Stage of Dreams King of Kings’.
“When I was a senior in high school, my mother battled rectal cancer for two years and passed away. She raised me alone and always showed only strength, and when her health deteriorated, that was the first time I sang for her. It was ‘Hee-jae’ by senior artist Sung Si-kyung, her longtime favorite. Then my mother cried, saying, ‘I should be cheering for my son singing, but I am sorry I cannot.’ And two weeks later, she left this world. I am sure she watched me win today from the sky and was overjoyed, saying, ‘Son, you did great.’”
On the 10th, meeting at the Sports Kyunghyang headquarters, Haru shared his thoughts on capturing the top-singer title on ‘Morning Yard,’ his respect for towering seniors at his agency such as Namjin·Seol Woon-do, and his ambitions and plans as a traditional trot singer going forward.
Singer Haru, who won the KBS1 ‘Morning Yard-Challenge: Stage of Dreams’ King of Kings.
■“A whirlwind year on the run, seniors Namjin·Seol Woon-do cheered me on”
Haru’s everyday life has changed. A former member of the trot idol group Enix, he raced full tilt for a full year, climbing one step at a time on ‘Morning Yard-Challenge: Stage of Dreams’ until he captured the King of Kings championship.
“They told me I am the youngest-ever winner of ‘Morning Yard.’ It is already December, and I hardly noticed time pass, but I am truly happy to hold such a good result. I am grateful to the fans, too. The moment the winner was announced, my maternal grandmother, who had come to the studio, must have been so happy that she could not say a word and just hugged me and sobbed. She even kissed my face, and her lipstick mark got on my collar, too. Haha.”
After the passing of the mother who raised Haru alone, he continued living in Seoul by himself. There was hardly any job he did not try to make a living. While studying musical theater, a dance teacher suggested he audition for Enix, and before he knew it, he had become a trot singer.
Trot singer Haru, Photo|Reporter Lee Sun-myeong
“When I was young, my mom worked, and whenever I was alone, it was music that comforted me. I truly found solace listening to many kinds of music. When I played the piano and sang, I could express my feelings immediately. Now I want to convey comfort to fans with my songs. I hope you all become a happy ‘Haru’ with just a line of my song.”
Support from great seniors who have left bold marks in pop music history, such as Namjin and Seol Woon-do from the same agency, is also his driving force.
“We recently had a meal together, and everyone encouraged me. In particular, senior Namjin praised me, saying, ‘Haru, I see you on TV a lot. Keep working hard!’ and it only made me think I must do even better. I am still a fledgling trot singer, but thanks to meeting the great seniors, my dreams are growing. My desire to follow in their footsteps well has grown, too. They are the two people I admire most.”
Trot singer Haru, Photo|Reporter Lee Sun-myeong
■“Please look forward to activities in January next year with the ‘Morning Yard’ winning song, ‘Jal Jinaeyo’”
As a benefit of winning ‘Morning Yard,’ he earned the opportunity to record and release the new song ‘Jal Jinaeyo’ in his own voice. He will properly begin his activities as a singer by unveiling the new song for the first time on ‘Morning Yard’ in January next year.
“Now I will stand on the stage not as a contestant but as an invited singer. I am truly excited. I did not expect to win, so I actually also had a single album I had been preparing. I am preparing that together as well to release an album with about two tracks in the first half of next year, so these days I am incredibly busy with barely a moment to spare.”
He also has a dream of putting his tender feelings for his mother into a song.
Trot singer Haru, Photo|Reporter Lee Sun-myeong
“I want to make a song that fully captures memories with my mother and the regret of not being together. My goal is to become a singer-songwriter in the trot world. Since seniors Namjin and Seol Woon-do have done so, they have had a big influence on me. And if I have another dream, I also want to sing ‘Hee-jae,’ my mother’s favorite, together with fans. After my mother passed away, for six months I could not even listen to the first line of that song because it was too hard, and only recently have I barely been able to sing a single line. If I get the chance, I want to sing this song in front of those who like me and remember my mother together.”
Finally, we asked what kind of ‘Haru’ he hopes to be next December.
“I am a sprout now, but watching my seniors, I think I should become a person with a big heart. So next year I hope to be recognized even more as ‘Haru,’ a traditional trot singer.”
