SHINee’s Key is speaking up about the changing attitudes in K-pop, and fans are praising his honesty.

On May 3, SHINee’s Key appeared on Yoo Jae Suk’s YouTube variety show Pinggyego (episode 77), along with Girls’ Generation’s Yuri and entertainer Kim Dong Hyun. The three talked about careers, life changes, and what it’s like being in the industry for so long — and the conversation quickly got real.

When Yuri revealed she recently got her motorcycle license, Key smiled and said, “It’s really nice to see someone balancing life and work after all these years.” He then added, “Juniors are starting to dream of that too. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d still be active this far into my career.”

The three veterans opened up about how long-lasting careers in K-pop weren’t always seen as possible. “Back then, people around us would say things like, ‘You think your group will last?’ or ‘You’ll be gone in a few years,’” Key shared. “Hearing that kind of talk used to really bother me.”

Yoo Jae Suk agreed, saying, “It’s not helpful. We already think about that ourselves. We don’t need others reminding us.” Key nodded, adding, “Exactly. Why even say it?”

Then, the talk took a serious turn when Kim Dong Hyun asked if they ever feel the need to warn younger idols. Yoo Jae Suk replied, “If someone acts arrogant or gives off a bad vibe, you can feel it. But even if you say something, they won’t listen.”

Key strongly agreed and dropped a sharp comment: “There are a lot of people like that. Many of us debuted young. I see some juniors now and think, ‘You’ll regret that when you’re older.’”

He continued, “They act like their image only matters inside their company. But in the real world, it’s different. Still, I can’t say anything to them. If a single word could change them, they would’ve changed already.”

Key also shared a powerful story from his own experience. “The person who used to say ‘Music starts now’ on M Countdown is now a PD. The youngest writer is now the main writer. If I had been rude back then, do you think things would be the same now?”

“I want to tell juniors this,” he said, “but I can’t. And that makes me feel sad.”

Yoo Jae Suk wrapped it up by saying, “They’re not even asking for advice, so it’s hard to say anything. It’s not easy.”

Fans are now praising Key for his maturity and wishing more idols would listen to advice like this.

Source (1)

SHINee's Key recently shared the story behind his close connection with actor Byeon Woo Seok, revealing how their friendship goes way back to his modeling days.

On May 3, a new video titled "The 77th Episode is Just an Excuse" was released on the popular Tteunteun channel.

During the episode, when Yoo Jae Suk and Kim Dong Hyun joked about Girls' Generation's Yuri possibly having a romantic interest, Key took the opportunity to talk about Byeon Woo Seok.

"It would be nice to always live with love in your heart," Key said. "It's probably similar to the feeling of liking a celebrity. I think it's similar to how people are excited about Byun Woo Seok right now."

Yoo Jae Suk responded, "Woo Seok is really something," to which Key agreed, adding, "Many people have feelings for him. They even set his photo as their phone wallpaper. He's the same age as me."

Yoo Jae Suk then pointed out, "Byeon Woo Seok may have debuted a while ago, but he hasn't been widely known to us for long, so there’s a bit of a gap."

Key shared, "I have many model friends, so I’ve known him since his modeling days. I didn’t know his name back then, but I’ve always been glad to see him doing well."

Curious, Yuri asked, "Were you close to Byeon Woo Seok originally?" Key seemed surprised, replying, "I just said I wasn’t close to him," which caused Yuri to confidently reply, "I was just curious and wanted to hear more details. Why?"

Key laughed, joking, "If you and Dong Hyun hyung become close, the world will end!"

Source: [1]