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]

Famous composer and producer Yoon Il Sang has shared his thoughts on the ongoing NewJeans controversy, highlighting how important contracts are in the music industry.

On May 2, Yoon Il Sang released a video on his channel, Producer’s Talk Yoon Il Sang, titled “Opinionated Statement! Yoon Il Sang Talks About the NewJeans Controversy and Behind the Scenes of the Music Industry”.

When asked about his opinion on the controversy, Yoon Il Sang responded, “Do you want me to talk about it? To put it simply, I want to say that contracts are not a joke. You can't put an artist in danger while claiming to love them. I don’t think that's real love.”

He continued, saying he felt sorry for the NewJeans members, explaining, “I feel so heartbroken for them. They might regret their actions in the future, but you can’t see that future until it happens."

He added, "The adults around them should step in and help, but I wonder if the adults involved are actually handling the situation for their own gain. Regardless, contracts are serious.”

Yoon Il Sang went on to talk about the business side of the industry. “Producing is about people, and it means taking responsibility for someone's life. But at the same time, it’s a business, so you still have to make money."

He added, "There’s a balancing act. When you're inside this business, comparisons are inevitable. Another company might seem to treat their artists better, but every situation has its pros and cons. A company might excel in one area, but fail in another.”

He used the differences between large and small companies as an example: “Big companies are good at marketing and PR, but they can't focus on just one artist because they have so many. It’s about priorities, and sometimes artists can feel like mass products."

He added, "On the other hand, small producers might not have the same reach, but they can take better care of their artists and make them feel valued. I’m not saying big companies don’t value their artists, but the approach is different. What’s right really depends on the artist’s choice.”

Yoon Il Sang pointed out that NewJeans has already made their decision, saying, “They’ve signed their contract, so they should fulfill it. After that, they can claim their rights. But I wonder if criticizing the Korean music industry through interviews was the best way to go. Maybe they should have thought about it a little more.”

He also expressed his disappointment with the situation, stating, “The real problem is the adults who exposed the artists and pushed them to speak out. If they really cared about the artists, they wouldn’t have put them in that position. It’s tough."

He added, "Artists should just focus on making music, right? That’s why companies exist. But if the artists and the company handle everything themselves, then what’s the point of having a company? They essentially denied their own company. That’s what’s really sad.”

Source: [1]