Once again, "at the Peak Time of life": Team 23:00 Injun's story with Fantrie
Life is always unpredictable, and that's why life has meaning.
From "The Four Daughters of Armian" - by Shin Il-sook
There are as many talented people as there are stars in the sky, and there are many people who have a unique appearance, but even if you have all these things, becoming popular is a different matter.
That's because popularity is something that has already happened, not something that is inevitable and deserved.
It seems that only those who are talented enough to be recognized by everyone and who are good at seizing the rare opportunities that come along in life can get the attention of the world.
JTBC's new survival show "Peak Time" is a new format of survival audition program that gives people who may or may not be in the spotlight, but are talented enough, a new chance to take the stage as a team once again.
And right now, DaeGukNamA (known as The Boss, or DGNA), who competed as Team 23:00, is the center of attention.
#1. The Great Idol Era
K-pop has a relatively short history, but it's had a lot of ups and downs in that short time.
There are different opinions on where to start with the history of Korean idols, but it's safe to say that H.O.T, which debuted in 1996, and Sechs Kies, which debuted in April of the following year, were the first full-fledged idols.
Later, there were GOD and Click B, which are classified as the 1.5 generation, but in the end, the prototype of K-pop male idols has not changed much from the period when they were called the first generation idols.
After that, starting with the debut of DongBangShinKi (DBSK), which is said to be the prototype of the second generation of idols, the debut and colorful activities of SS501, Supernova, SHINee, Super Junior, and Big Bang, which are still talked about today, continued.
Then came the era of the 2.5 generation idols.
We can think of Beast, Infinite, DaeGukNamA, Boyfriend, and EXO as representatives of this generation.
BTS, the K-pop idols currently on top of the world, also belong to this generation.
Since then, we've had the third and third-and-a-half generations of idols, and now we're in the fourth generation, which is constantly changing.
To think of an idol as just a singer on TV is a mistake, this market has become so complex and fragmented, and so many people are interested in it.
K-pop didn't just happen in one moment, it's a result of the efforts and activities of older generations who have been recognized internationally.
DaeGukNamA(hereafter referred to as DGNA) is one of the best examples of this.
#2. DGNA
DGNA is a five-member idol group that debuted in 2010 and was active until 2017.
Their name may sound a bit unfamiliar in Korea, but that's because they were primarily based in Japan rather than Korea.
They officially debuted in Japan in 2011 and became very popular, reaching #6 on the Oricon Chart Weekly.
Their idol career continued steadily until their contract with their agency ended in 2017 (idols' contracts with agencies usually last for seven years), and all of the members have remained close to each other even after their time as DGNA ended.
Although their time as a team came to an end in 2017, the members have all gone their separate ways and haven't let go of their stage dreams.
Garam has continued to appear in musicals, plays, and dramas.
Jay, the youngest member, has continued to meet up with his Japanese fans after leaving the military a little later than his older brothers.
Hyunmin is still active as an art writer, and Mika, the leader, is still active in music.
And as for Injun, he's been working hard and challenging himself with various things.
After the group ended, he performed on numerous stages in Japan and continued his acting and music career in Korea.
It's great to be on stage and shine under the lights, but you have to prepare and endure the longer hours offstage to do so.
It's not an easy time for anyone to endure if you don't have fans who believe in you and support you no matter what.
Injun chose Fantrie as a way to connect with fans who truly love him.
#3. Fantrie, Injun
Stars exist because they have fans.
Fans, in turn, love them and give them meaning in life.
Fans fall in love with them when they see them shine the brightest on stage, and their affection and support is what drives them to strive for greater heights.
In that sense, Fantrie is a really big deal because it's a place where you can see with your own eyes the fans who really support you.
It's not just a bunch of people who are going to come and go, it's people who really love you, who you can communicate with directly on DM, and who are happy for you even when you're just having a normal day.
Injun's Fantrie has been a valuable space for us to see the love of his fans even when he's not on the air.
#4. Once again, the “Peak Time” of life
Injun is currently competing on JTBC's idol survival show "Peak Time" as Team 23:00.
The team is currently hovering between 2nd and 3rd place in the overall standings, making them one of the strongest favorites to win.
Team 23:00 will definitely be at the top of their game this Wednesday night.
Be sure to tune in!
Oh, also, don't forget to vote in the global poll once a day!
