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K-pop boy group 1VERSE makes history in the industry after making its global debut with two North Korean defectors among its members.
The group performed a live-streamed showcase at midnight on July 18, marking the first time that performers originally from North Korea have been trained for stardom in South Korea's global K-pop industry.
1VERSE, pronounced "universe," consists of members Yu Hyuk and Kim Seok, both North Korean defectors, alongside Nathan from Arkansas, Kenny from Los Angeles, and Aito from Japan. The group debuted with their first EP, The 1st Verse, under Seoul-based label Singing Beetle, featuring three tracks, including the debut single "Shattered."
Yu Hyuk, 25, originally from North Korea's northeastern county of Kyongsong, has been living in South Korea since 2013 after escaping at age 13. His childhood was marked by extreme poverty, beginning work at age nine and sometimes resorting to theft to survive.
"After I was caught stealing, I was beaten hard until I was bleeding. I was really hungry and instinctively, I was thinking about survival," Hyuk told reporters at the group's Seoul studio.
Kim Seok, also 25, defected from North Korea in 2019 and grew up in a border town near China. Unlike Hyuk's impoverished background, Seok came from a relatively better-off family and was exposed to K-pop music through smuggled USB drives and SD cards. He was initially a soccer player before pursuing music after arriving in South Korea.
The group is produced by Michelle Cho, founder and CEO of Singing Beetle, who previously worked in SM Entertainment's international A&R department. Cho, a Harvard graduate who was named an Asia-Pacific Leader by the Obama Foundation, has contributed to projects that collectively sold over 8 million albums.
The name "1VERSE" symbolizes how various "verses" or stories come together to form a unified "universe," reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the members.
"It can be lonelier as a verse, but together we can form a song," member Kenny explained during the group's press conference.
While 1VERSE represents a groundbreaking moment for North Korean defectors in K-pop, they are not the first group to include such members. BE BOYS, a six-member boy group, debuted earlier this year with North Korean defector Hakseong, who escaped in 2017 at age 13.
However, 1VERSE is the first group to feature two North Korean defectors as members.
The debut comes at a time when North Korea has intensified control over its citizens' lives since the COVID-19 pandemic, with continued reports of executions, forced labor, and starvation. Despite these challenges, both Hyuk and Seok have found success in their new lives while maintaining hope for the future.
The group has already built a global following of nearly one million through social media platforms ahead of their official debut, with particularly strong fan engagement in the United States, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.
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