SUNNY [INTERVIEW TRANSLATION] SNSD in W Korea (August 2017)

SUNNY

How does it feel to celebrate SNSD’s 10th anniversary?

My personality is one that tires easily of things, so there aren’t a lot of things that I’ve done continuously, so the only thing I’ve been doing for more than 10 years is work. As you go through life, there are times when it feels futile. Whenever that happens, the fact that I’ve been in SNSD for 10 years becomes a support system. If I was alone for 10 years, I could have been lonely but I have people to share experiences with. Members, fans, family, staff who we’ve worked together with for a long time. The times that have passed are proof of my existence. Even though it has been 10 years, the fact that we can show something new again is also lucky.

Recently at your birthday fan meeting, we were surprised by you personally picking and wrapping presents for fans by hand.

On my birthday, I invited and prepared for 515 people, but after I gave the presents, it felt too small compared what I’d been receiving all these years, so I felt sorry. I immensely felt how fans must have prepared each and every time. I was able to walk in their shoes.

In the last 10 years, what kind of change has happened to the members?

As expected, they are friends who distinguished themselves from the beginning, but when we debuted, we were young and it was our first time, so if back then we were passive girls, now we’ve become dominant and we have stability coming from our experience. Everyone knows what they are good at, and we still work hard toward that. Nowadays, when any member goes somewhere and does something, I don’t feel anxious at all.

When was the most difficult time while you were promoting?

Even during times when it was physically and mentally difficult, there were trivial enjoyments within them, and as time passes, I feel like they were helpful. Each individual had puberty-like personal slumps, and we experienced the team’s difficulties together. Every time, what ultimately helped was each other. There is comfort in the relationships with those who went through and go through the same experiences together.

There are a lot of idol and trainee hoobaes now. What would you like to say to them?

If there’s something they want to do that is age appropriate and can be responsible for, I would want them to attempt it all. If they do that, they’ll be able to know what they’re really good at, and what they’ve really wanted to do. Not through fantasy, but through reality, you will be able to figure out your own chemistry with specific type of work. You need to embrace both successes and failures, so you can’t take it too lightly. Another practical advice is that in this day and age, everything remains behind as a record (laughs).

Is there something you gave up on while being in SNSD?

Rather than give up, there may be a few things that I let go of. Since it’s a career where I received love, and receive people’s hearts, I learned that I can’t do everything according to my own greed. Should I say that, as a pro, I learned how to take given situations well? If there’s a regret, if I were a bit more mature, I would have known how to comfort myself, but I didn’t know how to do that and I pushed myself. You can only see these things in retrospect.

What contribution have you made to the team and what role did you play to create the SNSD that it is today?

When you say “That person is doing that…”, I wonder if I was in charge of being ‘that person’ (Laughs). Before, I had weak stamina and I was really shy, so for me, being an entertainer, especially an idol, was a genre in which I needed to try hard. Normally, I would be sickly like an ill chicken, and I tended not to have a lot of reactions, and even members knew that well. But to show a SNSD-like appearance, I worked hard. For example, even things like aegyo.

Your personality seems cheerful and bright normally, is that not that case?

When I was a student, I was typical, quiet and shy. When you go through experiences, what you possess becomes developed. The personality and character of each individual that is well-known now were created by us with a lot of effort, and these images were created to reflect the appearance that the public wants from us. Of course, the side of me from when I was young is still in my real self but a different side from the real me exists too. To make my current self known, I think I need to continuously work hard again.

You’re a passionate cat owner, to the point that you went to a cat industry exhibition. What has your cat changed in you?

I can’t remember the time before I had a cat. The biggest change is that I don’t think only of myself. It’s fascinating that there’s a life that greets me when I go home, and to have someone that I can communicate with every day has turned me into a bright person. It’s my first time having a responsibility and maintaining a long-term relationship, and the experiences that emerge from that is refreshing too. Of course, I don’t know if Sogeumie also thinks that we’re communicating emotionally. Even if it’s a one-sided relationship, the fact that I’m experiencing rich emotions is fascinating and I’m thankful for it. Not only happiness, but feeling sorry, and even being worried.

What are your interests these days?

TV, animation, movies, and I like various games. Role-playing, action, PC, console, mobile – I’m not picky, I play and erase various types of games. When I’m not promoting, I consider my bed to be a paradise and spend my days there. I tried to conserve my energy as much as possible.

There aren’t too many days left until your comeback, where is your heart at?

Saying ‘we prepared hard’, ‘please look at us prettily’ are words that everyone says every time. This time, I hope that a different heart gets communicated. There are times when we do various activities when we’re separate, but to each of our members, SNSD is #1 and to SNSD, our #1 are fans who have been with us. Now the word ‘fan’ feels a bit awkward and they feel more like comrades, or peers. I hope they know that.

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