[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] “I burst into tears right in front of our CEO the moment I heard our debut song”
Joo Hyun, the leader of the rookie boy group EMOTI:M, still vividly remembers the moment he first heard “SPARK,” the title track from their debut single “CONNECT.” For him, who had once put his dream of becoming an idol on hold, the debut song was more than just his first track. It was the courage that made him dream of the stage again, and a spark that reignited a dream he had long buried.

◇Attention Pouring In Even Before Debut… “It’s Overwhelming and Makes Me Feel a Sense of Responsibility”
EMOTEM, set to officially debut on the 31st, is a five-member boy group consisting of Korean members Chan-yul, Ju-hyun, and Jin-won, Japanese member Rei, and Hong Kong-born Young-ho. From trainees who appeared on JTBC’s “Project 7” to K-pop majors, former band members, and young people who dreamed of K-pop while living abroad—though each has walked a different path, the five members have come together toward a single dream, just as their group name suggests: connecting emotions through music.
EMOTEM’s pre-debut activities have been extraordinary. With just teaser and challenge videos featuring their faces covered by emojis, they garnered 370,000 TikTok followers and 20 million cumulative “likes,” capturing the attention of global fans. The members, too, felt both excitement and a sense of responsibility in the face of this unexpectedly high level of interest.
In a recent interview with Edaily, Chan-yul said, “I was truly grateful that so many fans showed interest even before our debut,” adding, “I felt overwhelmed with emotion both when we recorded the song and heard the finished product, and when we first received the choreography. I’m truly grateful just for the fact that I’ve reached this starting point in my life—my debut.”
Jinwon said, “The process of climbing step by step toward my dream is a joy in itself,” adding, “Although there are times when it’s tough and exhausting, having fans who support us even before our debut has given me a sense of responsibility to work even harder.”
For Joo-hyun, “Spark” holds a special meaning unlike anything else. He confessed that he once set aside his dream of becoming an idol when faced with reality, and after that, even listening to K-pop became difficult for him. The more he loved it, the more it hurt, so it was a time he deliberately kept his distance from it.

Joo-hyun said, “When the CEO first played the song for me, tears just welled up without me even realizing it.” He added, “After giving up on being an idol, listening to K-pop used to break my heart, but when he played a song with the exact vibe I’d imagined—thinking, ‘If I ever debut, I definitely want to perform a song like this’—it made me want to find the courage to try again.”
For Youngho, who is from Hong Kong, moving to Korea was a life-changing challenge. He became hooked on K-pop after seeing a performance by Jungkook of BTS and headed to Korea after taking a leave of absence from college. Since he chose the life of a trainee while leaving his familiar daily routine behind, there were plenty of anxious moments.
Youngho said, “When I first came to Korea two years ago, I never imagined I’d end up debuting like this,” adding, “Even when I first visited a broadcasting station not long ago, it felt so surreal, and even now, the entire process of preparing my songs and performing on stage still feels unbelievable.”
Japanese member Rei also faced a bumpy road to his debut. His planned debut in Japan fell through, and as he got older, he began to seriously question whether he should continue pursuing his dream. He decided to try out for an audition in Korea with the mindset that it would be his last chance, and that choice led to the formation of EMOTEM.
“When my debut opportunity fell through, I felt really anxious, and my concerns about my age grew,” Rei said. “I took the Korean audition thinking this would be my last chance, and I ended up passing. It still feels like a dream, and I’m so grateful for this moment.”
The hardest part of life in Korea was the language. Although she was more confident in her dancing than anyone else, she struggled to keep up with even the finest details of the choreography because she couldn’t understand Korean.
Ray said, “The hardest part was feeling like I couldn’t properly help the members because I didn’t know Korean,” adding, “Since I didn’t understand the choreography details, I had to start by just mimicking the moves, and it made me feel bad because I felt like I was being a burden. Still, thanks to the members, I was able to adapt by learning one thing at a time.”

◇Like BTS and Big Bang… “We Want to Be a Group That’s Loved for a Long Time”

The members of EmotiM unanimously agreed that their diverse backgrounds have actually become the group’s greatest strength. Chan-yul, who gained stage experience on a survival show; Jin-won, who honed his fundamentals in a K-pop program; Ju-hyun, who built his musical skills through band activities; and Ray and Young-ho, who developed their dance skills overseas—each is contributing their unique experiences to shape the group’s distinct identity.
Joo-hyun said, “At first, I was worried that our different upbringings might cause friction,” adding, “But the more time we spent together, the more I realized that Chan-yul’s stage experience, Jin-won’s solid fundamentals, Young-ho’s dance background, and Ray’s delicate expressiveness are all strengths that create our group’s unique identity.”
Joo-hyun, who has been writing her own lyrics and composing her own music, also expressed her hope to one day present fans with an original song that captures EMOTEM’s unique style.
“I’m constantly writing songs while observing the members,” Joo-hyun said. “Although our concept is refreshing right now, as time goes on, I definitely want to share music that showcases the members’ hip and unexpected charms.”
Although the five members envisioned slightly different futures, they were ultimately heading in the same direction. Chanyul dreamed of becoming an artist who performs in front of an audience of over 100,000 people, while Youngho set his sights on returning to the MAMA AWARDS stage—not as a backup dancer, but as a singer. Ray dreamed of performing at the Kyocera Dome in her hometown of Osaka, and Jinwon aspired to become an even more accomplished performer on stage.

Chanyul said, “I want to become an artist who brings warm comfort to people,” adding, “My biggest goal is for us to remain active as a group that can deliver positive energy to fans around the world for a long time.”
Young-ho said, “Last year, I stood on the stage of the ‘MAMA Awards’ held in Hong Kong as a backup dancer, and this time, I want to return to that stage as a member of EmotiM,” adding, “I want to become an artist who can now pass on the emotion I personally felt to our fans.”
Ray said, “I’ll do my best so that fans feel they made the right choice in supporting EMOTEM,” adding, “Although we still have many areas to improve, we’ll work on them one by one and definitely become the best group.”
Finally, the members of EmotiM named BTS and Big Bang as their role models. They expressed their desire to become artists who are loved worldwide for a long time, like BTS, and a group that can overwhelm audiences with their stage presence alone, even as time passes, like Big Bang.
“We want to be a group that stays with our fans for a long time. We want to become artists who, like our seniors BTS and Big Bang, can turn any stage into a concert venue, and we want to continue our activities for a long time as a group that remains consistently loved no matter how much time passes.”