Yu Hyuk was just nine years old when he began begging on the streets of North Hamgyong, one of the most impoverished provinces in North Korea. Located along the country’s northern border with China and Russia, the region offered little opportunity for a young boy struggling to survive.
To make ends meet, Hyuk ran errands for soldiers, sold foraged mushrooms, and at times resorted to stealing. Once, out of sheer hunger, he swiped an unattended lunchbox at an underground station—only to discover that it contained nothing but a scoop of spoiled rice. This, he recalls, was simply “part of everyday life” for many North Koreans, a life dictated by survival rather than dreams.
Yet, despite these hardships, Hyuk dared to dream. Now 25, he is set to debut in the United States as a member of a K-pop boy band.
A historic K-pop debut
1Verse (pronounced “universe”) consists of five members: Hyuk and Seok, both North Korean defectors; Aito from Japan; and Asian Americans Kenny and Nathan. They are set to make history as the first K-pop boy band featuring North Korean defectors.
Born in a seaside village in Kyongsong County, Hyuk was raised by his father and grandmother after his parents separated when he was four. His mother later fled to South Korea and urged him to join her, but he initially refused, not wanting to leave his father.
However, as his family’s financial situation worsened—his father unwilling to work and his grandmother too frail—Hyuk eventually agreed to escape North Korea in 2013. His journey to the South took months, passing through multiple countries. He refrains from disclosing specific details to avoid endangering future defectors.
Upon arrival, he lived with his mother for a year before moving to a boarding school, financially supported by her. Yet, adjusting to South Korea’s rigorous education system proved challenging. Having barely completed primary school in North Korea, he struggled academically. It was through writing—first short poems about his past—that he found solace.
Discovering music and overcoming barriers
Initially, Hyuk believed his experiences were too unique to be understood by others. However, encouragement from friends and teachers in his school’s music club led him to embrace rap. Music, once an unimaginable luxury in North Korea, became his means of expression. He channelled his loneliness and longing for his father into lyrics, famously calling himself “the loneliest of the loners” in his pre-debut rap song Ordinary Person.
Graduating high school at 20, Hyuk worked part-time in restaurants and factories to support himself. In 2018, a turning point came when he appeared on an educational television programme. His story and rapping talent caught the attention of Michelle Cho, a former SM Entertainment producer. She offered him a place in her agency, Singing Beetle.
“I didn’t trust Michelle for about a year because I thought she was trying to cheat me,” Hyuk admits, explaining that defectors are often targeted by scams. Over time, however, he realised her investment in him was genuine.
A shared journey to stardom
Hyuk’s bandmate Seok, 24, defected in 2019, though his experience differed vastly. Coming from a relatively privileged background, Seok lived near the Chinese border and had access to K-pop and K-dramas via smuggled USBs and SD cards. Due to security concerns, he remains discreet about his escape.
Both boys were described by Ms Cho as “blank canvases,” wholly unfamiliar with pop culture. Unlike Aito and Kenny, who had trained in music and dance from an early age, Hyuk and Seok started from scratch. Yet, their sheer perseverance astounded Ms Cho.
“They endured gruelling hours of dance practice with such determination that I worried they were overdoing it,” she said.
Their training extended beyond music and dance, encompassing etiquette and media interview skills. “At first, when a trainer asked why they thought a certain way, they’d simply respond, ‘Because you said so last time,’” she recalls. But over three years, Hyuk transformed. “Now, he questions everything. If I ask him to do something, he’ll say ‘Why? Why is it necessary?’ Sometimes, I regret what I’ve done,” she jokes.
A band bridging cultures
The band’s international mix presents an interesting dynamic. Aito, the youngest at 20, initially held reservations. “I was afraid at first because North Korea and Japan have a hostile relationship. I thought North Koreans would be scary, but that wasn’t true at all.”
Kenny, who grew up in the US, had his own cultural adjustments. “Korean culture is very communal; you eat together. That was a shock for me. I usually eat alone, watching Netflix. But their joy comes from being collective.”
The band recently welcomed its fifth member, Nathan, an American of mixed Laotian and Thai heritage. Their label hopes debuting in the US will help attract a global audience.
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A message for North Koreans
K-pop is fiercely competitive, with dozens of groups debuting each year. Only a select few, often backed by major labels, achieve widespread success. Whether 1Verse will resonate with audiences remains to be seen. However, for Hyuk, success is about more than fame—it is about proving that defectors can thrive.
“Many defectors feel there’s an insurmountable gap between them and K-pop idols. It’s hardly a career option for us,” he says. “If I succeed, other defectors might dare to dream bigger. That’s why I am giving it my all.”
With North Korea’s severe crackdown on K-culture, it remains uncertain whether his music will ever reach his homeland. Since 2020, consuming or distributing K-pop content is punishable by death. Yet, human rights activists persist in sending smuggled USBs and leaflets into the country.
Ha Seung-hee, an expert in North Korean media at Dongguk University, believes 1Verse could make waves if their music reaches the North. “If a North Korean defector openly embraced their identity and became a world-class musician, it would cause a stir.”
Hyuk remains cautious, referring to North Korea only as “the upper side” and avoiding mention of Kim Jong Un. Yet, deep down, he hopes that one day, his fellow North Koreans might hear his songs and be inspired to dream beyond mere survival.
