Yoonki from the group NAZE has shared that he improved his English skills through gaming.
NAZE, consisting of members Kaisei, Yoonki, Ato, Turn, Yuya, Kim Geon, and Dohyuk, recently discussed their debut album 'NAZE' at the Ten Asia office in Jung-gu, Seoul.
The group is made up of multinational members who speak various languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, and Thai. Notably, Korean member Yoonki boasts impressive English skills despite not having studied abroad.
Yoonki explained that he naturally picked up the language through his hobbies. He said, "I learned English by playing games with foreigners. I played FPS and RPG games and was good at them. I even participated in international gaming tournaments and ranked third in the world." He added, "I considered becoming a professional gamer, but my love for music was stronger, and I wanted to debut as an idol."
A talent show during his school days inspired Yoonki to pursue a career as an idol. He recalled, "I participated in a talent show for the first time in middle school. I spontaneously went on stage and rapped. I can't forget the smiles and cheers from my friends. When I passed the mic, they sang along, and that moment stayed with me, making me happy even in my dreams," he said with a smile.
NAZE is the first rookie group from C9 Entertainment in five years, following CIX and EPEX. The name NAZE represents a geographical feature where the sea meets the land, symbolizing the group's ambition to explore infinite possibilities and discover their true selves.
NAZE's debut mini-album 'NAZE' will be released on November 4th at 6 PM.
By Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr