Han Hae-ri-jun: From Survival Shows to 'Boys 2 Planet' - A Journey of Passion and Perseverance

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"Having participated in three survival shows before 'Boys 2 Planet', I was worried if viewers would still find me interesting or if I was taking opportunities away from other trainees."

Han Hae-ri-jun shared these thoughts during a recent interview at a café in Gangnam. Born in 2004, he debuted as a member of DKB in 2020 and is now in his sixth year as an artist. Despite his exceptional talent, which earned him a top spot at Hanlim Multi Art School's Practical Dance Department, his career was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after debuting. With limited opportunities to perform, he consistently participated in competition programs to showcase his unique skills.

In 2022, he appeared on Mnet's 'Be Mbitious' and JTBC's 'Peak Time' in 2023. Last year, he won the Japan-Korea collaboration program 'Reborn', but his official debut was canceled due to production issues. 'Boys 2 Planet' marked his fourth survival show.

Was he concerned about overexposure? Han Hae-ri-jun admitted, "I hesitated to participate, fearing I might seem inconsiderate. I discussed it a lot with my DKB members, wondering if people would still support me."

Ultimately, he decided to join the show to promote DKB and showcase his personal abilities. "My main goal was to highlight how talented our team is," he confidently stated. He added, "Although I performed well in previous survival shows, I couldn't maintain that momentum. I saw 'Boys 2 Planet' as my last chance to showcase our team's uniqueness with Hee-chan."

Previously, on 'Be Mbitious', Han Hae-ri-jun ranked second in solo applicant video views. Regarding his passion for dance, he said, "I have a personality that energizes and comforts people. I believe my dance makes others want to join in. I've often received such feedback in the dance scene, and I hope more people recognize it. My goal is to inspire reactions like 'Han Hae-ri-jun dances really well' and 'Watching him makes me want to dance too'. I want to spread that positive energy," he smiled.

His mother greatly influenced his dance journey. "She loved Michael Jackson and encouraged me to join a dance club in elementary school and take dance classes as a hobby. I started serious lessons in the first year of middle school," he recalled. "I prepared for Hanlim Multi Art School by learning street dance at a practical dance academy and eventually got accepted. If I hadn't debuted as an idol, I might have dropped out of high school and gone straight to college. My parents are very open-minded," he explained. He debuted in the entertainment industry at the young age of 16, with his eldest brother born in 1995 and his second brother in 1998.

"Both of my brothers were involved in arts and sports from a young age. My eldest brother majored in drums at Lira Art High School's Practical Music Department, and my second brother was a basketball player. I think I was greatly influenced by them."

When asked to rate his journey on 'Boys 2 Planet', he paused before answering, "75 out of 100." He continued, "I wish I could have shown more performances by reaching the semi-finals and finals. I wanted to give it my all, but I feel I didn't achieve as much as I hoped. The number of performances and screen time fell short of my expectations," he candidly shared.

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr