North Korean defectors debut in new K-pop boy band 1VERSE
A new K-pop group is making headlines for more than just its music. Boy band 1VERSE, pronounced “universe”, debuted with five members from North Korea, Japan, and the U.S., including two defectors from the North.
Their first EP, The 1st Verse, dropped today alongside a live-streamed showcase featuring the lead single Shattered. The song, inspired by personal hardships, reflects member Hyuk’s grief after learning of his father’s death in North Korea, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Hyuk, 25, who escaped at age nine, recalled struggling with hunger and working from childhood before fleeing through China to join his mother in South Korea. Fellow defector Seok, also 25, first discovered K-pop through a smuggled media player before escaping with his family at 20.
Label CEO Michelle Cho says 1VERSE aims to bring authenticity to the industry: “Everyone loves a story of resilience, and this group embodies that.”
The band hopes its global roots and raw storytelling will inspire fans beyond the polished K-pop image.
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