SEOUL, July 18, 2025 | Skylink Times – Entertainment Desk
In a groundbreaking moment for global K-pop, a new boy band named 1VERSE debuted on July 18, featuring a lineup that includes two defectors from North Korea. The five-member group, formed by young men from North Korea, Japan, and the United States, aims to bring real-life stories and authenticity to a genre often dominated by polished imagery.
The group—Hyuk, Seok, Aito, Nathan, and Kenny—released their first EP The 1st Verse, featuring the emotionally charged debut single “Shattered”, which touches on the trauma of escaping oppression.
At the stroke of midnight, 1VERSE delivered a live-streamed showcase, unveiling their slick choreography, makeup, and a dynamic strobe-lit stage to global audiences. The official music video for Shattered is set to drop later today.
Real Stories Behind the Glamour
Yu Hyuk, 25, who grew up in Kyongsong, North Korea, recounted heartbreaking memories of hunger and survival. “I started working at nine. Sometimes I had to eat spoiled rice—or worse. When I was caught stealing, I was beaten until I bled,” he told Reuters from the group’s studio in Seoul.
Hyuk escaped North Korea as a child, traveling through China with the help of a broker. He now values simple things like being able to eat three meals a day and perform freely.
Kim Seok, also 25 and from a border town near China, was first introduced to K-pop through pirated videos. He and his family fled the North when he was 20. His love for music was sparked by Psy’s Gangnam Style, a song once smuggled into North Korea on USB drives.
Their debut track Shattered reflects deep emotional wounds, including Hyuk’s grief over learning of his father’s death after fleeing the country.
An Authentic K-pop Experience
Michelle Cho, CEO of Singing Beetle, the label behind 1VERSE, said the aim was to form a K-pop group grounded in real experience. “Who doesn’t love the story of someone from a humble background chasing their dreams?”
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Despite diverse cultural backgrounds, the members say they share strong bonds. Kenny, a Chinese-American member, said, “Our group is a unique type of global. Isn’t it fun?”
But the spotlight on their past isn’t what defines them. “I want to be an idol who brings energy and hope,” said Hyuk. “To show others they are not alone—there are people like me.”
As North Korea intensifies its crackdown on foreign influences, including harsh punishments for watching K-pop, 1VERSE’s debut sends a powerful message: art can transcend borders—and break them.
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