One big world, infinite ways to live
Born and raised in Chicago, NCT 127’s John Suh got his first taste of concerts thanks to his mother, who worked for a local radio station. “I was too young to remember who I saw, but I remember myself having a lot of fun,” says Suh, who goes by the stage name of simply Johnny.
Johnny and some of his bandmates took a breather from promoting their EP “We Are Superhuman” to participate in this interview. An edited version of our conversation follows.
Q: When you’re in a new city, what are some things you look forward to doing?
Johnny: Because we usually don’t have that much time, I usually like to just go out on a walk and see what the city is about. I make sure I try not to wear earphones so I can listen to the city’s sounds as well.
Yuta: I just simply like to enjoy the particular atmosphere and feel of every city we go to. Every city has its own weather and culture. Same with every country we visit. I feel like I receive some kind of healing just by experiencing all of that.
And, of course, it’s awesome to finally see all the fans who are at all these different places.
Q: Your fans listen to your music when they travel. Who do you listen to?
Johnny: I listen to all sorts of music on the plane. All the way from K-pop to EDM. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of FKJ and Frank Ocean.
Yuta: I listen to a variety, as well. But these days, I’ve been listening to a lot of Japanese music.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
Jaehyun: I remember this past year while I was traveling for work, I had some time to roam around in the streets. That’s when I thought to myself, “This world is so big. There’s no need to be caught up in a singular way of thinking.”
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
Mark: I would like to see Australia for once! I’ve always heard that the scenery and nature was really nice over there. It would be cool to visit sooner than later.
Taeyong: I’ve been fortunate and lucky enough to travel to so many countries around the world. And because I travel so much, I sometimes think that I’d like to stay and perform more in Korea than travel somewhere else around the world.
Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
Taeyong: The one that sticks out is when I went to the beach with my family as a young boy. I think it was both the best and the worst vacation memory for me because we all stayed in one tiny hotel room together, but made some kimchi stew in a small pot and laid out in the sand on the beach. I remember playing with the jellyfish in the water with my older sister.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items that you always bring with you on the airplane?
Mark: I always bring my glasses, headsets and a book that I may be reading at the moment. I realized that I don’t get to read often during my regular day-to-day schedule, and I figured the time on the plane would be the best time to read for me.