Korean Gay Dramas are here, queer, and fans love it! With the continuation of BL content continuing to see a rise in the Korean entertainment scene (particularly as BL web series such as ‘Where Your Eyes Linger’) fans crave more of this juicy content.
A.C.E member and leader Jun made headlines after starring as the main love interest in ‘Tinted With You’ – a historical piece that showcases Korea’s traditional history with a modern love story. What exactly makes Gay Korean dramas so entertaining? Well, Jun himself sat down with us (right before he left for the army T_T) to discuss his thoughts about A.C.E, his time in the series ‘Tinted With You,’ as well as what the role means to him, and his opinions of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Before diving into the fun interview, take a chance to learn about the K-Pop boy group A.C.E and how Jun’s career began. A.C.E prepared a multitude of amazing songs, entertaining performances, and anyone who loves K-Pop will fall for them immediately! If you can’t wait and want to dive into the BL Drama content, take a leap to question six!
A.C.E, a five-member boy group consisting of members Donghun, Jun, Wow, Kim Byeongkwan and Chan, debuted on May 23, 2017, under Beat Interactive. A.C.E stands for Adventure Calling Emotions, meaning that the group wants to cause emotions that urge people to go on adventures and make dreams come true.
Their debut song “Cactus” was a successful start (perhaps due to the quirky name?) and the boys have continued to showcase various charms, styles, and remained heart-warming to their adoring fans called Choice. Keep reading and learn more about the boy group and leader Jun below~
Q1. A.C.E debuted in 2017 and has shown many styles and concepts. Is there a concept you enjoyed most for A.C.E?
Jun: “I think ‘UNDER COVER’ was the most fun. The concept was good and the performance went really well with the song, so I was full of energy when I was performing this track.”
“아마 언더커버가 가장 즐거웠던 거 같아요. 컨셉도 좋았고 퍼포먼스가 곡과 정말 잘 어울려서 무대를 할 때 굉장히 에너지가 넘쳤습니다.”
Q2. Is there a song you think is the most special out of all the songs A.C.E. made? Is there one you would recommend to new fans?
Jun: “I recommend ‘Stand By You.’ It’s my favorite song and I think it’s a song that can comfort everyone during difficult times.”
“저는 편지를 써 를 추천 합니다. 제가 가장 좋아하는 노래이기도 하고 모두 힘든 시기에 서로를 위로해줄 수 있는 곡이라고 생각해요.”
Q3. A.C.E. has quite the following and fans want to know, when will there be a full studio album?
Q4. How does it feel to be the leader of A.C.E? What was the most fun or difficult moment?
Jun: “When I became a leader, I felt a lot of pressure. At first, I really felt a lot of pressure to lead the other members. Hahaha~ I think the most fun moments were when we were singing and playing freely on stage. The most difficult moments were the long breaks between our album releases, Haha!”
“리더가 됐을 땐 정말 많이 부담스러웠어요. 처음엔 멤버들을 통솔해야 한다는 그 무게감이 정말 극심했거든요 ㅎㅎㅎ 아마 가장 재미있었던 순간은 무대위에서 자유롭게 저희끼리 노래하며 뛰어 놀 때가 가장 재미있는 순간들이지 않았나 싶고 힘들었던 순간은 앨범 공백기가 길어지는 순간이 심적으로 가장 힘들었던 거 같습니다 ㅎㅎ!”
Q5. A.C.E’s recent comeback ‘Changer’ has a summer and free vibe! What did you enjoy about filming that MV?
Jun: “Every moment was fun, but I really enjoyed my scenes with Wow Hyung (brother). He was so warm-hearted that I had a lot of fun while filming ‘Changer’ without realizing it.”
“모든 순간이 즐거웠지만 와우 형이랑 둘이 같이 찍는 씬이 너무 즐거웟습니다. 형이 너무 푸근해서 저도 모르게 진짜 놀면서 찍었던 거 같아요.”
Q6. You recently starred in a BL Drama called ‘Tinted With You’ – how did you first hear about the project and why did you decide to join?
Jun: “The scenario and casting offer came in first, and I watched the scenario and thought it was so much fun. So, I took on the challenge because it was a role I had always wanted to try.”
“시나리오와 캐스팅 제의가 먼저 들어오게 됐고 시나리오를 봤는데 너무 재밌었습니다. 그래서 꼭 한번 해보고싶었던 역할이라 도전하게 됐습니다.”
Q7. How does it feel to play a gay character and even have a kiss scene? How did you feel during the kiss scene and did you have to do it more than once?
Jun: “I think we filmed our kiss scene about 20 times. I didn’t feel anything different about the role itself but there were parts that the director asked us to film cute moments and it was hard to practice and prepare for those kinds of parts LOL!”
“총 20번 정도를 촬영을 했던 거 같아요 뭔가 역할 자체에 대해선 이질감은 크게 없었습니다 ㅎㅎ 다만 조금 귀여운 모먼트를 감독님이 요구하신 부분들이 있어서 그 부분들을 연습하는 게 힘들었어요 ㅋㅋㅋ”
Q8. How did you prepare for your role? Have you ever read a BL manga or watched a BL series before?
Jun: “In fact, I wasn’t very interested BL dramas or that genre before I filmed ‘Tinted With You.’ But while preparing for this role, I learned a lot about this content and researched a lot.” (I wonder what he watched, exactly… hmm…)
“사실 이 작품을 찍기 전엔 BL이라는 장르에 대해선 크게 관심이 없었습니다. 근데 준비를 하게 되면서 많이 알아보기도 하고 연구를 했던 거 같아요.”
Q9. You enjoy anime, especially ‘Attack on Titan’ – is there any anime you enjoyed watching recently?
Jun: “No, actually. ‘Attack on Titan’ was my last anime to watch (before the military enlistment). That’s how much I love the ‘Attack on Titan’ series and installments.”
“아뇨 저의 애니메이션은 진격의 거인이 마지막입니다. 그만큼 진격의 거인 시리즈를 사랑하고 좋아합니다.”
Q10. Do you have any final messages for your fans?
Jun: “Yes, I hope you all stay healthy and well. Thank you so much as always. I’ll show you a great performance after finishing my military service. I love you.”
“네 여러분 다들 건강하게 잘 지내시길 바랄게요. 늘 너무 감사드리고 군복무 성실히 마치고 돌아와서 다시 멋진 모습 보여드리겠습니다. 사랑합니다.”
In the end, Jun not only shares his personal feelings about being an idol and leader to his members but also the importance of his role and the beautiful opportunity that was delivered through this romantic BL series.
“Tinted With You” is just one of many web dramas paving the way for LGBTQIA+ content in Korea. Be sure to check out the many others available, support all the artists involved, and continue enjoying K-Pop culture! Oh – and support A.C.E, of course! Follow their Instagram and us for more updates!
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