NU'EST's Minhyun Shares Hopes For Acting, Admiration For Park Seo Joon, Dramas He's Been Watching, And More

Mar 19, 2020

NU’EST’s Minhyun recently featured in a pictorial for Esquire magazine and talked about various topics in the accompanying interview.

First off, Minhyun talked about attending Milan Fashion Week. He said, “I went to Milan for the first time during NU’EST’s European tour four years ago. Back then, I just unpacked as soon as I arrived, slept, and performed on stage, so I couldn’t even say I saw Milan. I went as Moncler’s ambassador twice, and after going there many times, I’ve grown attached to it. I remember the second time I went there. Everything was amazing. It was unfamiliar, but I was excited and nervous too.”

When the interviewer commented that the staff members at Milan praised him for being kind and greeting everyone, he said, “I’ve been taught since I was a child to greet people. My parents taught me that I have to be good at that.”

The idol was asked about any travel rituals he had, and he revealed, “As soon as I enter the hotel room, I put the trunk on the luggage rack, take out all the cosmetics, and display them on the dressing table. I also take out all my clothes and hang them up nicely according to their colors. That way, I can move onto doing something else.” He added that while the other NU’EST members quickly leave the hotel, he remains behind to wait for his luggage because he can’t wait to organize his stuff.

Minhyun also picked a line from one of his songs that he thinks he sang best. He shared it was the first “Hello” in NU’EST’s 2013 title track “Hello.” He explained, “I think it took about 100 tries to record that one word. After singing it 100 times, it really came out perfectly. When I practiced, I thought of it as my song, and I liked the results when I recorded it.”

When asked about his favorite nickname made by fans, he said, “My last name is Hwang, so I have a lot of nicknames connected to that. I like the cool ones, like Hwangjae (meaning ‘king’) Minhyun. I feel like I’m getting cooler when I get nicknames like that, and I feel like good things are happening because of it.”

The interviewer pointed out he does a lot of aegyo (display of cuteness). Concerning that, he said, “Well, in my daily life, when I’m with my members or people I feel comfortable with, the aegyo comes out unintentionally. It wasn’t my intention to be cute, but there are some things that might make it feel that way. But I can’t do it well when I’m put on the spot on TV shows. However, I can do it in front of fans. For example, I can do it at a fan meeting or a concert. I can’t do it well on variety shows.”

Currently, all events are on hold because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that is causing people to self-quarantine. Minhyun commented, “I’m a homebody, and I like to be alone. Besides my members, I only have a few other friends. So we either meet at home or go to the gym. I’m thinking of it optimistically as an opportunity to watch dramas and movies. I’m living vicariously through romance moves on Netflix.”

When asked about what he’s been watching recently, he answered “Melo Is My Nature,” “Itaewon Class,” and “Crash Landing on You.” He explained that although he knows “Hyena” is popular nowadays, he’s not interested in that kind of genre and likes romance more.

Minhyun shared that he really likes the character Park Sae Roy (played by Park Seo Joon) in “Itaewon Class.” Laughing, he said, “Isn’t he so cool? It’s like one of my hopes and wishes. [I want to play] a character full of perseverance and hope. Each of his lines is a wise saying, so I heard that there are a lot of people who cheer up while watching the drama. He’s full of justice. [His character] might not suit me though.” He added that if he got the chance to act, he would like to play a character that resembles him, such as a man who lives an upright life.

He continued to praise Park Seo Joon, saying, “Aren’t we alike? Park Seo Joon hyung is very warm-hearted, and he’s a cool guy. I texted him when ‘Itaewon Class’ started, saying, ‘Thanks to you, I’m feeling comforted while watching the drama.’ He replied that he’s also feeling energized. I was happy.”