A New Beginning With LUN8: What You Need To Know About These 5th-Generation Wild Hearts

On June 15, for the first time since 2016, South Korea’s idol management Fantagio revealed members Chael, Jinsu, Takuma, Junwoo, Ian, Ji Eunho, Dohyun, and Eunseop to debut as rookie group LUN8.

Aside from being ASTRO‘s “dongsaeng” group and having a former I-LAND contestant included in the member lineup, LUN8 has since gained a tremendous amount of attention for serving both looks and skills!

In an exclusive interview with Koreaboo to celebrate their successful start to stardom, LUN8 shared their unparalleled ambition to become leaders of K-Pop’s 5th generation!

First things first: Congratulations on debuting and putting together a successful showcase! How does it feel to finally be able to share your music and perform in front of the fans?

Jinsu: This is the first step I’m taking to achieve all my goals. I’m so happy. It’s like a dream.

Chael: It still feels unreal. But I’m so thrilled to have my dream come true.

Takuma: First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who helped me come this far. As LUN8, I’m going to share with you all my charms! So please stay tuned.

Junwoo: I’m so excited to be sharing this new beginning as LUN8 with everyone!

Dohyun: I’m so happy that the members and I were able to make our dreams come true by debuting. Please be on the lookout for our growth as LUN8!

Ian: It’s an honor to present our first mini-album to the fans. The members and I are going to do our best to grow into solid artists.

Ji Eunho: I feel like I’m at this starting line, and it’s called “debut.” Going forward, the fans will be seeing the best of us. So I hope they’ll keep their eyes on us!

Eunseop: I worked really hard for a long time without any breaks to make this debut happen. Now that I’ve made it, I’m really happy. It’s a new beginning and I hope the fans continue to stay by LUN8’s side throughout the whole journey.

Your fans on Twitter asked: What was the most memorable moment while preparing for the album?

Ian: We were filming on a subway set for “Wild Heart.” It was the most memorable to me because I found it very impressive.

Ji Eunho: I remember feeling kind of confused by my own voice when I first recorded it in a studio. It sounded so awkward to me.

Your fans on Twitter asked: What inspired you to become an idol?

Takuma: There are so many reasons, but BTS‘s Jimin and SHINee‘s Taemin have been inspirational for me. I think it’s important to work hard on self-development and show people the colors that are unique to me. Just like they’ve been doing!

Junwoo: In terms of role models, I’m inspired by EXO‘s Kai, Chris Brown, Usher, and Bruno Mars. They’re the very reasons that I started dreaming about debuting as an idol.

Ji Eunho: NCT‘s Mark is my role model. I admire him a lot and want to take after his trendy vibe on stage.

What are some of the most memorable moments from your trainee period?

Takuma: I remember when the members pranked me. I almost thought Eunseop was older than I am because they decided to lie about their ages. Thanks to that cute prank, though, we grew close so much faster!

Ian: I remember playing “Red Light, Green Light” in the dorm corridor with the members. That was super fun!

What pressures or expectations do you feel? How are you dealing with them? What makes LUN8 stand out from other fourth and fifth-generation groups that debuted before?

Jinsu: I think I choose to feel grateful, rather than feel pressured. The members and I look forward to working hard so that we don’t undo the honors of our sunbae groups.

Dohyun: LUN8’s strength is teamwork! We’re versatile and quick to adapt. Together, we’re able to do anything and everything!

Jinsu, during the showcase, you mentioned that LUN8’s “hyung” group, ASTRO, gave you some advice ahead of debut.

Jinsu: Yes. ASTRO hyungs always cheered me up and gave me advice whenever I rain into them. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them!

And Ian, you took part in I-LAND three years ago. What was it like competing on the show? How did it help prepare you for your LUN8 debut?

Ian: Competing against a lot of people was not the easiest thing. But I think I was able to debut with LUN8 because of the mindset that I gained on the show. It made me work hard.

As expected, based on how passionate the members were about their debut as well as their futures during the interview, LUN8 has since become one of the 15 “Biggest K-Pop Debuts” in the first half of 2023—with multi-million views and likes on their “Wild Heart” music video. Looks like LUN8 is off to a solid start and all set on bringing new music to the K-Pop scene!

Feeling intrigued? Here’s LUN8’s debut track to spice up this summer.