An Interview With Heo Young Saeng’s Father

“Ever since Young Saeng went to high school, he became more mature and recently he is like a big brother. Sometimes he will talk back at me.”

KID WHO WENT TO PLAY AT TV STATION

Heo Young Saeng in actual fact isnt an introvert and quiet child. Although his relationship with his school mates are good, but due to that he is a single child thus he doesnt talk much at home.

“I am a Christian, thus there are bound to have some influence with regards to Young Saeng’s name. During his childhood, Young Saeng love singing. It was around 4 years old, when he was taking his school bus on his home, during the journey while listening to the radio station which was playing Park Nam Jung (slam10: I dont know whether my translation for the name is correct. sorry if it is wrong) song, Young Saeng sang and dance at the same time. After we got home, I find that he is better than I thought so sometimes we will go to norabang (Karaoke) to practise, of course we did not let his mum knows about it.

As long as he is following his variety show scripwriter father to the TV station during those days, he doesnt feel like going to other places. He even consolidated the different artistes’ signature which he got into a book eg Shin Seung Hun & Kangta. Maybe it is due to that, Heo Young Saeng naturally love music and also his similiarities towards Shin Seung Hun.

A FATHER WHO IS LIKE A FRIEND, A SON WHO IS LIKE BROTHER

Heo Nam Su gave birth to Young Saeng when he was 23 years old. As he who lost his mother at young grew up lonely told himself that he will treat his children well if he has any in the future. So although he is a father at quite a young age, but he is very proud to say that he is a father who is like a friend.

“Ever since Young Saeng went to high school, he became more mature and recently he is like a big brother. Sometimes he will talk back at me. “Dad, please don't be angry, cool down before saying anything…”

Young Saeng had his own crossroads times where he doesn’t want to study during his high school but to no avail. He was stuck in the middle where his mum wants him to study medial in the university but his dad wants him to do stuff which he likes thus Young Saeng was very confused.

In the end, due to the distance between his school and the training room, Young Saeng chose to live alone. Because of personal reasons, Heo Nam Su couldn't live with his son.

Heo Young Saeng received very tough training and also at the same time went thru a period of puberty. People laughed at him saying that “You will never ever succeed”, he proved them wrong. When SS501 got their 1st award at 2005 M.net KM Music Festival: Best New Male Group Award, he cried loudly. He knew better than anyone what his son was going thru, all the difficulties, thus he was very heart pain and can only use tears to console each other.

“He called me 1st, hopeful and wanting to get my acknowledgment. Although our conversation did not last very long, the images and the feeling during that time is still very vivid till now.

ENTANGLEMENT, DO NOT REALLY TALK

“I am very apologetic towards Young Saeng. When he was young, we moved house many times, when he was in grade 5, he cant adapt to moving from Incheon to Chuncheon. One day, there was a huge reaction to his talent performance in school, maybe it was during that time, he decided that his dream was to become a singer.

Even though he did not really object to his son’s dream, but he did hope that his son can go to university, after graduating, go to a good company to work and live his live peacefully and ordinarily. But he did not stubbornly stop his son, Heo Nam Su keep his hope of wishing his son to give up his dreams in his heart and went to find an old friend who is a music producer.

“Even though that he is stubborn saying he does what he says, but still I totally support and agree thus he start his training in SM entertainment. But if he continue to stay there, probably, he will debut with Super Junior as their members. But DSP wants to groom him and debut him as member of SS501 and he did that.” Thus his route is easier than other trainees. Even though having fame, Young Saeng still feel lonely.

“For a person who cooked ramen to eat, I am not sure whether I will be shocked or surprise. Our Young Saeng is not a person who get sad easily. But also hard to tell regarding the sad stuff which he went thru went he was in his teens, plus during that time his heart was very fragile….”

SS501 members are now in different companies.