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For westerners, K-pop has become the umbrella term for any artist performing songs in Korean (and usually dancing along). But South Korea has a long history of pop and rock artists who don’t adhere to that stereotype. Catch The Young is the latest band to showcase their musical dexterity as much as their singing. They punctuate this point on their latest guitar-heavy single “The Young Wave,” a six-minute instrumental that precedes their upcoming studio album.

All the members of the quintet participated in this interview, which has been translated into English. Fans may follow the group on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/catch_theyoung/) and X (https://x.com/catch_theyoung). This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

Kihoon: I would love to watch Lollapalooza while visiting Chicago. It would be a dream come true if Catch The Young could perform there! [Laughs] I also want to attend Glastonbury Festival in England.[And] I want to visit Hawaii! I want to relax with an ocean view and clear scenery.

Namhyun: I want to visit Switzerland, Italy and Bali, Indonesia. Our hope and goal [as a group] is to perform at music festivals in different countries, including the U.S.

Sani: I’m a huge fan of FC Barcelona in Spain, so I’d love to visit Barcelona one day.

Q: Where was a memorable concert that you attended as a fan?

Sani: Jacob Collier’s concert in Seoul, back in 2018. I remember feeling fully immersed in the moment, beyond just listening to the music. I loved that experience.

Jungmo: I truly enjoyed performances by Turnstile and Jack White, headliners for the 2024 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival in Korea. It motivated me to dream of a day when we perform as a headliner at major festivals.

Q: What was a trip you took as a child that stands out?

Namhyun: For me, the most memorable trip was to the Philippines with my parents when I was in high school. I can still picture the sunset over the sea and the beach party full of people and music. It was so fun!

Junyong: I traveled to four countries in Europe in 10 days when I was young, and it was an unforgettable experience for me, as I didn’t know much about foreign countries back then. However, I also remember that I had a bit of a hard time because I wasn’t used to some of the food there.

Q: Have you been somewhere where it was so inspirational that you included it in your music?

Sani: I love the sea, and I find a lot of inspiration for writing the lyrics when looking at the horizon from the beach. Our song, “Voyager,” was inspired by looking at the sea.

Namhyun: I think I find the most inspiration when I take a walk by myself after wrapping up a day’s schedule.

Junyong: I tend to find inspiration from my daily life and experiences. I am currently in high school, and I get a lot of ideas by talking with friends instead of actual experiences.

Q: What are your five favorite cities that you have been to?

Junyong: Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, Rome, Paris, Sapporo and Boracay.

Kihoon: Seoul, Busan, Kangwon-do, Jeju Island and Osaka, Japan.

Namhyun: My hometown Gangneung, Busan, Phuket in Thailand, Tokyo and Boracay in the Philippines.

Q: Have you had the opportunity to travel more since you've been in Catch The Young?

Namhyun: I love traveling, but I hadn't had many chances to travel. As a member of Catch The Young, I got to visit many places I’ve never been to, so it’s very exciting and amazing to me.

Sani: For Catch The Young’s activities, we visited Japan twice. Since we were not on vacation but visited the country to perform as a band, we did not have a lot of free time. But it was a great opportunity.

Junyong: I have traveled overseas often, but I got to stay in a foreign country for a long time for the first time as part of Catch The Young promotions. It is great to experience new things.

Q: What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?

Namhyun: From my travel experiences, I learned that the world is big and it’s important to think far ahead. Traveling motivated me to not regret too much about today’s small mistakes; instead, it’s more important to look at the bigger picture while learning new things in life.

Sani: I haven’t done a lot of traveling, but something I learned so far is that you’ll run into more unexpected issues if you’re not fully prepared.

Jungmo: I learned about point of view, understanding, consideration and culture from my travels. Every time I go somewhere, I realize that the world is big and there are various cultures and people in it. Therefore, I should be more open and understanding about different viewpoints.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. You can reach her at www.jaehakim.com, follow her on Instagram and X @goawaywithjae, or read more from her on Substack (jaehakim.substack.com).)

©2025 Jae-Ha Kim. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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