First-Generation K-Pop Singer Is Flabbergasted By A Junior’s Derogatory Comment

First-generation singer Brian Joo from the duo Fly to the Sky recently shocked people by revealing a derogatory comment he received from a junior singer.

In the trailer for the upcoming LG U+ MobileTV show Believe and Say-Be On My Side 2 (a direct translation), Brian Joo appeared as a guest and demonstrated his refreshingly straightforward advice to people’s concerns.

Brian and the show’s panelists shared their opinions on “a friend who thinks of you as an emotional garbage bin.” Some described it as “gaslighting,” while others shared that it would be frustrating. In response, Brian shared his thoughts.

People who try to bring you down must be ousted from your life… It’s better to thoroughly organize and clean than stress over people.

— Brian Joo

While talking about people who “bring others down,” Brian shared that there was a lot of competitive tension among singers. He once reunited with a junior after many years, and the junior said something hurtful and disrespectful.

The junior told me, ‘Hyung, these days, you’re considered a senior if you’re successful.’

— Brian Joo

In the Korean entertainment industry, seniority is determined by one’s debut year and is considered important to the workplace hierarchy. Juniors are expected to respect their seniors, and seniors are to set good examples for their juniors. Therefore, hearing from a junior that it wasn’t the debut year that determined one’s seniority but the level of success shocked Brian and the panelists.

Panelist Han Hye Jin stated, “They must be out of their mind!” expressing disbelief, and the other panelists couldn’t hide their anger.

Fly to the Sky, consisting of Brian Joo and Hwanhee, is an R&B duo that debuted in 1999 under SM Entertainment and gained popularity throughout the 2000s for their powerful soul ballads.