Eric's rap

Shinhwa star says hello

By Suwitcha Chaiyong

Shinhwa's charismatic leader Eric Mun is well known for his groovy rapping and impressive acting skills. Along with the other members of Shinhwa, the 32-year-old star is also a role model for up-and-coming Korean performers, since the group has managed to survive and thrive for 13 years - longer than any other K-pop group.

After finishing his two years of military service, Eric recently embarked on a tour around Asia to meet his fans. At his recent Hello Again in Bangkok fan meeting, the star got close to the crowd, even allowing one lucky girl to hold his hand onstage. He also revealed some interesting personal details, such as the fact that he used to be afraid of the ocean after almost drowning as a kid.

During the meeting, Eric performed a song with Lee Seul, a singer with the new girl group Stellar. Before leaving, Eric promised his Thai fans that he'd soon return to the Land of Smiles with Shinhwa.

Student Weekly went along to Eric's press conference and fan meeting to catch up on his latest news.

Question: Apart from bigger muscles, what did you gain from your military service?

Eric: I didn't gain any muscles during military service - I actually accumulated more fat! My weight went up to almost 100 kilogrammes. But once I finished, I did lots of cycling to get my weight back down to around 72 kilogrammes.

Apart from that, I learned how to be more diligent and disciplined during my military service.

Question: Do you plan to work as a producer like the other members of Shinhwa?

Eric: I'm producing songs for a girl group called Stellar. Their music is electronic pop. Lee Hyori's songwriter also wrote a song for the group, so it should be interesting.

Question: As the leader of Shinhwa, are there any members of the group that you particularly have to look after?

Eric: Hye Sung. In the past, lots of fans thought that we weren't close, but we are. We even live in the same neighbourhood.

Question: What's the secret to keeping Shinhwa together for so long?

Eric: We had lots of hard times early on, but we got through them together. We're all like brothers now.

Question: Do you have any plans to get married?

Eric: I used to say that I'd get married at the age of 35. But I have a lot of work to do at the moment, so I might delay my marriage a bit longer.

Question: Do you have any special message for your Thai fans?

Eric: Thank you for giving me such a warm welcome. I'm sorry that I haven't been here for so long, but Shinhwa will definitely come back to Thailand next year.