North Korean Defectors Join First K-pop Group of Its Kind
Five-member boy band 1VERSE will debut July 18 as the first K-pop group to include North Korean defectors among its members.
1VERSE announced on June 20 that they will debut July 18, 2025 with their single album "The 1st Verse" under music label Singing Beetle. The group breaks new ground in K-pop by featuring two North Korean defectors alongside international members.
The five-member lineup includes Hyuk and Seok from North Korea, Nathan (an American of Lao and Thai descent), Kenny (Chinese-American), and Aito from Japan. Hyuk serves as rapper while Seok is a vocalist.
Hyuk, from North Hamgyong Province, grew up poor and worked odd jobs, begged on streets and sometimes stole food to survive. He typically ate only one meal a day and never heard K-pop music while in North Korea. At 13, he undertook a six-month journey through several countries to escape, arriving in Seoul in 2013.
Seok, who defected in 2019, listened to K-pop illegally downloaded on USBs from Ryanggang province, bordering China, where foreign goods are smuggled in more easily.
In 2020, Hyuk met Michelle Cho, a former SM Entertainment representative and founder of Singing Beetle. She offered rap lessons and Hyuk left his factory job to pursue music full-time in 2021. He became the first member of what was originally called SB Boyz, later renamed to 1VERSE.
It took executive producer Michelle Cho six years to find all members. Kenny joined in August 2023, followed by Hyuk and Seok in October, Aito in January 2024, and Nathan in December 2024.
When asked how they overcome language barriers, Seok said "body language". The five members now live together in a dorm in Seoul, chasing the K-pop dream.
Hyuk released a pre-debut mixtape "Ordinary Person" on March 20, 2024. 1VERSE already has over half a million followers on TikTok despite not having released their debut single yet.
Their official fandom name is 5TARZ, which combines the number 5 (referring to the five members) with the word "STARS".
The debut represents a significant milestone in K-pop's ongoing expansion beyond traditional boundaries, as Hyuk and Seok will become the first North Korean defector idols in K-pop history.
