From Yoo Ji-ae's wedding song to a Lovelyz comeback spoiler... Ryu Soo-jung, at 12 years in the industry, opens her second chapter [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Ryu Soo-jung, a member of the girl group Lovelyz who has transitioned from a teenage girl to someone now in her 30s, has fully opened up her second musical life with a more resilient inner self and undiminished passion.

Recently, Ryu Soo-jung held a roundtable interview at a café located in Seoul's Yongsan District to commemorate the release of her fourth mini-album, "ALL THE COLORS I AM."

On that day, Ryu Soo-jung shared unfiltered insights ranging from the heartwarming behind-the-scenes story of being solely responsible for Yoo Ji-ae's November wedding song after becoming the group's first "sold-out bride," to her honest and realistic plans regarding the highly anticipated "full-group reunion of Lovelyz," showcasing her signature bold charm.

Ryu Soo-jung shared sincere thoughts on the background behind signing an exclusive contract with All My Aeonics Dots after passing through a one-person agency, as well as her future goals.

Debuting under Ulrim Entertainment in 2014, Ryu Soo-jung established her own personal label in 2022 to stand on her own, but recently joined hands with All My Aeonics Dots, founded by creative director Lee Hae-in, who created the girl group Kiss of Life.

Explaining why she chose the new company, Ryu Soo-jung said, "Running a label alone was naturally difficult, but I was enjoying it. While releasing albums on my own and gaining new experiences, the current company respected those efforts and viewed them positively. They proposed, 'How about we try doing something like this together?' The offer was so appealing. Feeling that my solo achievements were appreciated, my resolve wavered, and I decided to move forward together."

Especially, the deep connection with Lee Hae-in, the head of the company, played a decisive role. Ryu Soo-jung recalled, "The most memorable thing I shared with 'unnie' (Lee Hae-in) was her saying, 'Your potential is limitless, and I imagine and dream of you on a big stage. I hope you do the same for me.'"

She continued, "Over more than 10 years of activity—long or short—I did experience times when my true goals changed, and moments when I rationalized and scaled down my dreams. Having been active for so long, I often set smaller goals to run a longer race, but unnie dreamed alongside me about the big goals I once had, becoming a great source of motivation. This gave me courage and became the catalyst for me to dream big again."

Ryu Soo-jung expressed strong trust, stating, "I thought I was someone who poured passion into music and albums, but meeting unnie showed that she was even more passionate than me, if not less. That part truly aligned perfectly."

With new support, Ryu Soo-jung, who now holds big dreams again, is looking toward even broader stages.

When asked about newly set goals during her solo activities, she highlighted, "The most rewarding and enjoyable parts of my activities have been performances and festivals." Ryu Soo-jung added, "Last year, I attended a festival alone, and it felt truly unique. Seeing not only my fans but also passersby come to the front of the stage to enjoy and listen to my songs made me feel so proud and happy. That's why I now dream of performing at even larger festivals."

Ryu Soo-jung, who debuted as part of Lovelyz in her teens and spent her 20s in intense activity, has now reached her 30s by Korean age. As the leading digit changed, she learned how to calm emotional waves, and is now preparing for a marathon where she relaxes her shoulders and focuses entirely on music.

When asked about her feelings upon turning 30 after debuting in her teens, Ryu Soo-jung began, "What has definitely changed is my mindset toward emotions and accepting work." She explained, "The waves are less intense than before. I've become more stable and calm. It seems I've reached an age where I can accept things calmly that would have caused major upheavals in the past regarding human relationships or work. Of course, I'm not extremely stable right now, but the fluctuations are less severe."

When asked if this matched her expectations for her 30s, she smiled with her signature honesty, saying, "I thought I'd be even calmer, but it seems it's not quite at that level."

Her vision for the future has also become more relaxed. Ryu Soo-jung shared, "In my teens and 20s, I had dreams like 'I'll sing until I die' or 'I promised my fans a dinner show.' But now that I'm in my 30s, it feels like forcing things doesn't make them move. I want to practice letting go of tension. Instead of chasing too hard, I want to focus on delivering good music. While the thought of making music over a long period so I can run a marathon remains the same, I feel my approach has changed somewhat."

As Ryu Soo-jung found inner calm upon entering her 30s, new changes also came to Lovelyz members who had shared joys and sorrows for a long time. Recently, member Yoo Ji-ae announced her marriage, making her the group's first "sold-out bride." Yoo Ji-ae is set to marry actor Kwak Si-yang in November.

Regarding reactions in the group chat, Ryu Soo-jung said, "Everyone sincerely congratulated her. It might have been formal, but the atmosphere was heartwarming with 'Congratulations' all around. It was wonderful to see that we've become a group where we can genuinely celebrate and share happiness."

She continued, "When unnie Ji-ae got married, I wondered if anything would change for the team, but nothing did. Since unnie is the member who talks most about performances and future activities, I had no worries."

Asked if she knew about the marriage news beforehand, she shared behind-the-scenes details: "I heard it before, but unnie just said 'I'm getting married,' so I didn't expect it to become a news article. Even so, it still felt sudden."

Watching her closest member get married, did her thoughts on her own marriage change? Ryu Soo-jung emphasized that music remains her top priority. She explained, "When unnie Ji-ae's wedding news broke, my album news was coming out at the same time. Seeing that made me think, 'Wow, that's so fast.' While everyone has different timing for wanting to get married, I've set a long period to be with music and fans, so even hearing the marriage news didn't feel sudden to me."

She added, "I still wish there would be more comeback news. If I find a good partner, I'll get married, but until now, nothing is as good as music. I thought to myself, 'Yes, that's truly me,' showcasing her undiminished passion for music."

Ryu Soo-jung first offered warm greetings to the engaged couple, Yoo Ji-ae and Kwak Si-yang: "Be happy." She said, "Unnie is such a loving person, so I think it's wonderful. It's fortunate that she now has someone to share love with and endure life's hardships together. It's a good thing and something to celebrate. I've probably said 'Congratulations' many times already," revealing deep affection.

Ryu Soo-jung will be solely responsible for performing the wedding song at Yoo Ji-ae's ceremony. She revealed, "The request came in that only I would sing the wedding song, while another member would deliver the speech. Since my performance schedule doesn't overlap, we both hope to definitely attend the venue."

Even amidst major changes like a member's marriage, affection and longing for full-group activities of Lovelyz remained firm. Ryu Soo-jung stated, "Every time I meet with members, we always talk about full-group albums and performances. Since we held concerts every summer and winter during our active period and stood on stage frequently, there has been a consistent opinion among members that 'we should continue performing.'"

Especially, Ryu Soo-jung explained, "I'm in the camp that says new songs must be released before I can perform. So we're also discussing how to release new songs. While each of us is diligently pursuing our own paths, everyone is genuinely committed to this precious beginning called 'Lovelyz'."

However, regarding the feasibility of a full-group reunion, she also shared realistic concerns. Ryu Soo-jung said, "With eight members, each has many schedules, so coordination doesn't happen immediately. Given this situation, we've even exchanged ideas like 'Let's gather at least half of those who are available right now and try,' exploring various methods to show our determination for full-group activities."

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*This content was translated by AI.