[Exclusive]The beginning of K-IDOL band..Minwoo Roh's "Secret to a long run for 22 years" in the harsh entertainment industry [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

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# "Nice" standpoint

No matter how many "hexagonal all-rounder" celebrities there are these days, is there another star who is as diverse as Noh Min-woo (40). Yakgwa was reborn as a Hallyu actor with appearances such as dramas "Pasta," "My Girlfriend is a Gumiho," and "Full House Take 2" in "Flower Boy Idol Band." After growing up as an actor, he dominated the stage with the musical "Elizabeth" beyond the media. Among them, he formed the band The Midnight Romance in 2020 without letting go of the music, leading the team as a singer-songwriter who is good at singing and playing instruments, and also as a music producer. And he also established himself as a DJ.

The recent moves are even more unusual. Earlier on the 15th, the three-month journey of the musical Eternity, which was presented after a long time, was successfully concluded. In particular, Noh Min-woo captivated the MZ generation as well as the middle-aged with his unusual moves appearing in KBS 1TV's "Morning Madang" and "My Hometown at 6 o'clock." It is also surprising that he acted like a "chaebol daughter-in-law" by serving as a DJ at a Chanel event, a world-class luxury brand, and he properly targeted the tastes of the MZ generation with his unpredictable "passion and individuality." In addition, the reason for the entertainment show "Breaking the Stamp" is hidden from affection for the "President of the Dangol Bathhouse," adding to the topic of conversation.

In the end, Noh Min-woo made another appearance on MBC's "Radio Star" in 12 years and emerged as a "popular entertainment star." He recently visited the Star News headquarters in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, and sincerely unraveled the driving force behind his hard work from his thoughts on the turning point in his 22-year entertainment career.

First, Noh Min-woo said, "Before that, I only did what I wanted to do and what I wanted to do. The job of being a celebrity should provide an opportunity for not only the fans who love me but also those who see me for the first time to become fans, but I thought it was too selfish to do what I wanted to do. So I thought a little differently. I thought, "I want the elderly to know me, and I want the young ones to know me." As a result, I want the owner of the bathhouse who doesn't recognize me to recognize me, and I want to see the programs I enjoy, and I want to work harder, which naturally led to the thought of appearing on the show. That's how I first contacted the 'Morning Madang' production team," he said, expressing a different mindset.

In response, Noh Min-woo did not hesitate to jump in despite the production team's response to "Why on earth is Noh Min-woo?" He said, "Times have changed. The artist has to come forward and show himself, so don't you need an audience. When the audience was there, they were in the 'morning yard' and in 'my hometown at 6 o'clock'. Now, I think the artist should visit the audience," he said, expressing keen enthusiasm. He then said, "Thanks to you, I was also a great healing. I'm used to seeing babies because I get along well with the elderly and I'm 8 years old with my younger brother (singer Aile). That's all part of me, so I felt so comfortable when I went to film "My Hometown at 6 o'clock," he added.

This steady buildup of challenging filmography was possible because the approach was different. Noh Min-woo said, "I don't think I care about trends at all, even though I seem to keep making roads unintentionally. All my activities are just approaches to 'make memories' in one frame of my life. As I approach it like that, it seems that whatever I do, I do my heart and enjoy it. I'm so happy that people saw me and said, "Roh Min-woo is working so hard, but I should live hard, too." It's really meaningful to make someone feel that way. I will continue to live hard by making memories like this. I've already lived like that, but I'm proud of you because you know. I want to continue to bring laughter and emotion to your life," he said.

Making an unconventional collaboration single and "Black Cat" with Tanaka (Gagman Kim Kyung-wook (Lictor) in December last year can also be seen as part of "Making Memories." Noh Min-woo said, "I received a lot of comfort from watching Tanaka during the COVID-19 situation. I don't know what he's really like, but I loved his gag code. I think it was Kim Kyung-wook who created the secondary character culture. I thought if there was anything I could contribute to giving me joy and hope, but I made a song called "Black Cat." Fortunately, the senior also listened to it and said it was so good, and I put it into action right away. I want to continue to collaborate without hesitation and make memories with many people," he said.

In addition to this, the Chanel event DJ has been received, and there is no end to the blessing of incredible talent. When I started DJing and thought about a place to perform, I thought I should do it in a suitable place for me. Of course, a lot of talented people perform in clubs, but when I think of my existing character, I'm like, "Oh?" I was thinking about where it would fit, but a luxury brand came to mind. So I arranged and made songs that felt like that, and the official actually contacted me," he said.

Noh Min-woo's dream is bound to become a reality, and his hidden efforts were great. He said, "DJ was vaguely interested, but he started teaching himself three years ago. I searched for the origin, made my own songs, and studied while looking for DJs' performances in the Netherlands. But because I wasn't used to it, I used to practice for 10 hours in anger. I put a 1.5L bottle of water in my studio, drank it, stood, practiced, and went back and forth to the bathroom twice. And when I look at the watch, it's been 10 hours. After working hard on myself like that, I was eventually invited to a Chanel event and played my first song as a DJ, so I was really accomplished," he said, giving a glimpse into the secret of a long run.

Self-management was also more thorough than anyone else, boasting the appearance of a 'born celebrity'. Noh Min-woo said, "Everything is old, so I don't think about age, but I think I can slow down the aging speed. The theory is simple. It's about grinding and polishing yourself every day. Even if I buy one, I use it for more than 10 years and keep it clean. Likewise, my body tries to use it well so that it does not hurt and does not break," he said, surprising with his early life of "low-speed aging."

I said it because I was wearing the late designer Andre Kim's costume, which was introduced on "Radio Star," from my 20s to my 30s and 40s. Noh Min-woo said, "As artists such as David Bowie and Michael Jackson, who I've liked since I was young, are thin, I'm also affected by it. Originally, I like to eat. When I was in school, I ate ten bowls of rice. But he's holding it in (for self-care). I do aerobic exercise together every day, and start the day with a cold shower. I did it again today. If I do that, I feel like I can do everything in the world. And when you're done with your work, you pay me back with the delicious meal you want to eat the most. I fast after 8 p.m. and do intermittent fasting every day, maintaining an 18-hour hunger. These days, I've been practicing slow aging for 22 years, so I'm used to it. Now, when I concentrate, I don't think I'm hungry," he said, making him tongue-in-cheek.

As a result, Noh Min-woo, who is 185 centimeters tall, has maintained his "body weight of 65 kilograms" for more than 20 years. In particular, it drew attention as it contained the philosophy of life learned through activities beyond self-management.

Noh Min-woo said, "In my late 20s, I experienced opportunities disappearing in front of my eyes and I was betrayed. I tried to soothe the sadness with alcohol, but I can't give up on my face getting sick. I felt, 'Oh, I don't think I'm relieving (stress) this way.' Then, when I tried to relieve this stress, I became positive because I was playing the drums like crazy and my heart was racing. That's when I learned my current way of life. "It looks like a swan on the outside, but the way humanity survives in this tough and fierce world where it disappears several times a day."

He then said, "If you're pickled with food or alcohol as a reward for them, you get malicious comments that you've gained weight." So I said, 'Yes, it is my destiny and mission to manage myself to the extent that I can,' and I accepted and practiced it with a heart of joy.

In addition, Noh Min-woo said, "I see colleagues or senior citizens dying around me, and I want to think, 'People don't know when they will go', and I keep thinking that I should live as if today is the last day. So every day I record happy moments of my day. It's been three years now, and at first I really didn't have anything to write about. But I wanted to fill it up, so I worked out and looked at my daily life differently. Some days, even if I was hungry, I didn't eat snacks and ate my first meal, and that first spoonful of seolleongtang made me "so happy." At sunset, listening to Kona's "Our Night is More Beautiful Than Your Day" made me cry because I was so happy, and feeling and recording every day like that became the driving force in everything. Above all, I think 'Let's have fun every day' is the most important thing," he said with a detached attitude.

Finally, you can expect a brilliant performance as an actor this year. It has already made a comeback to the musical stage for the first time in about three years since the beginning of the year, marking the end of its three-month journey of "Eternity." He played the role of the legendary glam rock star Blue Dot in the play. Minwoo Noh said, "Eternity was the second musical to participate since 'Elizabeth' in 2022. I tend to take good care of myself, but everyone worked really hard, so it was better because it was a time to learn tips from colleagues. Technically, I personally felt that Korean musicals are developing like this. I felt much better to play the character "Glam Rock Star" in it, not any other role. "I originally liked glam rock and was doing music, so I thought I could show it to you with confidence, but I actually solved that desire," he said.

The media's positive acting was last performed seven years ago in the 2019 drama "The Attorney's Law 2" and caused fans' regret during a long hiatus. When asked why, Noh Min-woo expressed his firm pursuit of acting.

Noh Min-woo said, "My acting role model is Johnny Depp. It's because I like fantasy things such as pirates and wizard characters. If you look at my roles so far, most of them are mysterious. In fact, there have been times when office workers and everyday characters came in, but I can't take on it to make money. If I can't move in first, wouldn't the viewers feel it's a "fake". So, I carefully looked for a special character, and there was inevitably a gap," he said seriously.

It is also the reason why they are knocking on doors in many ways because they cannot waste the gap. Noh Min-woo said, "I think that if there is no work, you have to make your own work. This is something I always emphasize to my younger siblings. I'm trying my best to do everything I can. So I'm going to do YouTube in earnest this year," he said.

Finally, he broke a long gap this year and told the good news that he is scheduled to make a comeback with a new work. Noh Min-woo said, "I can't tell you what kind of work it is now, but I'm going to visit the viewers with a drama this year." He said, "Now I'm going to move more diligently and show the public what I can do instead of just having it in my head. I will be an artist who tries in various ways," he said, raising expectations.

Finally, Noh Min-woo said, "I enjoy this job and I love it. One day, I was asked, 'What have you earned in 22 years of this work?' When I think about what I got, it's 'experience'. There is no moment to regret that I am where I am now because I have that experience that no one can steal."

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*This content was translated by AI.