RESCENE's Won-i says, "Reverse charting popularity just two years after debut... We've gained fans ranging from elementary school students to people in their 50s." [Interview 1]

*This content was translated by AI.

You never know when, where, or how a hit will explode!

In the first half of this year, a casual phrase "Geoje, Yaho~!" uttered by Japanese member Minami in RESCENE's (Won-i, Leeve, Minami, Mei, Jenna) self-produced content unexpectedly sparked a viral sensation across South Korea. The expression has become so iconic that it is widely considered one of the top trending phrases of 2026, reflecting an explosive surge in public interest in the group RESCENE.

How did "Geoje" and "Yaho" suddenly merge? The turning point came on March 6, when a video titled "Learning Japanese from a Gal-originated Japanese Person" was uploaded to Won-i's personal YouTube channel, "Hello, I'm Won-i, Nice to Meet You," which is not even the official RESCENE channel. In this video, Minami, acting in her "gal mode," teaches Won-i Japanese but ends up going off-script, creating a hilarious scenario that garnered positive reactions. This led to the release of a follow-up video titled "I Learned About Gal Posture" on March 20.

In this episode, Minami fully transformed into a gal, including her appearance. Won-i exclaimed, "If you go to Geoje looking like that now, the citizens of Geoje will scold you!" However, Minami cheerfully replied without hesitation, "Geoje, Yaho~!" (Hello, Geoje!), sparking laughter and causing the content to spread through word-of-mouth.

Viewers who enjoyed the content naturally became interested in RESCENE's members. The agency, Gamdasal (meaning "full of life"), seized the opportunity to showcase each member's charm sequentially. Content featuring Won-i from Geoje and Jenna from Gyeongju speaking in their local dialects at Seongsu-dong, as well as a duo video where Leeve and Mei, like Pat and Mat, work together while envying Won-i and Minami, all achieved massive view counts. As of the 2nd, the YouTube channel "Hello, I'm Won-i, Nice to Meet You" surpassed 1.2 million subscribers, with their videos averaging 4–5 million views and reaching up to 8 million views at their peak.

Interest in RESCENE extended beyond content to their main profession: music. As the saying goes, opportunities come to those who are prepared; coincidentally, RESCENE's existing songs perfectly matched public taste. Their 2024 release "Love Attack" achieved reverse charting success, climbing to third place on Melon's daily chart as of the 2nd. Cities representing each member—Geoje (Won-i), Suwon (Leeve), Gyeongju (Jenna), and Goyang (Mei)—appointed RESCENE as promotional ambassadors, while popular brands like convenience store chain CU began selecting them as models.

Riding this momentum, RESCENE is set to release a single titled "Pretty Girl" on the 8th at 6 p.m., a remake of KARA's hit song "Pretty Girl." This marks their first new release since debuting as popular idols with the digital single "Runaway" in April, drawing significant attention.

Recently, RESCENE sat down with StarNews to discuss their feelings about achieving reverse charting popularity just two years after debut and shared insights on their new song "Pretty Girl."

-RESCEINE has gained reverse charting popularity just two years after debut. How do you feel about it?

▶Mei: We realized we had a response as soon as our songs entered the music site charts.

▶Won-i: We made many promises to ourselves. Honestly, we didn't expect something like this to happen, and we set high expectations. The current reactions feel almost dreamlike.

▶Leeve: Even the company mentioned that our chart positions were rising steadily. Recently, we reached fourth place (as of the 2nd, third on Melon's daily chart), which we didn't anticipate.

-When do you feel the surge in popularity?

▶Leeve: These days, fans leave comments like memes saying, "Okay, I'll watch this too." It means they're watching all content where we appear or are mentioned.

▶Won-i: The age range of our fans is incredibly diverse; even elementary school students know us. The phrase "The RESCENE boom is coming" was also well-received.

▶Minami: We even have fans in their 50s, like uncles.

▶Mei: I'm proud to become a promotional ambassador for Goyang City along with the other members.

-As RESCENE's popularity skyrocketed, have the agency's treatment of the members changed?

▶Mei: The CEO is extremely happy. He checks the charts first and calls us immediately to say, "Let's do even better."

▶Leeve: The CEO told us, "We need to perform well more than ever." I'm trying my best to sleep well. (Laughs)

▶Won-i: It seems important to rest properly whenever possible.

-If there's a new catchphrase to follow "Geoje Yaho" for RESCENE?

▶Won-i: We want to promote "Oishii~" and "Are you eating?" Fans have been using these phrases in videos of them eating.

▶Leeve: "You too? Me too!" (Laughs)

▶Mei: "The grip feels good!"

▶Jenna: We could modify "What is close-up?" to "~ What is ~?" I'd also love for "Annyeong-hangyo" to become a catchphrase. (Laughs)

-Continues in Interview 2

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*This content was translated by AI.