RESCENE's Woni: "Reverse chart success just two years after debut... Fans range 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 (Woni, Live, Minami, May, Jena) original content sparked an unexpected viral sensation across South Korea. The expression has become one of the most iconic catchphrases of 2026, driving explosive 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 Woni's personal YouTube channel, "Hello, I'm Woni, Nice to Meet You," which is not even the official RESCENE channel. In this video, Minami, acting in her "gal mode," taught Woni Japanese but went overboard, creating a hilarious scenario that gained widespread attention. This led to the release of a follow-up video titled "I Learned About Gal Posture" on March 20.

In this episode, Minami transformed completely into a gal look, prompting Woni to exclaim, "If you go to Geoje looking like that now, the citizens will scold you!" However, Minami cheerfully replied with "Geoje, Yaho~!" (Hello, Geoje!), sparking laughter and fueling word-of-mouth promotion for the content.

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 through sequential content. Videos featuring Woni from Geoje and Jena from Gyeongju speaking in their local dialects in Seongsu-dong, as well as Live and May acting like a duo reminiscent of "Pat and Mat" while envying Woni and Minami, all achieved massive view counts. As of the 2nd, the YouTube channel "Hello, I'm Woni, Nice to Meet You" surpassed 1.2 million subscribers, with 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. RESCENE's existing songs perfectly matched public taste. Their 2024 single "Love Attack" achieved reverse chart success, climbing to third place on Melon's daily chart as of the 2nd. Cities representing each member—Geoje (Woni), Suwon (Live), Gyeongju (Jena), and Goyang (May)—appointed RESCENE as promotional ambassadors, while major brands like convenience store chain CU began selecting them as models.

Capitalizing on this momentum, RESCENE is set to release a single titled "Pretty Girl" (a remake of KARA's hit song) at 6 p.m. on the 8th. 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 chart success just two years after debut and shared insights on their new song "Pretty Girl."

-RESCEEN achieved reverse chart success just two years after debut. What are your thoughts?

▶May: We realized there was a reaction from the moment our songs entered music site charts.

▶Woni: We made many promises to ourselves. Honestly, we didn't expect something like this to happen, and we set huge goals. The current response feels almost dreamlike.

▶Live: Even the company mentioned how our chart positions kept rising. Recently, we reached fourth place (third on Melon's daily chart as of the 2nd). We never imagined we'd climb that high.

-When did you start feeling the surge in popularity?

▶Live: Recently, fans have been commenting memes like "Okay, I'll watch this too." It meant they were watching all content where we appeared or were mentioned.

▶Woni: The age range of people who know us is incredibly diverse—even elementary school students recognize us. The phrase "The RESCENE boom is coming" was also well-received.

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

▶May: 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?

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

▶Live: The CEO told us, "We need to perform well especially now." I'm trying my best to sleep well. (Laughs)

▶Woni: It seems important to rest properly whenever possible.

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

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

▶Live: "You too? Me too!" (Laughs)

▶May: "The grip feels good!"

▶Jena: We could adapt "What is close-up?" into "~ is what?" I'd also love for "Annyeong-haeyo" to become a catchphrase. (Laughs)

-Continues in Interview 2

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*This content was translated by AI.