B.A.P.’s Zelo shares stories from before his debut

Attending an academy an hour away everyday to build his skills starting at a young ageB.A.P.‘s  Zelohad his fair share of hardships.

“I attended an academy by riding a bus from Mokpo all the way to Gwangju everyday. The fare wasn’t cheap. I think I tried even harder by thinking about my parents who are always supporting me. It was then that I started learning how to be frugal.”

Although many had been initially pessimistic about Zelo’s potentials, seeing his ceaseless efforts and his ability to stay humble despite the compliments and praises he received, they started to look at him differently. It was then that he had the opportunity to meet the musicians of his dream.

“One day, Dynamic Duo sunbaes came to Gwangju terminal to perform. There, the two sunbaes took a picture with just me. Of course they probably didn’t only take pictures with me, but I was just really happy either way. I’ve liked Dynamic Duo sunbaes since then (laughs).”

The connection with Dynamic Duo wasn’t over yet as Zelo got to stand on their stage as a guest performer.

“For Christmas, Dynamic Duo sunbaes performed at one of Gwangju’s venues and I performed on their stage as a guest. I remember singing ‘Solo’ on that stage. There, I asked Dynamic Duo sunbaes to ‘please raise me [to become a singer]‘ but they told me it was a little difficult because they were going into the army. (laughs) It’s a memory I can’t forget.”

But Zelo wasn’t only focused on learning how to dance or performing, he also attended school for his studies, and like everyone, he also has an unforgettable teacher.

“I attended Mokpo middle school and I think I had good teachers for all three years. I remember Jo Hyun Jin science teacher the most. When I saw that my friends could solve difficult problems during class, I wanted to study well too but that proved to be difficult once I tried to start. I asked my teacher for advice and he told me, ‘It’s important to steadily do what you like.’ I gained strength from his advice and I tried hard on dancing as well as studying.”