[Dispatch=Kim Ji-ho] Three years into debut, there's still a long way to go. His name is beginning to spread across various countries overseas, and a domestic comeback awaits. Now, it's time to pick up the pace.
A long way to go means, conversely, there's much to achieve. Kim Seungmo, the maknae of AMPERS&ONE, twenty years old, dreams of an even greater leap.
"Hello. I'm Kim Seungmo, singing in AMPERS&ONE. I've only shown you 30% of my talent so far. I'll show you the remaining 70%."
Dispatch recently met with Kim Seungmo. At 181cm tall with a chic first impression. Yet as the conversation progressed, a delicate inner self emerged.
A reversal charm unlike his first impression, and potential yet to be unveiled. Kim Seungmo plans to fill his name with diverse descriptions going forward.
◆ "Do you know Kim Seungmo?"
Dispatch (hereafter D): If you were to introduce yourself to those who don't yet know Kim Seungmo? Let's compress it into three words.
"Looks, humor, protection. I think of myself as interesting. I have a charm that lets me approach anyone comfortably. I'm good at protecting people I care about and love, and I think that's very important."
D: Your first impression is hard to approach. There's something cold about it? Is the Kim Seungmo that people think they see at first very different from the real Kim Seungmo?
"Very different. The members said things like 'a dark, quiet kid,' 'hard to get close to.' Once we get closer, they say I'm polite, good at joking around, and comfortable. So I've come to feel I'm quite different from my first impression."
D: You mentioned 'humor' in your self-introduction—are you actually funny?
"In my childhood, not knowing idol culture, I vaguely dreamed of 'appearing on variety shows.' Infinite Challenge, Running Man, Knowing Bros... Even now, humor is my biggest charm. My strength is knowing the timing well. It's not about constantly throwing out funny lines—it's about reading the moment and delivering something fun with just one or two lines."
D: Is there a side of Kim Seungmo that fans don't yet know?
"I try to show fans a kind side often. But the truth is, I'm normally quiet and like being alone. While I find interest in making people laugh, the 'Kim Seungmo' alone wants to rest."
◆ "So, what is Kim Seungmo good at?"
D: If there's a specialty you can confidently talk about?
"Keeping what I say. For example, if there's a target weight I set during activity prep, I stick to it. Incidentally, it's also important not to say things you can't keep. (laughs)"
D: Within AMPERS&ONE, is there something you can confidently say you're number one at?
"Memory! Once I get into something, I really get into it. When choreography comes out, I memorize it right away. I really love soccer too. Soccer players, countries—I memorize those things immediately upon seeing them!"
D: There are several abilities needed for idols. Singing, dancing, expressions, stage command... If you had to pick one?
"During performances, I'm good at reading the flow in the process of communicating with fans. There are moments during the stage with comments and interaction time, and I'm confident about grasping the flow and helping things run smoothly."
D: Is your reflexes sharp too?
"During a stage, one member dropped their microphone pack. I picked it up naturally while dancing and handed it to them. I remember the Weverse Con stage too—when there was a sound issue during Camden hyung's turn to speak, he had to go backstage. I continued speaking in Camden hyung's place at that time."
D: On the flip side, what do you want to do well now?
"My goal is to reach the level where, when people list idols with good singing voices, my name is mentioned. So when I always practice singing, I check what parts I lack. I'm also working hard at vocal training."
D: Then, how much has your vocal ability improved compared to early debut?
"At debut, I wasn't confident about my vocals. As I grew familiar with things one by one, I was able to improve quickly. For example, while my vocal range is high, my expressiveness in moving comfortably between low and high notes seemed insufficient. Through many stages and experiences, that ability grew. I also practiced a lot with elements like vibrato and vocal inflections that make songs more interesting."
D: What makes you grow?
"I learn a lot watching Siyoon hyung from our team. I learn technique from Brian hyung. I also look up my fancams frequently. I watch the visuals and check the live performance. Then I watch the dancing."
D: If you could show someone seeing Kim Seungmo for the first time just one fancam?
"From the GOD activity, the 'M Countdown' fancam. The video from April 9th. I think those three things—visuals, live, and dancing—all came together perfectly. Please be sure to watch it."
D: What compliment do you most want to hear right now?
"'There's something about this guy.' I feel good when my own unique charm appeals to people. Because it's a feeling only I can make them feel. I gain confidence that they'll definitely remember me."
◆ "Twenty years old who wants to do everything well"
D: Were you originally an ambitious person?
"Recently, my ambitions have grown even more and the things I want to do have increased. I want to learn an instrument. I'm also practicing songwriting and composition. The more instruments I can play, the more diverse and cool music will come out. Piano, guitar, drums..."
D: When you compose, how much of Kim Seungmo's taste is reflected?
"Since I'm a K-pop idol, I naturally tend to make music with rhythm and upbeat vibes. But when I make my own song, I become really calm. Late at night, I make songs that are very comfortable to listen to. When composing, I feel like 'me' comes out."
D: What do you do when things don't go as you want during practice?
"I do it until I get it right, with the mindset of 'let's really get this done.' It's necessary to set things aside sometimes, but I really hate procrastinating. For tomorrow's me, looking to the future, I tell myself, 'Tomorrow's Seungmo will definitely find this bothersome. So let today's Seungmo finish this work.' That's how I do mental control."
D: Have you had experiences where things didn't work out and it was frustrating?
"Music work the most, definitely. Dancing is repetition and the body remembers it, so you just practice. But composition is creating something from scratch. I struggle to pull out what I want. With composition, when things aren't flowing, I take a break. And then another idea comes to me and things run smoothly."
D: Does your composing skill upgrade as you keep at it?
"Of course. The techniques you express within a song improve, and work speed gets faster too. Definitely, the more music you listen to, the more diverse you can write."
D: Where does the Kim Seungmo who makes music get influenced from?
"Overseas artist Keshi. I love his music and listen to it a lot. I thought, I want to make songs like this too. So I bought a laptop and bought programs. I recommend songs like 'Soft Spot' and 'Angel.'"
D: No matter what you do, you need a way to overcome 'dislike.' What's Seungmo's tip?
"Self-rationalization. I convince myself. If makeup time is hard to endure, I tell myself, 'I need to do this so fans see me looking pretty.' Also, I don't put off exercise. Even if dance lessons end at 6 a.m., I stop by the gym before heading back to the dorm."
D: Do you learn from other idols' stages too?
"Of course. I recently did a European tour, and it happened that BIGBANG seniors were holding concerts in Europe. Thankfully I was able to get tickets and went. I learned a lot. Stage manners, the attitude toward performing, the flow of the stage, and so on."
◆ "Born 2006, Kim Seungmo is growing"
D: You're already in your fourth year of debut as a 2006-liner. Do you feel like you've become an adult?
"I debuted at eighteen, and at that time I thought I was an adult. When I turned twenty, I realized I wasn't. Right now, I seem like an adult to myself, but later when I look back, won't I think 'still a kid'? So I'm a kid. (laughs)"
D: Let's think back to early debut.
"What I think I did really well at debut was aegyo. Since I took on the role of the teen maknae in the team, I think aegyo suited me. If there's something I shouldn't have done, it's 'too much talking'? At the time my eagerness got ahead of me and I didn't know well which words were okay and which weren't."
D: After debuting, if there's something most different from what you imagined about an idol's life?
"How long it takes to do one stage and how much prep is needed in between. I felt firsthand that doing a stage is really not an easy thing."
D: When do you feel 'I'm really someone who loves the stage'?
"When you tour, you meet fans not only from Korea but from many countries. The atmosphere differs by region and you feel the fun of the stage. Though languages and nationalities differ, we become one through music. I also really feel the power that music has."
D: Is there a memorable tour location?
"The recent European tour. It's memorable because it was my first time. I was very worried, but I was moved by the great love they showed me. I went on a US tour once as well and the response was really good, so I was happy."
◆ "What is AMPERS&ONE to me?"
D: What kind of team is AMPERS&ONE in Kim Seungmo's view?
"I think the aura AMPERS&ONE gives off on stage has been established now. Our team has done diverse concepts since early debut and continues to try many new things. Each album has different concepts, but the unique powerfulness that AMPERS&ONE shows on stage is distinctive."
D: To the general public who don't yet know AMPERS&ONE well, if you were to promote our team?
"Our AMPERS&ONE is a tall-height group. At 181cm, I'm the second shortest. The members are all tall and handsome. Your eyes will be happy just looking at us. Our stage is powerful too. We work hard to create an exciting atmosphere on stage. You can come anytime and enjoy freely with us."
D: When seven members come together, what part becomes strongest?
"Since early debut we've appealed that 'all seven have different charms.' The members really do have different charms, but when we become one team, our unity is strong. We can fill in each other's shortcomings."
D: What role do you take on within AMPERS&ONE? Apart from vocals.
"I'm a member who can provide mental care to the other members. I'm the maknae and I joke around a lot, so I think all the members feel comfortable with me. When members go through hard times, I go to them and comfort them."
D: What does AMPERS&ONE need most right now?
"A feeling of wanting to appeal through the stage. Recently we've been appearing at award shows and performing on stages with many other idols. For AMPERS&ONE to appeal more in these settings, our stage needs to grow more, I think."
◆ "AMPERS&ONE, confident in growth"
D: Your recognition overseas is rising these days. Do you feel it?
"When I'm in Korea, I don't feel it much, but as soon as I go overseas, I feel it."
D: The pronunciation 'SEUNGMO' must be difficult for overseas fans.
"Right. When I appeared on a radio show in the past, I said, 'Both my parents are Korean. So I'm Super Korean.' That became a 'meme' among overseas fans. When I go to America or Europe, many people call me 'Super Korean.'"
D: During overseas activities, was there a moment you thought AMPERS&ONE would do even better?
"From early debut, we've said something among ourselves. 'We need to have confidence in ourselves. If we don't believe in ourselves, others won't either.' We keep talking about this among ourselves now. We always believe our team will do well. We have faith in it."
D: How far do you want to go? What's AMPERS&ONE's goal?
"Top ten on the Billboard. I hope all people around the world will love us. I want to perform at the World Cup final halftime show too. The recent stage by BTS seniors was so cool."
D: How much of Kim Seungmo that people haven't yet seen remains? What's Kim Seungmo's dream?
"I've only shown 30% of my talent. 70% remains. I want to reach many people in various fields."
◆ "Again, do you know Kim Seungmo?"
D: Ten years older, as thirty-year-old Kim Seungmo, what kind of person would you want to be?
"First, I hope I don't lose who I am now. I really love who I am right now. If thirty-year-old Kim Seungmo continues on with that same beginner's heart like now... surely he would have become a good person, right?"
D: At that time, when people hear the name 'Kim Seungmo,' what do you want them to think of first?
"I want them to think of my smiling face first, anytime, anywhere. After that, I want them to think of charismatic Seungmo on stage and like that reversal charm."
D: To those who learn about Kim Seungmo through this interview, please share your resolve.
"I'm someone ready to do my best anytime, anywhere. I want to bring laughter and hope to many people. Please feel free to approach me comfortably anytime. I'll bring you much happiness."
D: Shall we go back to the first question? When asked 'Do you know Kim Seungmo?', what would you want people to answer someday?
"Yeah, I know him! I was watching him and almost burst out laughing. But then I saw his stage performance and wow, he was really cool."
<Photos by Jung Young-woo (Dispatch)>
