Infinite Talks About the Future of Their Japanese Activities

Infinite has led a busy but fruitful year thus far, having heated up the summer with “Be Mine” and taking home a trophy with “Paradise.” Compared to their fellow boy groups, they’ve been climbing that ladder to success steadily but surely, and their efforts are definitely paying off.

They have also been taking steady steps into the Japanese market, making sure to make their mark where it’s due. The members sat down with reporters for an interview going in depth about their promotions in Japan as well as their recent activities.

Q: You recently concluded your Japanese concert to a high success.

“It’s quite amazing because our album hasn’t been released yet. We were all grateful that the concert was sold out for four days in a row, and it made us that much more confident in what we were to present. I felt that we truly gave our best so that everything we had sweated for in the past was given credit. Even into the future, I want to continue performing in big waters and dreaming big.” (Sung Gyu)

Q: Do you have a memorable audience member?

“There was a fan that had copied our exact outfit and hair style. I remember thinking to myself that we had never given away or sold our outfits so I was just really amazed at how similar they were. It was fun to watch the ‘fake Infinite’ while performing on stage.” (Dong Woo)

Q: Do you have any fun episodes to share from your promotions in Japan?

“I guess the fact that we weren’t able to do anything but perform in Japan is an episode in itself. The release of our repackage album and our Japanese concert dates overlapped so we had to rent out a training room in Japan. We’d practice in our hotel room and even while waiting in halls. Security guards stared at us when we were dancing in a hotel. It was quite embarrassing.” (Sung Jong)

Q: What are your future plans for your Japanese activities?

“We’ll be releasing ‘Before the Dawn‘ on November 19, our first Japanese single. ‘BTD’ was made popular by our scorpion dance in Korea and it received a lot of love. I think it’s a song that will aptly show our group’s colors. TBS will also be broadcasting our first concert on the 29.” (Hoya)

Q: You won your first public network trophy through “Paradise.”

“About 500 days have passed since our debut, and it was both a long and short period of time. We were all so touched that we bought duck meat and celebrated that night. Our CEO even let us have a bit of soju to celebrate our win.” (Sung Gyu)

Q: A picture that combined the seven faces of Infinite became quite popular online.

“I saw that people thought it looked like Han Hyo Joo senior. I think that I actually brought down the average looks. My eyes are a bit small so I don’t think a ‘handsome face’ can come out if I’m included. Still, I think the reason why the face was able to look unique was because of me. I think L was the one that made the average face handsome with his big eyes and high nose.” (Dong Woo)

Q: You’re a leader in airport fashion.

“Honestly, we do pay a lot of attention to what we wear. We’ll spend the night before up wondering what to wear, as there are a lot of factors to consider, like whether we’ll wear it on our way there or on our way back. Even after I set everything up, I get worried as to whether it all matches. All of our members have unique styles so there has never been an instance where we overlapped.” (Dong Woo)

Q: Have you ever looked into the eyes of other girl group members?

“Everyone’s really pretty but I never see them as a member of the opposite sex. We’re all lacking in rehearsal times so we don’t have the time to spend taking an interest in other girls. I think because it’s been so long since I’ve dated, I’ve just become emotionally numb. I’ve been paying attention to Chocolat lately. The way they harmonized while dancing was quite amazing.” (Sung Gyu)

Q: What do you do on break?

“We chat amongst ourselves. We have a lot of interest in each other’s families and such. Recently, we’ve been talking a lot about Steve Jobs since he’s a highly respected figure amongst those in their 20’s. We heard that he had done enough for the next four years before he passed away, and that made us think just how much more we have to do. For us, tomorrow is a big worry.” (Sung Jong)

Q: What was the biggest change in the past two years since your debut?

“The quality of our dorm has changed a lot. It’s been about two weeks since we moved into a bigger dorm. It’s a modern apartment where there are a lot of steps in order to be able to pass the first floor and into our dorm. More than anything, we have a lot more people that love us.” (Sung Yeol)

Q: Woo Hyun has been doing exceptionally well in “Immortal Song 2.”

“I’m working hard with my teeth clenched so that I don’t embarrass the members. I had a lot of hard time adjusting but I think I’m having a lot more fun now. The PD told me that he had fun ‘raising me’ because I grow and adjust so fast. I’m really into the show, to the point where I’ll listen to music even in the bathroom. They gave me my own room in the dorm because I’ve been so noisy with my singing.” (Woo Hyun)

Q: What are your goals as Infinite?

“We want to pursue music for a very long time. We want to be acknowledged not by teen fangirls but by people of all ages. We’re also going to work hard to spread K-Pop far and wide through the path that our seniors paved for us. Recently, we saw an Infinite booth at a record store in Japan, and that made us feel a lot more responsible for our careers. We’re going to work so that we don’t embarrass ourselves or anyone else in Japan.” (L)