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Celebrity Travel: Go away with Woosung

Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Content Agency on

A: When we started touring, Europe was the first place we got to go. And it was amazing because, first of all, I'd never been to Europe before. I didn’t know what to expect. I remember Brussels, because (our show) was the first K-pop concert they had in that city. It was us. That’s how we started the first tour with The Rose. Brussels is really beautiful. We’ve been to Japan, the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, a bunch of cities in America. I also really like Paris, London, and Amsterdam.

Q: What was the first concert you saw and where was it?

A: So, I’m gonna be honest. My very first concert was when I was 26. That’s why these days, I try to go to as many as I can just to kind of feel the vibe. I didn't really get to experience that as a teenager. My first concert was Coldplay in Seoul. I was blown away. We barely got tickets and we were at the very, very back where you couldn’t even see them. But the music was amazing. I was standing the whole time.

Q: Do you get to be a tourist when you’re on tour?

A: Yes and no. We have the option to see things if we have a day off. But when I’m on tour, I like to save my voice for our shows, since that’s the main reason why we’re there, so I stay in my hotel room a lot. But if we have two days off, then yeah, I’ll go out. The first day I'll go shopping, explore and eat. You’re in Chicago, right? We performed there two or three times and the crowd was always amazing. The pizza was great and I remember it was pretty chilly there each time we went. I really liked the people there. They just gave off very good vibes.

Q: Does living in both Seoul and L.A. feel chaotic?

A: No, they both feel like home to me. L.A. feels like home from my younger age. This is where I grew up. Korea is home for me as a young adult. They’re different vibes and my goal is to spend half a year in each place. Ideally, I’d like to live three months in Korea, then three months in the U.S. and continue like that.

Q: What is a stereotype about either U.S. or Asian nationals that you’d dispel?

A: In the U.S. growing up, everyone says Asians are such bad drivers, right? No! They are good! I'm almost scared because they're too confident. They're going in (tiny) spaces with their SUVs. It’s crazy.

 

Q: If you had unlimited time off, where would you want to visit?

A: Hmmm, I want to fly to somewhere that I've never been before like Greece. The pictures (I’ve seen) are beautiful. I like nature. I don't like hiking, but I like the fresh air. Greece has a lot of cool architecture. Yeah, I want to go there.

Q: You mentioned not liking hiking, but do you enjoy camping?

A: (Laughs) You know what? I used to be so active in my teenage days. I loved camping, fishing, playing basketball, football, skateboarding, mountain biking – I did all that. But after 10 years of being a young adult in Korea living my life mostly indoors doing music, I like being inside.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow “Go Away With…” on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)

©2022 Jae-Ha Kim. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


(c) 2022 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

 

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