This year, Disney+ celebrated the 17-year career of the K-pop group Super Junior by releasing the documentary Super Junior: The Last Man Standing which chronicles the rise of the South Korean boy band and how it heralded the great Hallyu wave around the world, brought by the popularity of South Korean performers.
During a recent press conference for the documentary, Super Junior’s leader Leeteuk and main vocalist Ryeowook talked about their journey through the seventeen years since the group debuted back on November 6, 2005. Check out some highlights of their Q&A with the Asian press below:
What does the title ‘The Last Man Standing’ mean for you?
Ryeowook: “The Last Man Standing” is part of the lyrics of our song Superman. I felt this from 10 years ago, that we will be the last man standing, so I do feel the responsibility and pressure to show our junior idol groups how to strive forward so I really want to work hard.
Leeteuk: I heard that the winner is the last man who smiles, so in 10 years’ time [or] 20 years’ time, I still want to say that Super Junior is going to be the last man standing.
As a trailblazer in K-pop, how does it feel?
Leeteuk: I do feel a lot of pressure these days. Because we’ve come a long way, I think our junior idol groups will also try to work harder and longer. Because our documentary is so well-made, maybe the other idol groups will also love to have their documentaries.
Super Junior has remained for 17 years now, what do you think makes Super Junior the “Last Man Standing”?
Ryeowook: We never took breaks. Some of us enlisted in the army but even when some of us were in the army, the group didn’t cease to work and have new albums, so I think that’s one of the powers that we have.
Leeteuk: We weren’t trying to let go of anything, but what we did was try the hardest at every moment and I think those days piled up to be 17 years of time.
What do you think sets this documentary apart from the other documentaries that Super Junior had been a part of?
Ryeowook: There’s a lot of footage of when we were young, when we’re literally babies, so I think those rare footages and videos will be taken as really fun and enjoyable to our old and new fans.
If you could go back to November 6, 2005, what would you say to yourself?
Ryeowook: I would say that you are going to be the best so don’t be afraid, because when I was watching the documentary I felt like I was quite afraid when I was young so I couldn’t even really introduce myself so I wanna say that to my younger self.
Leeteuk: So if you watch the documentary, I think it was the first album jacket shoot and the reporter says ‘Hello, what’s your name?’ and Ryeowook says hello, then she said her name and he says ‘I’m the youngest in the group’, and she says, ‘Name?’ and he says ‘Ryeowook’.
Ryeowook: I was really nervous at the time.
Leeteuk: If I were to go back to 17 years ago, I would tell myself that you’re doing great, because there are things that I could fix, but at the time that was the best I could give. Sometimes I do want to go back, but I know I really tried my best.
—
Super Junior: The Last Man Standing is now streaming on Disney+.
