The next BTS? Meet the 7 members of new K-pop boy band Tempest

HONG KONG — Excited for the debut of new Gen Z K-pop group Tempest? Us too! And as its name suggests, this seven-member group could very well storm the charts and sweep the music world off its feet. Watch out, BTS.

Tempest consists of a mixture of contestants from some of Korea’s most popular survival shows, as well as some totally new faces. The line up includes LEW, Hyeongseop, Hyuk, Hwarang, Eunchan, Taerae and Hanbin. The group is managed by Yuehua Entertainment, the label behind Everglow, Iz*one, Choi Yena and Uniq’s Woodz.

So let’s meet the group’s seven members ahead of their debut on February 21.

1. LEW

LEW, or Lee Eui-woong, is a rapper and vocalist, and the group’s first member and leader. Born in 2001, he wanted to become an actor when he was young but changed his mind in secondary school when he started listening to rap and fell in love with it.

“I especially fell in love with [Block B’s] Zico after seeing him on Show Me the Money 4. I started dreaming of becoming an idol and began writing my own rap. I would love to meet Zico one day,” he said back in 2017, according to Soompi.

From that point on, LEW didn’t waste any time in pursuing his dream. At 15, he made his first public appearance as a guest on KBS2’s talk show Hello Counselor, which garnered him offers from 11 different agencies, according to AllKpop, and he chose Yuehua Entertainment.

At 16, he joined season two of survival show Produce 101 and ranked 23rd. In the same year, he made his idol debut as a duo, Hyeungseop x Euiwoong, with Produce 101 season two fellow and labelmate Ahn Hyeong-seop. But after debuting their first mini album “Color of Dream”, nothing more happened with the project.

2. Hyeongseop

Hyeongseop, or Ahn Hyung-seop, also joins Tempest as a vocalist and dancer. Born in 1999, he also gained fame by appearing on Produce 101, ranking 16th. And after covering the dance of the show’s main song Pick Me, he has become known as “Pick Me boy” among fans.

At 18, he made his childhood dream of becoming a singer a reality when he became the other half of aforementioned duo Hyeongseop x Euiwoong. “Whenever there was a festival at school, I always performed on stage. In my third year of middle school, I covered [Shinee member] Taemin’s Danger and experienced a lot of popularity. Thanks to that, I was able to lead a happy school life. After receiving glances of respect from my peers and juniors through my performances, I decided to become a singer,” he said, according to Soompi.

Hyeongseop also became an actor. Right after Produce 101 ended, he landed the role of a senior school student in a web drama called Mischievous Detectives alongside Kim Nam-joo.

3. Hanbin

Taking the same positions as Hyeungseop is Hanbin, real name Ngo Ngoc Hung, who is technically the first Vietnamese idol to join a K-pop boy group. Before him, only one other Vietnamese singer — Z-Boys’ Roy, birth name Hoai Bao — joined a similar multinational group comprising of seven non-Korean members.

Hanbin took part in Belift Lab’s reality show I-Land in 2020 and caught viewers’ attention not just back home in Vietnam, but further afield for his strong looks and impressive dance skills.

Despite finishing 12th, he was the only I-Land trainee to be given an online solo fan event, Hanbin !00%, once the show was over. After the live-stream, he created a Twitter account and gained 100,000 followers in just seven hours, according to Hoa Hoc Tro.

Born in 1998, Hanbin was interested in performing from a young age and taught himself how to dance at 15, according to VNA News. Along with a handful of university friends, he founded the dance group C. A. C in 2016, of which he was the leader, and was then known as Hung Bin. He went on to win best player in the Vietnam K-pop Random Dance in Public challenge of 2018, according to 2sao.

Vietnamese fans can’t wait to see their boy in action, already dubbing themselves “Hannies” even before Tempest’s debut.

4. Hwarang

Yet another member of Tempest who was a contestant on a reality show is 20-year-old Hwarang, or Song Jae-won. His first appearance was on Under Nineteen and he came in 32nd. As a trainee at DSP Media for six years, he finally became a member of the pre-debut group DSP N, now known as Mirae, in 2020. However, he left later that same year, according to K-Profiles.

He’s nicknamed “deer” according to his profile on K-Profiles, because his eyes and nose apparently resemble those of a deer. Known for urban and idol dancing, composing and choreography, he is set to be the group’s rapper and dancer.

5. Hyuk

Born in 2000, Hyuk, or Koo Bon-hyuk, became the mysterious “X factor” in the group’s line up, since he has been selected as the group’s main vocalist. Hallyu Idol reports that he passed first round auditions for big companies including JYP Entertainment, FNC Entertainment and Hybe (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) in the past, but other than that, fans know very little. We can’t wait to hear his voice.

6. Eunchan

Another vocalist in the line up is Eunchan, or Choi Byeong-seop. Born in 2001, he has never made a public appearance before. With a passion for drawing and sports, he reportedly graduated from Hanlim Multi Arts School in 2020, according to Hallyu Idol. He is also the tallest member at just over 182cm (six feet).

In Tempest’s recent sketch film of each member, Who Am I, he declared: “Achieve it in my own way”.

7. Taerae

Taerae or Kim Tae-rae, is the youngest member or the maknae, and will take on the role of rapper in the group. In his sketch film, a sweet smile and plenty of energy seem to be the hallmark of this 19-year-old.

He was known at school for being handsome and was also a member of the drama club, according to K-Profiles. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST