“It has a lot of different meanings.”

NCT‘s Taeyong took fans by surprise during a SuperM concert stop when he debuted his first tattoo.

On the back of his left arm, above his elbow, is the word “UNDER.”

On his right arm, positioned in the same place as his left, is the word “STAND.” When read together, it’s “UNDERSTAND.”

In a recent live broadcast, Taeyong addressed his first tattoo. He first apologized to fans for not asking for their permission before going through with it.

I’m sorry everyone. I know most stars ask their fans first beforehand… I should have asked for your permission.

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He then jumped into the explanation, stating that it was meaningful not only because it’s his first tattoo but because it has a lot of meaning behind it.

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The tattoo serves to remind him to be someone who tries to understand people.

It reminds me that I want to be the kind of person who looks up to people and tries to understand them.

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He also wanted to be understood as well. That’s why he chose to have the word written on the back of his arms rather than the front.

The reason I got it backwards was because I wanted to express my desire to be understood too.

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With all the detail he’d put into it, he certainly didn’t make the choice lightly. Watch Taeyong explain what sparked his meaningful tattoo starting at 1:48.