Woo Jin Young, who came in first among the male contestants on the JTBC and YG Entertainment competition show “MIXNINE,” shared stories of his history and his late father in recent interviews.

Woo Jin Young’s father had originally objected when he said he wanted to be a singer, but when he performed on stage, his father would film him and proudly show it to everyone around him. Sadly, his father passed away in 2016 before Woo Jin Young achieved success. While his father was ill in the hospital, Woo Jin Young had taken a break from his training and took care of him. After his passing, Woo Jin Young entered his current agency Happyface Entertainment.

Woo Jin Young said, “My older brother is really great at singing. He’s a vocal trainer now.” He explained that his father had wondered about whether Woo Jin Young would be able to do well, especially when comparing his vocal skills with his brother’s, and so Woo Jin Young had kept trying to prove to him that he could.

The reason for his father’s objection to his goal of being a singer was the instability inherent in the job. He gave difficult assignments to Woo Jin Young, which he always proudly completed. His attitude began to change when Woo Jin Young was accepted into the famous School of Performing Arts in Seoul. Unfortunately, he was unable to enter the school due to their family’s circumstances and ended up taking a qualification exam instead.

His father encouraged him to try acting instead of music, and he enroled in an acting institute to give it a shot. “But I wanted to rap so much,” he said. “I couldn’t take it, so I said to my dad, ‘Please give me one more chance.’ He gave me permission then to become a trainee at an agency for singers.”

As Woo Jin Young showed his passion, his father encouraged him. He said that his father was the person who gave him the most support when he ended up leaving his former agency. He was described as becoming tearful as he explained, “My father said, ‘It’s not a big deal. It’s just something that can happen. All you need to do is do it again.’ He didn’t tell me to quit.”

The young idol said that he would like to say to his father, “I’m working hard, so don’t worry. Please keep watching over me.” He also mentioned his plans for the Lunar New Year holiday to go to the place where his father now rests to tell him that he came in first place.

In regards to his experiences on the competition show, Woo Jin Young said, “When I decided to go on ‘MIXNINE,’ I wanted to show the kind of music I do and the kind of talents I have and be recognized for my skills.” He added, “I think that has happened to some degree. There is still a lot that I want to show everyone.”

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