KIM MYUNG SOO PRESS CONFERENCE AND FANMEETING
Press Conference
Kim Myung Soo, more commonly known as L from Infinite, came to Singapore for a Press Conference to meet his fans in September at West Coast Plaza. Having recently played a role in the popular drama The Emperor: Owner of The Mask, his first in a historical drama, he shared his experience with his Singapore fans, explaining how the role focused a lot more on tone and posture than any of his other drama roles.
Kim Myung Soo, more commonly known as L from Infinite, came to Singapore for a Press Conference to meet his fans in September at West Coast Plaza. Having recently played a role in the popular drama The Emperor: Owner of The Mask, his first in a historical drama, he shared his experience with his Singapore fans, explaining how the role focused a lot more on tone and posture than any of his other drama roles.
Myung Soo, although under the weather, came very prepared and was enthusiastic to meet his everyone, kindly adding that he felt much better with the energy from his fans. The host revealed that he refused to take a seat while waiting to go on stage, wanting to keep his suit uncreased to leave a good impression with his fans.
Having worked for nearly seven years to build his name as L, Myung Soo has gained the confidence and recognition to pursue his interest in acting. He differentiates the persona he brings to singing with Infinite, L, from that which he brings to acting by using his birth name in acting jobs. Singing has allowed him to perform with the Infinite members and showcase his true personality while interacting with fans, while acting allows him to take on interesting new personas despite only showing them behind a screen.
Myung Soo’s love for both singing and acting drive him to keep pursuing both, as they each give him a different sense of satisfaction. Given the chance, he would love to take on more roles in dramas and in film, as well as work on a solo album. He is not phased by having two different stage names, and believes that he will continue to grow as both L the singer and Kim Myung Soo the actor. He also hopes that his fans will to continue to support him and look out for his new work in future.
Having worked for nearly seven years to build his name as L, Myung Soo has gained the confidence and recognition to pursue his interest in acting. He differentiates the persona he brings to singing with Infinite, L, from that which he brings to acting by using his birth name in acting jobs. Singing has allowed him to perform with the Infinite members and showcase his true personality while interacting with fans, while acting allows him to take on interesting new personas despite only showing them behind a screen.
Myung Soo’s love for both singing and acting drive him to keep pursuing both, as they each give him a different sense of satisfaction. Given the chance, he would love to take on more roles in dramas and in film, as well as work on a solo album. He is not phased by having two different stage names, and believes that he will continue to grow as both L the singer and Kim Myung Soo the actor. He also hopes that his fans will to continue to support him and look out for his new work in future.
When asked how he remembers all of his dance steps, song lyrics and drama lines, he admitted that memorizing is not his strong suit - after spending years using whole days to memorise one script or routine, Myung Soo discovered that what works best is to let it go. Instead, he tries to come back to one routine or script at the same time every day.
Myung Soo’s character Commoner Lee Sun in The Emperor: Owner of The Mask is said to be a loving person. When asked if he, Myung Soo, would sacrifice everything for his love, just as his character did, he explained that he would choose the most realistic way to do so, since both friendship and relationships are important to him. He joked that in this way, he was greedy, not wanting to give up either.
Myung Soo’s character Commoner Lee Sun in The Emperor: Owner of The Mask is said to be a loving person. When asked if he, Myung Soo, would sacrifice everything for his love, just as his character did, he explained that he would choose the most realistic way to do so, since both friendship and relationships are important to him. He joked that in this way, he was greedy, not wanting to give up either.
Fans of Myung Soo know of his photography hobby, having shared a photo essay with fans a while back. He does his best to take lots of pictures wherever he goes, and promises that he has another photo essay in store.
He loves picking up new activities and is excited to learn and share when he is ready. Unafraid of a challenge and wanting to try his best in in everything he does, he wants to learn more about himself and his capabilities as an artist.
One motto Myung Soo shared, one that drives him, is “Carpe Diem”. He encourages his fans to always have a positive outlook and to keep an open mind, as difficult times can always be endured and overcome.
The 26-year-old (in Korean age) aspires to be an even better version of himself when he hits 30, which he defined jokingly as more mature and manly. He wants to continue singing and acting, and put more effort into his photography hobby. At 30, he hopes that he will receive the same question, so he can take stock of how he has changed since he was 26.
He loves picking up new activities and is excited to learn and share when he is ready. Unafraid of a challenge and wanting to try his best in in everything he does, he wants to learn more about himself and his capabilities as an artist.
One motto Myung Soo shared, one that drives him, is “Carpe Diem”. He encourages his fans to always have a positive outlook and to keep an open mind, as difficult times can always be endured and overcome.
The 26-year-old (in Korean age) aspires to be an even better version of himself when he hits 30, which he defined jokingly as more mature and manly. He wants to continue singing and acting, and put more effort into his photography hobby. At 30, he hopes that he will receive the same question, so he can take stock of how he has changed since he was 26.
Myung Soo kindness radiated, where he made sure to thank the media for each question before answering. He was also generous with his fan service, sending bright smiles and the signature Korean heart sign in all directions, holding it up for the fans on the second floor of the mall as well, making sure all the fans were satisfied with pictures of him before sitting back down.
His fanmeet in Singapore took place the day after, which was his first time being onstage alone. He expressed excitement about performing and getting to spend more time knowing the fans individually, hinting that there would be something special to look forward to.
His fanmeet in Singapore took place the day after, which was his first time being onstage alone. He expressed excitement about performing and getting to spend more time knowing the fans individually, hinting that there would be something special to look forward to.
Fanmeet
Member of the popular K-Pop group known for their synchronised dances - Infinite, L, also known as Kim Myung Soo, had his first solo fanmeet in Singapore on 23rd September 2017.
The fanmeet started off with L’s melodic voice and stunning vocals as he sang “A Little Girl (소녀)” for his fans. This ballad portrayed a romantic and soft side of him, in contrast to Infinite’s genre of electronic and R&B music.
After the superb performance, the fanmeet then moved on to interactions between the host and Myung Soo, where he started showing more of his own bubbly personality to his fans. This was a treat to all the Inspirits as he portrayed the more childish and playful side of himself. There was a distinct difference from the quiet and shy boy as L, to the absolutely endearing, cheerful man that cracked up so easily in front of us that day.
Member of the popular K-Pop group known for their synchronised dances - Infinite, L, also known as Kim Myung Soo, had his first solo fanmeet in Singapore on 23rd September 2017.
The fanmeet started off with L’s melodic voice and stunning vocals as he sang “A Little Girl (소녀)” for his fans. This ballad portrayed a romantic and soft side of him, in contrast to Infinite’s genre of electronic and R&B music.
After the superb performance, the fanmeet then moved on to interactions between the host and Myung Soo, where he started showing more of his own bubbly personality to his fans. This was a treat to all the Inspirits as he portrayed the more childish and playful side of himself. There was a distinct difference from the quiet and shy boy as L, to the absolutely endearing, cheerful man that cracked up so easily in front of us that day.
As a treat for all the Inspirits present, he prepared a short version of a song so that there was a local twist. His adorable personality was evident when he got the fans to clap along initially, claiming that it was “too quiet” which made him feel awkward. Fans started clapping along, but to the wrong beat, leaving him in a mixed state of panic/helplessness and amusement as he tried to fix the situation, while cutely saying “No, no not like this!”. After leading a series of misaligned claps and rhythms, he finally got everyone clapping to the beats that he wanted, and he sang amazingly to “Singapura, oh Singapore”, albeit mumbling some lyrics due to some uncertainty. We have to give him credit though, he only heard it once!
Of course, what is Singapore without Singlish? The host started teaching Myungsoo one of the key words. Myungsoo showed off his childishness as he kept playing around with the word - “Abuden” - which means “of course” with the audience. He would bring up the word whenever he could and then laugh adorably at the new word he learnt. That being said, the amazing “bromance” between Myungsoo and the host was definitely the highlight of the night.
The host showed an amazing rapport with the actor/singer as well, by adding witty remarks, and constantly reminding the fans to reply with “Abuden” to his rhetorical statements of Myungsoo’s achievements instead of saying “yes”, prompting him to say “Wow, this emcee is really funny! You’re very good”, and continuously laughing at the things he said. A fancam even showed Myungsoo accidentally speaking in a cuter version of Korean, before covering his mouth in surprise, showing how comfortable he was with the host and the fans to be his normal self.
Of course, what is Singapore without Singlish? The host started teaching Myungsoo one of the key words. Myungsoo showed off his childishness as he kept playing around with the word - “Abuden” - which means “of course” with the audience. He would bring up the word whenever he could and then laugh adorably at the new word he learnt. That being said, the amazing “bromance” between Myungsoo and the host was definitely the highlight of the night.
The host showed an amazing rapport with the actor/singer as well, by adding witty remarks, and constantly reminding the fans to reply with “Abuden” to his rhetorical statements of Myungsoo’s achievements instead of saying “yes”, prompting him to say “Wow, this emcee is really funny! You’re very good”, and continuously laughing at the things he said. A fancam even showed Myungsoo accidentally speaking in a cuter version of Korean, before covering his mouth in surprise, showing how comfortable he was with the host and the fans to be his normal self.
Besides visiting his global fans, Myung Soo also came to Singapore to promote his new drama - “The Emperor - Owner of the Mask”. The staff had prepared a bunch of clips from the said drama, showcasing Myung Soo’s remarkable acting skills and raw emotions, which touched the hearts of his fans as his character was one of a of a seemingly strong yet emotionally vulnerable villain. Myungsoo was so impressed with the effort behind the preperation of the videos that he even jokingly said “If I say this, will the video appear as well?”. This was in the context of his reknowned “我在这里 wo zai zhe li (I’m here)“, one of the lines from his debut drama that became an inside joke to the fandom and the members.
The segment then lead to an opportunity for fans to interact with Myungsoo. Several lucky fans were picked out to go on stage to reenact romantic scenes from the drama with Myung Soo, after they caught a ball thrown by none other than Myungsoo himself! Prompted by the host, the kindhearted actor/singer even attempted to throw the ball all the way to the back, and succeeded! Not before he boasted about his ability to throw far though.
The various scenes to be re-enacted consisted of backhugs, hand-holding and even eye contact, and we’re very sure everyone else died on the inside due to jealousy when they witnessed the lucky fans. This highlighted the gentlemanly side of Myungsoo, isn’t he just the perfect boyfriend material? That was not the end to the interactions, each fan got a bear hug from him (and a personalised, signed autograph, because the sweet man decided to do it for all the fans rather than one) as the fans in the audience squealed with envy.
The segment then lead to an opportunity for fans to interact with Myungsoo. Several lucky fans were picked out to go on stage to reenact romantic scenes from the drama with Myung Soo, after they caught a ball thrown by none other than Myungsoo himself! Prompted by the host, the kindhearted actor/singer even attempted to throw the ball all the way to the back, and succeeded! Not before he boasted about his ability to throw far though.
The various scenes to be re-enacted consisted of backhugs, hand-holding and even eye contact, and we’re very sure everyone else died on the inside due to jealousy when they witnessed the lucky fans. This highlighted the gentlemanly side of Myungsoo, isn’t he just the perfect boyfriend material? That was not the end to the interactions, each fan got a bear hug from him (and a personalised, signed autograph, because the sweet man decided to do it for all the fans rather than one) as the fans in the audience squealed with envy.
Myungsoo then went on to another performance, singing “It’s okay even if It’s not me (내가 아니어도 좋아)”, the OST of Ruler: Master of the Mask. His low and sweet voice definitely captivated the hearts of the fans as everyone in the theatre looked mesmerised, as they were serenaded by him. He was caught coughing several times during the performance, and even drank honey water continuously throughout the fanmeeting.
That didn’t stop him from showing off his vocals though, where he belted out the highlight of the song during the later talk segment without any backing track. This resulted in him coughing, to which the emcee joked “See la, show off somemore”. Myungsoo cheekily smiled and replied in English, “But I’m okay!”. Fans also found out that he skipped taking his medicine so that he would not feel drowsy during his fanmeet. It was endearing that he put in so much effort to sing and perform even though he wasn’t in the best of health, and his performances all went on without a hitch.
In the next segment, Myungsoo showed off his self-taken photographs of various sights and scenes as he travelled, since he likes photography. His talent was evident, with beautifully taken pictures, that he breezed through because he wanted to get to the pictures he took in Singapore. The photos also included 2 photos of him taken during filming, in the traditional costume.
This was started off with pretty cupcakes prepared for him by the Singapore fans (where he immediately quipped “Oh no, it’s upside down”, and then got amazed with technology as the crew immediately rotated it), a selfie of himself in the plane (he was bare faced but still looked amazing) on the way to Singapore and also the typical tourist shot of the Merlion. He expressed his happiness at being able to explore the sights around Singapore, especially since he was unable to do so during his last visit, and hopes to do this with his members soon.
This was not the end of the interaction with the fans. Inspirits were all asked to stand up, and had to answer with “yes” or “no”, using actions that Myungsoo cutely came up with himself. Fans that got the answer correct could remain standing while those that got it wrong had to take a seat. It started with basic questions including "Kim Myung Soo is from the group infinite, with 7 members?", to slightly tricker ones involving the year the group debuted, his birthday and his pets. The question that got 80% of the room seated was “Did I have chilli crab yesterday?” and even Myungsoo himself was amused that so many fans got the answer wrong.
That didn’t stop him from showing off his vocals though, where he belted out the highlight of the song during the later talk segment without any backing track. This resulted in him coughing, to which the emcee joked “See la, show off somemore”. Myungsoo cheekily smiled and replied in English, “But I’m okay!”. Fans also found out that he skipped taking his medicine so that he would not feel drowsy during his fanmeet. It was endearing that he put in so much effort to sing and perform even though he wasn’t in the best of health, and his performances all went on without a hitch.
In the next segment, Myungsoo showed off his self-taken photographs of various sights and scenes as he travelled, since he likes photography. His talent was evident, with beautifully taken pictures, that he breezed through because he wanted to get to the pictures he took in Singapore. The photos also included 2 photos of him taken during filming, in the traditional costume.
This was started off with pretty cupcakes prepared for him by the Singapore fans (where he immediately quipped “Oh no, it’s upside down”, and then got amazed with technology as the crew immediately rotated it), a selfie of himself in the plane (he was bare faced but still looked amazing) on the way to Singapore and also the typical tourist shot of the Merlion. He expressed his happiness at being able to explore the sights around Singapore, especially since he was unable to do so during his last visit, and hopes to do this with his members soon.
This was not the end of the interaction with the fans. Inspirits were all asked to stand up, and had to answer with “yes” or “no”, using actions that Myungsoo cutely came up with himself. Fans that got the answer correct could remain standing while those that got it wrong had to take a seat. It started with basic questions including "Kim Myung Soo is from the group infinite, with 7 members?", to slightly tricker ones involving the year the group debuted, his birthday and his pets. The question that got 80% of the room seated was “Did I have chilli crab yesterday?” and even Myungsoo himself was amused that so many fans got the answer wrong.
Myungsoo showed off his charismatic singing once more, taking the stage and sweeping Inspirits off their feet as he sang one of the songs in Infinite’s album, “Love of My Life”. He managed to capture the sadness in the song and his voice was full of raw emotions.
The final segment involved Myungsoo “counselling” his fans by giving them advice for their problems. These included problems with their pet cat, confidence and even how he manages to be so positive on a daily basis. The highlight of this segment, however, was his spontaneity. Initially, the chosen fans were to stand in a row, along the aisle, while he replied their questions on stage. Much to the shock of the fans and the security, he made the extra effort to jump down to the aisle (and proceeded to help the host as well), so that he could be closer to his fans. It was a very touching sight as he went the extra mile just so that everyone could see him better or be closer to him physically. He also ensured that he gave all the fans an equal opportunity to see him, such as walking past the middle and left aisle and promising to return to the right aisle later so that the fans there could see him too.
He kept to his promise. Immediately after his ending statement, he was supposed to leave the stage but he casually reminded the host, “oh, I haven’t walked past that area yet”, and immediately walked down the steps into the audience once again, this time stretching his hands and giving fans high-fives along the way. We applaud his sincerity and genuine character and it is heartwarming to see the amount of effort he puts in for his fanservice. He promised to work harder so that he can come back to see the fans often, and we look forward to seeing him again soon.
The fanmeet ended off with high-touch and photo-taking with the Cat 1 and Cat 2 fans. We hope that everyone had a blast with Myungsoo that day, as we definitely did. Do continue to show love to L and Infinite!
We would like to extend our thanks to Faith & D Entertainment for the opportunity to cover these events!
Photos Credited to: PTO Entertainment Pte Ltd
(and Kylie)
Writers:
Press Conference: Kylie and Taylor
Fanmeet: KaiLin and Valerie
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