[INTERVIEW] MC Mong - Part 3

10: How did you become so close with Lee Seung-gi in entertainment show "Happy Sunday"?
Mong: Lee is an amazing kid. He has a very clean personal life and the only places he goes to is home and the broadcasting center. He's also the type that swallows all his stress. I don't think I need to say anymore if I tell you that he still bows 90 degrees to people. He is someone that nobody can hate. And I'm increasingly becoming portrayed as a character completely opposite to him. (laugh) So I want to take better care of him. I'm quite older than him but I want to make him feel that I'm maybe just about a year older.

10: The clothes you wear on the show -- is that really your style? It seems you like extremely vivid and bright colors.
Mong: The style I wear in "Happy Sunday" isn't entirely my own. I listen to my stylist because I have to think of the concept of the show. But I usually like to go all-out with styles. For example, if I wear a suit, I'll wear one properly and if I want to just go comfortable, I'll do that properly too.

10: Which do you like better between singing and appearing on entertainment shows?
Mong: I like appearing on entertainment shows but I think I really like music these days in particular. I'm scared of shows... so I think I release that fear through music. I really like performing at colleges in particular. The students cheer for me like crazy. I once went to perform at a school but they were so great even when I lost my voice, that I promised I would perform at their school for free the next time I went. I really did went I went to that school this year.

10: I think a lot of the stereotypes regarding rap music has disappeared with your music becoming popular amongst the general public. But some fans of hip-hop also criticize your music, saying it doesn't contain enough lyrics which talk about the problems of society and may be too commercial. What do you think of this?
Mong: I accept their opinions because it's the freedom of the listener to think so. But I'm a pop singer and I haven't lived a special life so I write songs which people can sympathize with. Hence, I don't think I can do that without taking the commercial aspect of it into consideration. I know the importance of rhyme when it comes to rap, but I sometimes take out the more complex parts in trying to deliver my story. I think I have my own role in the pop music industry. I'm happy when (hip-hop) musicians such as Bobby Kim and Dynamic Duo say I definitely have a role of my own.

10: You do a variety of things right now. What more what you like to try in the future?
Mong: I want to return as much as I have received. I talk about this with my mother a lot but someday, I'd like to do missionary and charity work.

10: Have you ever been discomforted by revealing the fact that you have a girlfriend?
Mong: I haven't. I revealed who my girlfriend is for myself -- because I wanted to be open about it and be faithful to just that one person. Celebrities can be faced temptation of various sorts and lose their ground. It was one of the ways I could rid myself from that. I thought I would be able to carry myself more properly and live a better life if I dated openly.

10: When will the albums for your singers come out?
Mong: I think next year. They'll probably come out as a group and they each of them have various talents. Not many good-looking people come to audition at our company (laugh) but there are a lot of good-looking guys on the team.

10: What is world peace to you?
Mong: I think you are praying for yourself by praying for others. If you pray for someone else, you will receive that prayer too. I used to speak badly about others when I was immature. And I think that all came back to me in some form of punishment. I think it would be good if everyone expresses their love to others and hopes everything that everyone does goes well. And maybe share a little bit of that love with me if there is any left over (laugh)

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jang Kyung-Jin three@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr