2PM has returned as upgraded beast idols for "I'll Be Back."

The "I'll Be Back" beast idols have returned. With an even stronger image than ever of "Upgrade 2:00pm," they have released their mini album "Still 2:00PM." Mischieviously, the six familiar men haven't changed, and they have armed themselves as an even stronger and more intense 2PM when I met with them for the interview.

Hello. Please give a greeting to everyone at Bugs.

Junsu: Hello. I'm Junsu of 2PM. I will show a cool image to everyone who waited for us.

Junho: Everyone at Bugs! 2PM has returned. We'll work hard so as not to disappoint you!

Chansung: Hello. I'm the youngest, Chansung. We sweated buckets working hard and preparing. Please love and support us lots.

Taecyeon: Hello! This is Taecyeon. 2PM really did "I'll Be Back." Please enjoy our strong image!

Wooyoung: Hello. This is Wooyoung. Have all of you at Bugs been well!? 2PM has arrived.

Nichkhun: Hello. This is 2PM Nichkhun.

Congratulations on releasing your mini album, "Still 2:00PM." I've occassionally seen Nichkhun on WGM, but how have the others spent their time?

Junsu: We were busy with our solo concert together with our fans. We also made a lot of CF's and most of all we prepared for our new album.

Junho: I've been reading a lot of Japanese books. I believe that if I can learn to understand [Japanese] culture, I'll be able to empathize well with [Japanese] fans (laugh).

Chansung: Lately I've been engrossed in studying Japanese. I'll show Japan my flawless Japanese skills!

Taecyeon: I had gotten slightly injured when preparing acrobatics, so I managed my physical condition a bit and took some traditional Chinese medicine (laugh).

Wooyoung: In place of Junho, I practiced very hard to show off the main acrobatic moves. I'm happy to see that only good results have come from practicing. Junho-yah, did I do well? (laugh)

Nichkhun: It wasn't just the 2PM concerts, there were also a lot of CF's and WGM that I was busy with every day.

Are there any tracks on this album that you especially hold dear?

Junsu: When we were recording I really liked all the tracks, however...the song "I CAN'T" in particular, wasn't the style we normally do, so I like it more for its freshness.

Junho: I like the title track, "I'll Be Back" the most. It's a song that shines just like the sweat we were covered in for hours and hours while practicing the dance moves.

Chansung: Like Junsu hyung, I also like "I CAN'T." I actually really like peaceful songs (laugh).

Taecyeon: "Dance2Night"~!! It's the 2nd song I've made a rap for and it's even more motivating that it was used (laugh).

Wooyoung: I hold all of the songs dearly, but I like the song Ra.D hyung worked on most (laugh).

Nichkhun: I like the title track too, but personally I like "Can't forget your love" most!

When you watch the teaser video for the "Still 2:00PM" mini album, it really seems like "Upgrade 2:00pm." More than ever before, there's an emphasis on a manly atmosphere and it feels like 6 men have turned into 6 robots. Are there any special preparations you took to achieve that image?

2PM: The members received a lot of injuries while preparing the acrobatic choreography this time. Junho and Taecyeon especially had to do a lot of highly difficult acrobatics, and in the middle of it all, Junho hurt his shoulder and we had to substitute Wooyoung for him in a hurry. Thankfully, Wooyoung did it a lot and was able to produce a satisfactory video.

2PM's new album is on sale, and the theme is "dance." What kind of dance have you planned to show this time?

2PM: The choreography for "I'll Be Back" is a dance that was popular in the 90s called the "rabbit dance" that has been transformed into a "shuffle dance" to suit a house rhythm; the "shuffle" motions are lively and the movement has been made even more powerful because of our original beast-dol 2PM energy. There's also a part in the choreography where we do an action with our thumb for "I'll Be Back" that's based off of a famous scene in the movie Terminator. There are many highlights!

Ra.D participated in composing a track for this album. The collaboration's soft style was unexpected of 2PM, but was his participation a special chance for you?

2PM: We think it's good for an artist to always try to show fans a new side of themselves. Besides that, it was fun and exciting to work with Ra.D. Thanks to him, we were able to complete the song satisfactorily. Please give 2PM's new charm a try~!!

Taecyeon firsthandedly made the rap for "Dance2Night." Was it hard for the ideas to come out? Such as, did you use any material from your personal life? (laugh)

Junsu: When I saw him, he had been writing it while I was asleep next to him (laugh).

Taecyeon: Actually, I couldn't put in difficult lines because I felt that I wasn't accustomed enough to making raps (laugh). Naturally, if I had made it about love or everyday modesty, it could've turned into something from my personal life, but since it's just something I want everyone to dance along to, there's no relation.

Songs on the album like "Dance2Night" and before that, the cheerful melody of the digital single released in September "Nori For U," seem to give fans a more gentle perception of 2PM, but with the Christmas season drawing near, are there any plans for 2PM to release a carol?

2PM: There aren't any plans set in stone for it yet, but we want to try releasing a carol album sometime! It seems 2PM's image would really change if we were to don Santa outfits. Look forward to it somehow (laugh).

All the members have been active as "foreign advertisement models for the city of Seoul," but where do you actually go to most in Seoul? What place would you first recommend to a foreigner?

Junsu: I would recommend Seoul's Central Park, Seoul's forest. You can experience Seoul's seasonal changes the best, and it's a pretty area. Ah, of course, the sky is very pretty too.

Junho: Honestly, the place I go to most is the JYP center (laugh). Just kidding! Taecyeon hyung and I both go to Han River a lot. It makes me proud to think that a river that big is right in the center of the city of Seoul.

Chansung: Ah...there's a lot of places, but I recommend COEX and Apgujeong~!! There are so many people and different places that you won't even notice the time pass by~ (laugh)

Taecyeon: Han River Park~! It's where I go sometimes at daybreak to ride my bike and better my mood, and every time I go, I return with a clear mind and a sense of liberty.

Wooyoung: I recommend Gwanghwamun. Lately I haven't had time to go there much, but they changed it and it's really cool and pretty.

Nichkhun: I think anywhere in Seoul would be good. It's lively. Thailand's good too~ Phuket, Hua Hin, Pataya, all are good. By the way, I'm the Public Relations Ambassador of Thailand (laugh).

Thank you for your valuable responses. Lastly, please tell us what activities you have planned for after this.


2PM: Everyone at Bugs! We'll be working very hard for "I'll Be Back," so in order for us to get closer to you, please support and watch over us kindly. This was 2PM.

The encore concert of 2PM was held at Seoul Olympic Park Stadium on September 4th & 5th.

We had an exclusive interview with 2PM after the first night of the encore concert. Do they have huge enthusiasm for the Japan debut?!

Q. Firstly, you worked really hard on the first day of the encore concert. For those who don't know about you much, please tell us your brief history.

Taecyeon: We debuted on September 4th, 2008. Two years have just passed since then. Our debut song is "10 out of 10", followed by 4 albums and singles in total. We've been working as a boys idol group that shows the wild and manly side, representing the beastly image.

Q. What led you to start your career? And how did you become a member of 2PM?

Nichkhun: In my case...I didn't have any particular event. When I went to see a concert, I met a casting director of JYP, which was by accident... Then I attended their audition, and got accepted.

Junsu: I was in the 9th grade when I first thought of pursuing a musical career. I really liked Stevie Wonder. At that time, I watched his performance on screen, and aspired to becoming a musician...just like him. I auditioned for JYP when I was a high school junior, which led me to become a 2PM member.

Chansung: I joined JYP through an audition program called "Superstar Survival." At first, I wanted to become an actor, but as I learnt dancing and singing at JYP, I was utterly attracted by them. That's why I started pursuing a musical career.

Taecyeon: Like Chansung, I also entered into JYP through an audition program. Lots of things happened in two years while I was a trainee, and an incident gave me an opportunity to be selected as a member of 2PM.

Junho: Originally I had always wanted to study acting since childhood, but I became interested in dancing and singing, and was gradually hooked on them. After preparing for an audition, I participated "Superstar Survival" same as Chansung and Taecyeon hyung. I passed the audition, and joined 2PM.

Wooyoung: I became a member of 2PM after entering JYP through a public audition.

Q. What is the appeal of 2PM?

Taecyeon: The strong charisma and passion on the stage. At the same time, the very natural and not faked expressions outside the stage. I think our fans find those opposite aspects attractive.

Q. You've just celebrated two years anniversary. Did it take long or not to get where you are?

2PM: Mm, you could say two years have passed fast...but at the same time,
it took long to come this far.

Taecyeon: Many things happened, really, within the last couple of years...What kind of period were the past two years for us? We've worked so hard, and of course we will do the same from now on. What I want to say is that sometimes, we all think back on how we spent these two years. Though I felt that days have passed quickly, at the same time felt like "only two years have passed." Also, I wonder what our next album is going to be like, or what our career is going to be like..there are times I become anxious and am eager to know. Indeed we experienced so many things in the past two years.

Q. Now, please tell us your thoughts on the Japan debut.

Wooyoung: Now I'm just so excited. Many Koreans visit Japan for shopping, or to learn about the Japanese culture, right? Personally I'd like to relate to the country by learning its culture more deeply. Then if we can appear on stage in Japan, we would be filled with happiness. That's what I'm expecting.

Junho: Finally we decided to start activities in Japan from the end of the year. Now what I have in my mind is that 2PM is going to make a debut again. The feeling of making a debut once again in Japan, just like we debuted two years ago with a song "10 out of 10." Becoming nervous, I keep thinking of how we should do to be accepted by the Japanese fans. Yet, now I come to realize that rather than thinking something, fans will welcome us if we show who we are, our natural self.

Taecyeon: Firstly, I'm so happy and feel fresh to debut in Japan. In Korea, it seems lots of people feel 'Japan is close but far away,' but we will visit Japan, introduce the appealing Korean music, and come back with the deep knowledge of Japanese culture. By sharing the knowledge in Korea, I'd like to slowly diminish such barrier.

Chansung: To begin with, as this is the first time to do activities officially out of Korea, I'm eager to know how much people in Japan will be purely interested in 2PM, and if they will see us as a good group. For the upcoming Japanese activities, my heart is beating so hard. Please support us. We'll show our best performance, doing our best in Japan as well.

Junsu: Actually a lot of Japanese fans came to our solo concert held in Seoul and Busan, and I was so touched.
I think it's not easy to be loved by such many people outside Korea. Therefore I really feel grateful to Japanese fans.
When we make a debut in Japan, as the representative of Korean men, we'll work hard to be accepted and recognized as "Wow, there are very passionate men in Korea".

Nichkhun: First of all, I'm so nervous, though at the same time I'm so glad to start activities in somewhere new. As mentioned, lots of Japanese fans came to see our performance. We saw your faces from the stage. So I always wanted to visit Japan and thank our fans. I can't wait to go there. When we visit, I'd like to eat various Japanese foods, and learn different cultures. I'll study Japanese hard as well!

Q. Lately both boys and girls idol groups from Korea make a debut in Japan one after another, and each of them seems to have a big dream / goal such as "Oricon No.1! (Oricon is the most well-known and reliable music chart)" or "To be selected for Kohaku (Kohaku is the year-end music program)". How about you?

Junho: Although it's important to set a visible goal like Oricon ranking, we are going to debut as a "beastly idol group." Therefore, we need to put efforts to bring the people in Japan a completely new experience through our performance.That's what we feel now. If we succeed in showing our true self and leaving an overwhelming impression, then naturally the ranking result will follow. If not, then it's because our lack of efforts. We know we have to cross a very high hurdle, but rather than setting a strict goal, first, we're looking forward to communicating with Japanese fans! That's what I think.

Q. Sounds nice. Lastly, please give a message to Japanese fans!

Wooyoung: We're very grateful that you give us such a wonderful opportunity. Because you guys care about us, we can exploit our abilities. To respond your support, we will give you back more than that. See you soon!

Junho: We really appreciate that you come all the way to Korea and support us. We will be promoted as a "beastly idol group," and I hope that expression won't be a burden to you. I want to do activities keeping time with Japanese fans.

Taecyeon: We'll go to Japan soon, and will work hard to show our performance. (In Japanese) I'm looking forward to seeing all of you! ...Is it correct? (In Japanese) Please wait for us! Thank you. See you soon!

Your Japanese is very good.

Chansung: Even though the cultural background is different from us, the Japanese fans care about 2PM...It must be difficult to do so (but still they support us)...it seems we're engaged on a very unique yet grateful job. Therefore, we appreciate and are thankful for the support from people of Japan. Accepting their heart, we will try hard to meet their expectations through activities. Thank you.

Junsu: There have already been people who support us from Japan. However, this time we'll visit you with a nicer and hotter manner, so please keep loving us!

Nichkhun: All we want to do is to try hard not to make Japanese fans disappointed. And we can't wait to go to Japan and see you guys. Thank you!