Many young Korean pop and film stars who can barely say “hello” in Japanese are seeking to make it big in Japan, and quite a few of them are doing amazingly well so far. (For Korean superstars like Song Seung-hun, a simple smile is more than enough to make a crowd of Japanese women happy.)
The language and cultural barrier, however, seems to be higher for Japanese musicians and actors who want to appeal to Koreans. That’s why Otsuru Ayaka (better known as Soon Sim here), 23, a member of Korean girl group Cats, has tried to master the Korean language and learn about local culture.
“Japanese people do not seem to care much about Korean actors or singers whether they speak Japanese well or not, as long as they are good at what they do,” Otsuru, originally from Fukuoka, told The Korea Herald in native-level Korean. “Before I debuted here, I had chances to talk to a few Japanese stars who had been frustrated by lukewarm reactions from Koreans, which worried me some more,” added Otsuru, the lead vocalist of the female quartet, which specializes in dance music.
Although she has taught herself Korean by watching television dramas featuring her favorite actor Bae Yong-joon, her Korean is near perfection.
Her Korean name, Soon Sim (meaning “pure heart”) — which sounds a little outdated and unsophisticated — was also chosen by the group’s management agency to make Koreans feel more friendly toward her.
“I feel happy when people call me ‘Soon Sim nuna’ or ‘Soon Sim eonni’ the way Koreans address each other,” continued Otsuru. “Nuna” and “eonni” both mean “older sister.”
According to her, Cats is a highly talented group, with each of its members excelling in singing, dancing and even celebrity impressions. With “Baby Cat,” the third track of their debut album, Cats are frequently on television and radio. She and other members — Park Soo-jung, Han So-yoo and Kim Ji-hye — are all having the busiest year ever.
Otsuru, however, is already thinking about her next step. “I’d like to become a star both in Korea and Japan, like BoA, then I will go on a concert tour all around Asia,” said the Japanese, who has fallen in love with the taste of budaejjigae (spicy stew made with spam and sausages). “But now my only concern is making the group more appealing.”
Credits ~ Korean Herald + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom
