After attending The Shops at Skyview K-Fun with B.A.P‘s Moon Jongup last year, WTK was invited to cover this year’s event! Due to the popularity of the first program, this year’s run is extended from four weeks to six weeks.
This year’s program, called The Shops at Skyview Summer of K-FUN, took on a summer school theme with a vibrant and playful atmosphere. The mall was even temporarily renamed “Skyview High” for a more immersive experience.
A New Student Has Arrived
Perfectly aligned with the theme, the special guest for the K-pop day was referred to as the “student ambassador.” This year, it was B.A.P’s Jung Daehyun, Moon Jongup’s fellow group member and label-mate.
Although the event was scheduled from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., eager fans arrived early in the morning to be at the front of the line. Many brought B.A.P Matoki light sticks as part of the BABY fandom and Jung Daehyun’s solo artist fan light sticks as part of the DABY fandom. There is also a school books and supply drive that will run until August to help children in need.
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Some fans worked together to provide banners for the fan meeting and put up digital ads in Times Square and the mall itself. They also set up a table where fans could write short messages on a large paper banner to be given to Daehyun later.
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Before Class Started
In the hall, fans waited for the event to start while enjoying the themed displays like a school store and a tiny market. People could learn more about items and purchase certain Korean products from vendor carts that featured food, snacks, skincare products, drinks, and Korean wellness goods.
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At the end of the row, there was a claw machine with cute Korean character plushies and small bags of Korean snacks. Additionally, there was also a table for people interested in learning more about Korea and potentially traveling there.
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Before the event, The Shops at Skyview held a media conference that was also live-streamed on Instagram for fans to join in real-time. The two hosts, Wesley Sin and Haye Lee, sat with Daehyun at a table for the press conference to answer questions. Haye Lee was also Daehyun’s translator for the event.
Daehyun introduced himself in English with an adorable, “Nice to meet you. I’m Daehyun.” Reflecting on being back in New York since 2018, he shared feelings of nostalgia and happiness to meet his fans again even though he felt a little nervous without his fellow members.
Q&A with Skyview High Student Ambassador Jung Daehyun
Daehyun expressed his excitement to perform his solo songs, engage with fans, and perform a special B.A.P dance medley at the event.
When asked to give advice about wellness— one of the themes for the summer school sessions— the fit K-pop star emphasized the importance of consistency when it comes to exercising. He also suggested managing your diet by being mindful of your eating habits and trying to enjoying everything in moderation.
WTK asked Daehyun about his biggest goal for 2024. With a twinkle in his eye and a smile, he replied, “This week, the B.A.P documentary will be released on YouTube. This project will be our biggest goal, so please wait and look forward to it!”
Through other questions, Daehyun shared that although this trip to NYC was very short, he was able to experience quite a bit of Queens and he visited Times Square to see the fan-made digital ads in his honor. He, being a musical actor in Korea, admired the Broadway musical advertisements and hinted at a shy desire to one day perform in a Broadway musical.
As Daehyun is experienced in performing both as a singer and as a musical actor, he gave his tips on how to approach both. He said that emotional expression and delivery is most important after learning the basics of the performance.
Daehyun was also asked what the word BABY means to him. He said it’s very hard to sum up in one word. Because the memories of BABY and B.A.P together are so meaningful to him, he said he will focus on this time as B.A.P prepares for their comeback this year. It’s hard to express, but for him, B.A.P reuniting for a performance is the most meaningful and the most important thing this year.
After responding to this, Daehyun paused for a brief moment. He beamed, “It’s the time. It’s the time to be together again.”
He finished up the questions from the reporters by saying that he is looking forward to this year as B.A.P is coming back. He said he and the members have just started the project, but the planning has been in the works for a very long time. He said it is a project that they want to be proud of and want the fans to be proud of and he hopes that everyone looks forward to it.
He concluded the interview saying he is preparing for the reunited B.A.P performance. Afterwards, he will focus on his solo activities. He stated that appreciates all the support and then he thanked everyone, especially his fans.
Time for Class
With the press conference over, Daehyun was shuffled away to get ready for his performance. Reporters were led back downstairs to the venue and fans were finally let into the hall.
Some event attendees, who purchased at least $200 worth of merchandise at The Shops at Skyview, qualified for a VIP ticket and were let in first. For the other sections in the back, it was free to attend but fans had to snag a registration ticket quickly.
At around 2:30 p.m., MCs Janelle and Steve kicked off the show with light comedy, introducing the main host, Wesley Sin. The talented dancers from AKF Dance Studio performed first this year, dancing to NCT Dream’s “Smoothie,” Young Posse’s “XXL,” and BABYMONSTER’s “Sheesh.”
After a couple of their dance performances, Daehyun was called on stage to much elation and screaming from the fans. Several of the dancers from AKF performed with Daehyun onstage and all of the performers dressed up in school uniform-themed attires.
Subjects for Summer Classes
The show was scheduled for Daehyun to perform sections that were sneak peeks of the other days of what the “summer school” sessions planned to showcase.
K-Art: Daehyun created his version of an artistic cat design on a shirt which was later given to a lucky fan as a prize for participating in the online uniform photo contest.
K-Fashion: Five finalists from the VIP section modeled their best school-themed outfits with Daehyun and the judges deciding on a winner. The winning fan then participated in a romantic school-themed K-drama skit with Daehyun on stage.
Performances: Daehyun began the fanmeeting with “Bomb” and performed his solo song “You’re My.” He surprised fans with a B.A.P dance medley that included, “Skydive,” “Wake Me Up,” and “YOUNG, WILD & FREE.” Fans squealed with happiness to be able to see a B.A.P member dancing to B.A.P songs again.
K-Food: Beginning the Korean food segment, an adorable brand mascot for aT America wobbled out. It was a very big kimchi named Poggy! Daehyun was introduced to the mascot but misheard its name. He said, “Hello Tokki.” He was corrected but not before he laughed and said “matoki,” fondly looking out at the sea of BABYz with their green rabbit light sticks, MATOKI. (“Tokki” is rabbit in Korean.)
Daehyun made what he said was his first samgak kimbap with Instructor Debbie. While Daehyun was making his kimbap, Wesley asked him who he thought was the best cook among the B.A.P members. Daehyun got distracted while making the snack and said, “Uh… me?”
Using Wesley’s iPad to choose who would get to taste his kimbap, Daehyun randomly selected a fan but Wesley looked at it and said, “Ok, we selected the same person! Who is that lucky?” So, Daehyun had to pick someone else as the crowd laughed.
The chosen fan came up and Daehyun held the snack up so she could take a bite. She said, “It’s very full of nutrients. It tastes good!” She was given the rest of the snack to take back to her seat after posing for photos with Daehyun.
After that, Instructor Debbie helped Daehyun make a special cocktail using a tanghulu treat as a garnish. Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese snack of skewered fruits, such as grapes or strawberries, that are coated in crystalized sugar. Before making the cocktail, Daehyun was asked if he preferred soju or makgeolli. He firmly answered that he likes makgeolli.
After the beautiful cocktail was created and displayed to the audience, it was time for Daehyun to select a lucky fan from the host’s iPad to drink the cocktail he made.
To the amusement of everyone, Daehyun somehow selected himself among all the fans in the venue for the selection. He laughed and was going to pick someone else until the crowd started chanting “Drink!” He downed the cocktail with one shot as everyone cheered him on. He made a second cocktail though, so one lucky fan did end up being selected to drink the cocktail he made.
Korean Culture: Daehyun quizzed fans about Korea, with correct answers being rewarded with gift bags from the luxury skincare brand, Klairs. One fan was selected to dress in a traditional hanbok and pose for photos with Daehyun.
A Heartfelt Finale and a Birthday Wish
Finishing up the event, Daehyun sang “With You” which is a beautiful song from B.A.P to their fans, BABYz. It’s always wonderful to hear a B.A.P member sing this song. However, this time felt different, more hopeful and not as sad now that B.A.P is finally coming back!
Daehyun ended the song with his impeccable high notes and went to leave the stage. However, Wesley stopped him and B.A.P’s “Happy Birthday to You” started playing. Fans brought out special banners and a very fitting birthday cake from a couple of fans was carried on to the stage.
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Since Daehyun’s birthday is just right around the corner on June 28th, it was very special that he and his fans could celebrate together. It’s not very often that fans from overseas get the chance to spend their idol’s birthday with the idol himself.
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The fan meeting wrapped up with Daehyun posing for pictures with each of the three sections: the VIP fans, the middle section of fans, and the fans in the third section. He waved and smiled warmly at everyone, making sure the fans knew just how grateful he was to them and how much he appreciated them.
B.A.P is Back
What’s next for Daehyun? Well, with the release of the “Man on the Moon” documentary, everyone knows now— it’s the comeback of B.A.P! After a break of six years and many long hours planning for the next step, B.A.P has returned and will release what they say might be their final album. Only time will tell.
In addition, Daehyun continues ahead as a solo artist, musical star, actor, and more. We hope that he will be able to return to the U.S. soon and also meet many more of his international fans as well.
Don’t forget you can also attend more fun weeks of Summer School at The Shops at Skyview and learn about Korean food, culture, and more! Make sure to follow them on Instagram for more details or view our original article here.
Many thanks to The Shops at Skyview, Wesley Sin, and of course Daehyun and his team for allowing us to attend this event!
Did you go to this event and meet Skyview High student ambassador, Jung Daehyun? What other Summer School session will you attend next? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to us @whatthekpop1 or leaving us a comment on Facebook and Instagram!
ANN was introduced to Kpop and became a Baby in 2015. She grew up with Japanese and Korean culture being a huge part of her life starting from just four years old! Having lived in Asia for a few years, she would be overjoyed to grab a cup of tea and sit down with you to tell of her cherished adventures. Art is her Life.
MEDIA: WTK Team*, The Shops at Skyview, MA Entertainment
*What The Kpop Team: Ann Powell (Reporter), Amanda Moses (Photographer)
*This article has been edited for corrections.