MANILA, Philippines — K-pop girl group UNIS arrived in the Philippines on Thursday, October 24, for a concert, as Filipinos in Luzon were dealing with the effects of heavy rain and strong winds from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.
This prompted the eight-member rookie group to announce during a press conference on Thursday, October 24, that part of the proceeds from their concerts in Manila and Cebu would go to relief efforts to help those affected by the storm.
The members also sought to give words of comfort and support to people affected by Kristine.
“We are praying and hoping that you guys and your loved ones are safe and sound. And we hope that you find strength and resilience. Just know that help is on the way and we hope that you guys stay safe,” said Elisia, one of the FIlipino members of the group.
UNIS leader Hyeonju, who is Filipino-Korean, also hoped that fans who will be going to the fan concert in Manila would “arrive safely” at the New Frontier Theater.
The eight-member group will bring their UNIS in CURIOUSland show to the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City on Friday, October 25; and Waterfront Cebu City Hotel on Saturday, October 26.
UNIS got the opportunity to meet their Filipino EverAfters for the first time through a fansign tour in Manila and Cebu back in May.
“We are super excited to return to the Philippines this fast because of our last fan meeting that we had in May, we made so many good memories and it was just such a meaningful experience and I have confidence in saying that I feel like we have improved since then,” Filipino member Gehlee Dangca said in a mix of English and Filipino.
She also recalled how “passionate” Filipino fans were to see UNIS back then as they heard the loud cheers as far as their waiting room.
“We felt so much warm and comfort and we just had to take a moment to process all the love…because we were overwhelmed and happy with all of the love that we received from Filipino EverAfters,” Gehlee said.
Hyeonju added that UNIS was able to come back to the Philippines “earlier than expected” due to the warm support of their fans, also known as EverAfter.
She added that UNIS’ second visit to the Philippines will be more memorable and exciting for her as the group will get to perform their songs in front of a crowd of EverAfters. Fans should expect performances from their new single album Curious and special stages that can only be seen in the two shows.
Japanese member Nana added that they are excited to hear the warm cheers from Filipino fans once more. “I think hearing the warmest cheers of the Filipino fans will make the fancon an enjoyable one,” she said.
Kotoko, the other Japanese member of UNIS, shared how much she prepared for the fan concerts this weekend. “It was kind of hard for me because UNIS will be showing a lot of choreography for the first time. I want it to be really perfect so I had very hard training for the preparation of this fan concert.”
Being open-minded to different cultures
During the press conference, the UNIS members shared how they can work well as a group despite the cultural and language barriers in promoting as a group in South Korea. UNIS consists of two Filipinos, one Filipino-Korean, two Japanese, and three Korean members.
Yunha attributed their group teamwork to the non-Korean speakers that “exerted a lot of effort in learning the Korean language.” She said she doesn’t feel any cultural differences as they “get along with each other.”
Elisia also shared that the Filipino members experienced “major differences that me and Ate (big sister) Gehlee were really shocked about when we came to Korea,” adding that the other members were patient and helpful in adjusting to Korean culture and customs.
“Since we are dedicated and we love what we are doing and we enjoy this industry, we find the motivation within ourselves to adapt into that culture,” she said.
Gehlee said one thing that struck her while working as part of UNIS was the open-mindedness of each member to learn more about where they came from individually.
“I feel it’s beautiful in UNIS that highlights the difference in our culture and how well we can mix together as diverse colors of a rainbow. It feels like if you open your heart and mind to new things and cultures, then you can get something beautiful out of it,” she said.
Nana shared that she had a bit of a hard time adjusting to the fast-paced nature of Koreans, even if she described herself as someone who is “quick in everything.”
“When I came to Korea, I became faster in everything. It was hard at first, but it was something that was easy to adapt to,” she said.
Finding balance as young idols
Before the press conference, fans were curious on social media and through the pop culture chat room of the Rappler Communities app on how the UNIS members balance working as idols with other responsibilities such as school.
Seven of the eight UNIS members are below 18, with leader Hyeonju being the only member of legal age. The maknae or youngest member is Seowon who is turning 14 in January 2025.
Rappler asked this to the UNIS members. The two youngest members, Yoona and Seowon, shared that they find no difficulties in balancing school and work.
“When we are in school, we spend our time with friends and schoolmates. With the official schedule, we enjoy our time as artists. So we don’t feel any difficulty balancing our schedules,” Yoona said.
“When I go to school, talking to my classmates or my friends, I can release my stress,” Seowon added.
Despite their hectic schedules, UNIS said they are able to get through the challenges as an idol group because of the support of EverAfters.
“No matter how busy our schedules are, whenever we hear the cheers of our fans, we get inspiration and energy from them. It’s like magic where all the hardship and difficulties melt away whenever we hear the support of the fans,” Hyeonju said.
UNIS debuted in March 2024 with their EP We Unis and the song “Superwoman.” They recently made a comeback with their single album Curious in August.
The members were picked among 82 trainees from all over the world by judges and fan votes through the SBS talent survival show Universe Ticket. – Rappler.com