Friday, April 10, 2026

Magazines · GOLDEN HOUR Era

Marie Claire Korea — April 2026 Digital Cover (Seonghwa)

Seonghwa's April 2026 solo cover story for Marie Claire Korea's "STARRY" series.

Seonghwa's April 2026 solo cover story and pictorial for Marie Claire Korea's "STARRY" series (editor Kim Sun-hee), a substantial written Q&A published April 10, 2026, with the digital cover and pictorial teasers rolled out on the magazine's official Instagram from March 22 through a birthday-themed reel on April 3 (Seonghwa's birthday). In the interview he reflects on the closing "IN YOUR FANTASY" world tour, describing the bittersweetness of each show's finale and the members shouting "let's die out here" backstage before going on; on the just-wrapped "GOLDEN HOUR: Part.4" promotions as their first comeback since the group's seven-year contract renewal; on his personal standard for "최선" (doing one's best) as leaving no regrets, guided by the phrase "진인사대천명" (do everything within your power, then await heaven's will); on drawing stage-performance inspiration from specific film/drama/game references (a sword prop on "WONDERLAND" inspired by Alchemy of Souls, a cape and light-control motif on "New World" inspired by Star Wars, and DPR IAN's conceptual artistry inspiring his solo "Skin"); on his poetry-writing habit, including the poem "다정" (Affection), written after reading a fan description of his personality; and on the meaning of his name, "성화" (星化, "become a star"): "팬들의 마음 깊은 곳에서 반짝이는 별이 된 것 같아요... 이제부터는 제가, 우리 팀이 우주였으면 좋겠어요. 까만 우주가 되어서 우리를 사랑해주는 사람들이 스스로 빛나는 별이라는 걸 알려주고 싶어요" ("I think I've become a star that shines deep in fans' hearts... From now on, I want myself, and our team, to be the universe — a black universe that shows the people who love us that they themselves are shining stars"). Directly confirmed by Marie Claire Korea's own published interview text.

Seonghwa's Words — English Translation

Q: Nice to meet you — this is your first time working with Marie Claire. A: "It feels surreal. It's a magazine I've been reading a lot lately — I've even looked for it at bookstores. (laughs) I'd been thinking it'd be nice to shoot a pictorial together, so getting to actually make this connection feels like fate. I enjoyed the shoot that much, and I think it came out looking great, just as I expected."

Q: The world tour "IN YOUR FANTASY," which began in Korea last July, is now nearing its end. What's your mindset going into it these days? A: "In the past, finishing a tour used to feel really liberating. But it feels like every new tour we do gets better structured and more polished. Every time, I've thought, 'could there possibly be an even more perfect tour than this?' — and 'IN YOUR FANTASY' was like that too. So there's a part of me that feels a bit sad that this tour is coming to an end. At the very end of the show, when the grand, wistful background music plays and the LED doors close, the sight of the audience I saw through the narrowing gap of light — I think that'll stay with me forever."

Q: Since it's been a long tour, you must be used to it by now, but you'd still have to work to put out the same amount of energy at every show, right? A: "That's right. My physical condition can't be perfect every time, but I push myself as far as I can to put on the best show I can, no matter what. Right before we go on stage, the members and I shout at each other — 'Look at the fans right there in front. Let's go out there ready to die on this stage.' Once we've said that, there's no way I can let that resolve go to waste. When I've given everything I have and come down off the stage after that, it feels really good. I've poured everything out, and yet I don't feel empty — that's a relief. My heart's so lifted up I have trouble even falling asleep."

Q: As much as you feel fulfilled, the sense of longing must be just as big. A: "The longing lingers more after music shows than after the tour, actually. With music shows, it doesn't seem to be something you can fix just by trying hard. So much of it happens under time pressure, and the opportunities are limited, so I can't just enjoy it freely. No matter how perfectly you prepare, things can still not go the way you want, so I end up being more sensitive and careful during pre-recordings. And then if I feel like I didn't communicate enough with the fans who were there in person, I feel sorry about it. It's true that we need to do well, but there could also be a way to be a bit more relaxed about it, talking to each other whenever there's a spare moment. The fans would probably understand even if we don't, but I don't want to lean on that. I'm trying to fix things so I can properly take care of both the stage and the people in front of it."

Q: You recently wrapped promotions for your 13th mini album "GOLDEN HOUR: Part.4." I watched the "Adrenaline" and "NASA" stages you revealed on music shows, and they were great. A: "This time, what came across on the music shows was closer to the picture I'd imagined. Maybe because it was our first comeback after renewing our seven-year contract, we made it that much sturdier. We've always given every album our full effort, but this time it felt like going back to the very start, but with all the experience we'd built up along the way. We prepared it with more detail and more depth. I think all eight of us each got to stand out and we wrapped up the promotions in style."

Q: If there's something you gained through this promotion period, what would it be? A: "I felt once again that I always have to be diligent. There are times I want to slack off or take shortcuts. Unless I release footage of my practice, no one would know where I am or what I'm doing. But looking back, I can hold my head up. Because I feel like I gave my best effort even in places no one can see, it makes me think that when people like the result, it's not because I'm talented, but because of the effort — not because of who I am."

Q: What's your standard for giving your best? A: "Not having any regrets left. I've definitely had regrets before. I can't say I've always given 100% of my best, but I've worked with that attitude — to the point where I wouldn't want to go back and go through that hardship again. After pouring in that effort, I just wait. 'Jinin sadaecheonmyeong' — do everything a person can do, then wait for heaven's will — has been a belief I've held onto for a long time. If I fail, I accept it humbly, and if I succeed, I pat myself on the back and say 'I did well.' Lately I've been reminding myself of that phrase again."

Q: Maybe because all eight members give their best, ATEEZ seems like a team that climbs step by step, quietly. Where does that driving force come from? A: "Fans, family and friends, everyone at the company, the people around us — I feel like I'm really lucky with people. Their support is what keeps us from staying still, from giving up. I like the saying, 'as long as you don't stop, you'll reach the top.' Whenever I or the other members got tired and hesitated, someone among the eight of us was always steadily moving forward. And I knew that even if I got so exhausted I collapsed, the members would wait for me. I think that's how ATEEZ was able to climb this far. Of course, it'd be great if we could leap up all at once — there were times I wondered how we could rise faster, what we were lacking. But really, it's just about trusting the people beside you and moving forward. Even if that path turns out to be wrong, walking it steadily, at our own pace and in our own direction — I think that's the most important thing."

Q: Do you have confidence that you'll keep walking well going forward? A: "Of course. Precisely because we're walking, it feels stable. I don't get shaken much no matter the situation. Just as we've done so far, we're going to keep going the way we always have. I don't think I have any anxiety at all that we won't be able to."

Q: I recently relistened to ATEEZ's music and your cover songs, and I think your strength is a voice that can blend into all kinds of genres and moods. A: "Right. At first, I didn't see that as a strength. I used to envy members with such distinctive voices that people could immediately tell, 'oh, that's so-and-so's voice.' But it turns out that my voice not having anything especially distinctive about it can actually be a huge weapon. The shift in thinking to 'that means I can handle any part' is what led me to becoming a well-rounded, 'hexagonal' vocalist, I think. Our producer wanted that too, and directed me so I wouldn't just stick to one kind of voice. I've tried singing thin, tried singing thick, even redone the rap I did at my audition. Now I honestly don't even know what part I'll end up with. (laughs)"

Q: What new kind of music would you like to try with that voice? A: "Someday I'd like to try hip-hop as a solo. I'd probably fall short compared to Hongjoong or Mingi, so I'd have to ask them for help. Heh heh."

Q: On stage, your bold, distinctive expression stands out. What effort do you put in to express the music both delicately and intensely? A: "I try to draw a lot of inspiration. I keep scenes, costumes, or expressions from movies or dramas in mind, and when something fits a stage, I try to bring it to life as closely as possible. For example, using a sword on the 'WONDERLAND' stage was modeled after the drama Alchemy of Souls and a game character I was really into at the time, and wrapping myself in a cape and controlling light on 'New World' referenced the movie Star Wars. My solo song 'Skin' is something I learned by watching the conceptual side of the musician DPR IAN."

Q: It must also matter that you get the chance to actually use the inspirations you've gathered. A: "That's right. I think I've been lucky too. I get to take on the parts where I can do the kind of expression I like, and the members respect that. Things like 'I don't think I could pull that off, but it's fine since it's you, hyung,' or 'that expression's a bit much, why don't you try it in a different part' — thanks to the members' support and advice like that, I think that's what makes me shine on stage. I definitely don't think it's something I do alone."

Q: I'd also like to ask about daily life. I heard you have a habit of writing — what do you like most about writing? A: "Recording special everyday moments as photos or videos is nice too, but when I leave them in writing, the scent of the memory seems to grow stronger. Since I have to keep thinking while I write it down, the memory and the feelings from that time come back to me fully even without a date written on it. I like that so much that I often open a notebook and write whenever I'm in a hotel or on a plane. I copy down lines or phrases that move me, and sometimes I write poems that grow out of them."

Q: What got you interested in poetry? A: "Poetry was easier for me to approach than novels, essays, or autobiographies. It's not long, and you can read it one page at a time, so it doesn't feel like as much of a burden. One day, while reading a book of poems, it suddenly occurred to me, 'it might be fun to try writing some myself,' so I started. Showing them to people still makes me a little embarrassed, but the fans like them so much. So most of the poems I write with the fans in mind, I try to share."

Q: Earlier, when filming the video content, you said the poem "다정" (Affection) was also inspired by a fan. A: "A while back I read a post on social media about my personality, and the keyword was 'affectionate.' I wondered, 'am I an affectionate person by nature? Or did I become like this because I've received so much love?' It's a poem I wrote while thinking that over."

Q: Did you find an answer to that? Looking at you day to day, despite the strong first impression, you do seem to have a warm, sociable side. A: "I'm working on it. (laughs) I'm trying to become someone with an affectionate heart."

Q: I'm curious what a beautiful song would come out of you writing lyrics with that heart. A: "It might be pretty, or it might not. If you tell me to just write boldly, it'll get intense without limit. I have to consider the listener and control how far I go, and keep the trend and the team's direction in mind overall, so writing lyrics isn't easy. Still, if the chance comes up, I should keep trying."

Q: Songwriting, composing, on-stage performance, writing — all of these are ways of drawing out and expressing a side of yourself. As your experience with expression builds up, has there been a change in you? A: "My self-esteem has gone up a lot. It happened by doing, one by one, the things I wasn't good at and used to hesitate over. The question 'can I do this?' turns into the realization 'oh, I can.' Going through those experiences, I think I've come to trust myself more."

Q: Being interested in music, literature, and the arts in general, you probably think about the many meanings "beauty" can hold. What do you encounter that makes you feel beauty most strongly? A: "Beautiful... when someone is considerate. 'Consideration' really is such a good word. It means thinking of someone else, even when you don't have to. But these days I feel like people take consideration for granted, and sometimes it even tips into rudeness. I wish people wouldn't do that, and would look out for each other a bit more instead. What's in someone's heart always shows in the end — through their personality, or through their work, including music. So I think a lot of beauty can come into being only when we're considerate of others."

Q: Was there a recent moment when you felt someone's consideration? A: "Looking at the members, I feel deeply how much we consider each other. Hmm... how do we click so well? How did kids like this end up beside me? I'm really grateful. I even wonder whether I'd have done this job at all without these guys. I'm the oldest, but I want a lot from the group. And there are times the members understand my greed and give way for me. Seeing that makes me think I should do the same for them. I think the beautiful consideration the eight of us have exchanged is what made ATEEZ who we are."

Q: Spring is in full swing. What kind of season is spring for you? A: "I like spring. Lush and green, fresh and green. I feel like spring is not a beginning but a tail end — the resolution in a story's rising and falling. It's like a feeling of 'finally, the season that will thaw out all that cold has come.' So I look forward to spring coming even more. I want this year's spring to pass just like it is now. I could wish for more, but even now I'm really happy. Going forward too, I hope I can stay healthy in body and mind, and keep doing this the right way."

Q: I heard your name "Seonghwa" means "become a star" (星化). Has today's Seonghwa become a star? A: "Yes. I think I've become a star that shines deep in fans' hearts. I can only be grateful. That's how proud I am... of my own name. From now on, I want myself, and our team, to be the universe. I want to become a black universe, and show the people who love us that they themselves are shining stars. Even if that light is very faint, because we're the blackest, we can shine together with them. That's the kind of ATEEZ, the kind of Seonghwa, I want to become."

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Era Context

GOLDEN HOUR Era · 2024 – Present

The current chapter. Continued global touring, expanded solo visibility in fashion and media, and an evolving artistic voice — documented here as it unfolds.

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'Skin' — Seonghwa Solo Track

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