During an interview, Kim Woojin confessed that he actually dreamt of joining an idol group after being influenced by THIS senior.

On May 10, OSEN released an article featuring Kim Woojin, who became a full-fledged soloist after leaving Stray Kids.

Earlier on April 22, he made a comeback with his 3rd mini-album, "I LIKE THE WAY," his first release in 8 months. Through this, the idol announces his new beginning, as well as describes the process of being "reborn" from immaturity to adulthood with positive and dynamic energy.

The album consists of the message of "breaking away from everything that oppressed him and start walking his own path," and it became even more special as Woojin personally participated in selecting, composing and writing the five tracks to focus on the theme, "My Story."

In the interview then, Kim Woojin talked about the time he aspired to become a K-pop idol, mentioning a group that heavily influenced him to debut.

He agreed that he always wanted to become a musician since he was a kid, but the thought of being an idol came, thanks to EXO.

ALSO READ: Kim Woojin Breaks Silence on Stray Kids Exit, Controversial Past — ’I Feel Terribly Sorry...'

"I wanted to become a solo singer, and if there was a chance to become a really good idol, I wouldn’t rule it out, so I was singing hard. A really good opportunity came to me so I started. I don’t think I would have started if it wasn’t for that good chance.

The team that made me think that idol groups could be fun is EXO. I happened to watch their 'MAMA' stage when they debuted and thought it was really cool."

Since then, Woojin also trained to become an idol and in 2018, he was selected as a final member of Stray Kids launched by JYP Entertainment.

Looking back at his active days in a team, Woojin recalled what kept him going, saying:

"If there was anything I felt more about while being a singer, it was when I was on the team. One day, I was at a fan signing event when a fan said, 'I gained a lot of strength after listening to your music. I was hiding at home but I mustered my courage to come out.'

I felt really good and beyond proud, I realized, 'I should live like this.' I thought I should be a person who brings happiness and spreads positive influence. This became my goal, to deliver a positive message to people who listen to my songs."

Unfortunately, Woojin left Stray Kids in 2019 due to personal reasons. While fans were saddened about it, they supported the star when he decided to open his career as a soloist.

When asked what changed four years after becoming a soloist, Kim Woojin replied:

“When I first started my solo career, they accepted the direction that I wanted and listened to what I wanted to say, making everything with care.

This time, since the album would not be released in haste, I said I wanted to try something new, so we set aside the direction we wanted to go and had a discussion.

We shared a lot of opinions and discussed before selecting the song and the lyrics became personal. I wanted to make a difference."

READ MORE: Idol Garners ‘Underwhelming’ Album Sales Despite Being With SM Sub-Label: ‘I’d Quit if I Were Him'

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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz