YeSung on Solitude, Small Happiness, and Twenty Years of Self-Discipline

Overview

In this interview for the Taiwanese channel LIKETAITAI, YeSung of SUPER JUNIOR talks with the host while in Seoul to film an endorsement for Better Biosciences. The conversation covers personality, time alone, sleep, diet, stress, and how YeSung's idea of happiness has changed. The thread running through it is the habits that sustained a 20-year idol career, and what YeSung would tell their younger self on debut day.

11 min read

0:59

Opposite Personalities

The conversation opens on a light note. The host suggests calling YeSung "YeSung hyung," since Korean uses honorifics. YeSung jokingly asks whether they are older than the host, and the host explains being surprised by how young YeSung looks.

The talk turns to MBTI. YeSung confirms being an INFJ, with the "F" (feeling) dimension above 80%. The host says they are the exact opposite, with "T" (thinking) at 100%. YeSung notes that one SUPER JUNIOR member is also 100% "T," and says they sometimes envy people with that trait.

Asked whether such different people can still be friends, YeSung says yes. Shared common ground helps them get along, but YeSung argues that the differences themselves are what let them understand each other better.

1:41

A Night Owl Who Values Time Alone

YeSung describes themself as a night owl. Late at night is their "me time," and it is when most of their thoughts come. What they do then varies: sometimes games, sometimes watching things, sometimes work if there is work to finish. Mostly, they protect that time for themself.

The host observes that many people now find it hard to be alone and asks for advice. YeSung says they never feel uncomfortable alone and actually enjoy it. Part of that, they think, comes from their career: they learned to be comfortable with themself from a young age, and wanting to succeed meant spending a lot of time focusing on themself. But YeSung identifies a different "real trigger." During that time alone, they could feel themself growing, little by little, and that is when solitude became something they truly enjoyed.

2:43

Sleep Problems and the Endorsed Product

Asked whether they slept well before the day's busy schedule, YeSung says sleep is often difficult. One reason they give is that they watch what they eat. The other is a habit whose start they cannot pinpoint: at some point they began to hate going to bed early. They enjoy the late-night solitude so much that an early night feels like a loss.

The host then brings up the sponsor's "Airplane Mode Capsule," a sleep product. YeSung says that before receiving the proposal, they had assumed few people shared their sleep problems and wondered whether anything could help. On getting the product, they thought, "This is it." The host explains that the capsule contains saffron and magnesium, which the host says help the body relax. The host suggests it suits people who are stressed or have high expectations of themselves, and so would suit YeSung.

4:02

Training, Diet, and Starting Early on Intermittent Fasting

The host congratulates YeSung on SUPER JUNIOR's 20 years of popularity and asks how they have kept up their public image for so long, noting that YeSung manages their diet, stays in shape, and takes many supplements.

YeSung says that in their twenties they overtrained and were often injured. They then switched to moderate workouts and a stricter diet, and over time those habits made a real difference. They now eat very little made with flour and have been strict about carbohydrates and flour in general.

YeSung explains this as part of a long-term plan formed young. If they wanted to last in the entertainment industry, the first requirement was skill and the second was slowing down aging as much as possible. So they experimented with many approaches. One example they point to is intermittent fasting, which they say they began in their early twenties, before it became widely popular, and which they have found very helpful.

The host, who also practices intermittent fasting, asks how long YeSung fasts. YeSung says they once ate only one meal a day but found it hard to sustain. They now eat two light meals: one is just a shake, and the other is a small, simple meal.