Super Junior Ryeowook - An idol whose life should be beautiful like sunrise

An idol who should have a life that is beautiful like sunrise…
Is Super Junior’s Ryeowook.
Quite few people think that Ryeowook is a stage name, but it is actually his real name.

And the meaning of his name is beautiful, too.
厉 ‘Ryeo’ for Beautiful
旭 ‘Wook’ for Sunrise.
Because Ryeowook has been showing his bright, cheerful side lately as a Sukira DJ, so I think many people are ignorant to Ryeowook’s painful past when he had to work hard on his own…

In fact, a kid ‘Kim Ryeowook’ was a genius.
A five- year old kid, who is too young to have perfect pitch, sang along to songs he’s heard for the first time, in perfect tune. At age of seven, he played children’s song on piano although he’s never learnt it before.

His parents thought he was talented in music and so sent him to a local piano school, and his piano teacher recommended to his parents that they let Ryeowook take music lessons in a more serious way.

His parents were worried about the tuition fees they will have to pay for Ryeowook’s music education, since they were quite bad- off. In the end, a child who demonstrated a talent of a genius grew up as an ordinary student – smart and obedient to his parents.

But when Ryeowook was in third grade of middle school, his music teacher encouraged him to go to an art/ music school saying that he reckons Ryeowook must pursue his career in music. So in the middle of that year,

Ryeowook finally told his parents that he wants to study music, after sixteen years of being a good, obedient son to his parents.
After a long pondering, his parents gave him a permission to attend art school.

Others prepare for two to five years and hire private, expensive tutors before they sit an entrance exam, but Ryeowook only prepared for five months with his school teacher.

And yet, Ryeowook got into Deok- Won Arts High School majoring in composition and even won a full scholarship as he took top place among first year students.
Since then, Ryeowook was always at the top in his class until the second year, and never missed the scholarship.

Ryeowook has an ear for a tune that he recognized the note once he hears it, and he was a great singer and a pianist although he majored in composition.
People might be envious of him, but Ryeowook in reality studied to death because he didn’t want to burden his parents.

He even avoided playing basketball with his friends because he was worried if he will hurt his hands.
Besides, he lived in Incheon but the school was in Kangseo- gu,Seoul (*it is about an hour away by car). He had to catch trains and buses to go to school,

instead of expensive school bus.
The teachers recognized Ryeowook’s such efforts,so they thought he will definitely go to SNU (*a top university in Korea)and favored him. In fact,Ryeowook’s dream at the time was to be a classical composer and a professor after graduating from SNU

And when he was in the second year, he decided that he wants to be a singer, whatever the motive was.
But Ryeowook at the time was… a little…
…in fact, was very fat boy.
(And she posted photos of Ryeowook in high school )

Anyway Ryeowook, who gave off a kind of warm impression that even girls found him just comfortable and friendly, attended the Chin-chin song festival in 2005 and was casted by SM.
People made fun of him saying how a fat kid like him could be a celebrity,

and even questioned whether he wasn’t being snookered by the company.
So Ryeowook decided to go on a diet to prove them his willpower. He cut down on his food by 1/3 and around 2- 3am every night, after he finished school and studied at home for a bit, he skipped rope 3000 times.

And as he pursued his deathlike diet, Ryeowook lost his weight little by little, although no one expected him to…
So when the winter vacation ended, Ryeowook appeared at school with near- perfect beauty.

His teachers and friends who used to be lukewarm about his decision to be a singer went crazy. His teachers then realized that Ryeowook was being serious and started to object. It was because they were upset that a talented kid like Ryeowook decided not to major in composition.

They tried to convince Ryeowook to study composition at SNU, even if he becomes a singer later. But Ryeowook said he wanted to do his best in what he chose, and gave his all energies to debut.
But there was another issue with him being a singer – at Deok-Won Arts High School,

doing broadcasting activity was forbidden by school laws and the male- students couldn’t grow their hair up to the root of the ear. There was one dean of students at school who was very strict and coercive, and he strongly objected to

Ryeowook becoming a singer as it is against the rules. But other teachers who liked Ryeowook covered up for him saying he is a model student who is good- natured and has good grades.

He was the first and the last student – until now – at Deok- Won High School who went to school with his hair long and dyed.
In the winter of next year, Ryeowook the genius kid debuted as a youngest member of Super Junior; and you’d think his life will get better…

Ryeowook seldom got a chance to go on TV, among his hyungs who Ryeowook found difficult to get along with since he practiced with them for no more than three months before debut.

He wanted to be a singer so badly, but Super Junior was a group that made it very difficult for him to stand out as a vocalist. People had prejudice against SJ that they were bad singers, so Ryeowook didn’t get a chance to sing on TV, either.

People asked him why he doesn’t appear on TV much,as they were ignorant of his situation,but Ryeowook would just laugh it off and keep writing songs and singing at the back.
There is no doubt he is a perfect pitch, bcs Ryeowook’s singing was never out of tune in the past 10 years

He would even recognize it when someone else sang out of tune, although he’s heard the song for the first time.
Ryeowook is really talented in music…
His members, Yesung and Kyuhyun had already been acknowledged as singers.

But Ryeowook, after all these years, has much less solo songs compared to his members and his name recognition is still low.
It might seem like he is all smiles on the outside, but I know he had to work harder than everyone else in each and every moment.

It must’ve been difficult on him.
Fans often say to Ryeowook,
“Ryeowook, you are our sunshine.”
It might sound a bit corny, but I sincerely hope Ryeowook’s life ahead is always beautiful like sunrise.
I am glad his recognition is becoming higher after KTR and SICS…

but I still hope and believe a bright, shiny day will come when Ryeowook is recognized as a singer Kim Ryeowook.
So to conclude, Kim Ryeowook should release a solo album so his name can be known to the world!!

+) Some of the stories from his high school is what I heard from the teachers directly (*The girl who wrote this goes to same high school as Ryeowook and uploaded the photos of her student ID too).
++)