CHANGJO has spent over half his life as an idol. In this new interview, one week away from turning 30 years old, he’s just begun to make sense of what he’s learned.

ON HIS TIKTOK account, TEEN TOP's CHANGJO always begins his video with the same hook: "I've been a K-pop idol for fifteen years". Oftentimes, his videos are funny: Over the summer, the clips offered a glimpse at TEEN TOP during a heavy promotional schedule, like when the members were late for dinner at a K-BBQ spot. In other videos, he shares skincare secrets and tracks his fitness journey. He describes himself with a bit of self-deprecation, too: "The glow-up kid from that boy band you used to know".

For the first few weeks, it wasn't clear if it was CHANGJO posting. The TikToks seemed so strangely normal that it broke a code for idols: Never let your audience see you sweat. But CHANGJO's personal brand, as he proves on TikTok, is built on authenticity. He is hungry for success and reminds us that TEEN TOP never went away. So, as TEEN TOP mounted a comeback over the summer with their new single "Cherry Pie", CHANGJO saw an opportunity to restart their relevancy. The group, to be sure, still has a dedicated fanbase. But TEEN TOP doesn't come from a major label, and their biggest hits, like "No perfume on you", aren't as well-known today as they were when the group was at its peak. Essentially, time got away from TEEN TOP.

But CHANGJO wants to change this.

"I wanted a natural and more casual way to connect with my fans when I started TikTok. After years of restrictions, it felt freeing," he told me recently from Seoul, where he is now based. "I felt like I'd found a space where I could communicate more openly with people."

The goal is to move the interest from TikTok to music. He's released several singles this year, each exemplifying a darker sound than anything he promoted as an idol. This week, CHANGJO released his fourth single of the year, "Light Up My Way", which he wrote and composed. "What I love most about my solo work is being able to express the music I want, 100% in my own way," he said. It's the control he has over his music that interests him the most these days. From the beginning, he told me, "I could take the lead with everything, from the sound to the direction to the details, and that was incredibly satisfying."

CHANGJO is "deeply involved" with his solo music. He writes the lyrics, composes the melodies, and even contributes to the sound design. "They're the projects that best represent who I am right now," he explained.

Most importantly, they give him agency in a career that he has had very little say in until recently.

CHANGJO WAS BORN and spent his early years in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. When he was eight, his family moved to Chuncheon, where he lived until he became an idol. He's still nostalgic thinking about those years, recalling, "I sometimes still miss those days running around in nature."

He was still a child when he decided he wanted to become an idol. "I auditioned at so many agencies," he said, and rattled off nearly every major company in K-pop: JYP, SM, CUBE, Woollim, Jellyfish – but was rejected from all of them.

"Finally, I decided to give it one last try and auditioned for TOP Media," he continued. He was accepted into TEEN TOP and debuted as a member in 2010. Looking back, CHANGJO had a vivid memory from their debut day on MBC's Show! Music Core. "The moment right before going on stage, when the lights came on and I heard the fans cheering, that's what I remember most clearly," he told me. "I thought, 'This is really the beginning,' and felt this mix of nerves and excitement all at once."

Like all of the TEEN TOP members, CHANGJO was young when he debuted at fourteen. Sometimes their youth can be overlooked, especially when I listen to one of their most popular singles, "No perfume on you", where a boy cheats on his girlfriend with an older woman. ("When I'm with noona/ I feel like a man" is one of the most memorable lyrics.) Today, CHANGJO admits that he was too young to understand the realities of being an idol. "Honestly, I had no idea back then. I just wanted to be on stage," he explained. "I didn't realize how much this job would completely change my life until later."

Over eight years, they released music consistently and stood alongside groups like INFINITE, SHINee, and BIG BANG, as one of the second generation's most accomplished boy bands. Their music was also stellar. But perhaps because TOP Media is not as influential as mega-corporations like JYP or SM, TEEN TOP is often overlooked for its contributions to K-pop. Yet tracks like "Miss Right", "Crazy", and, yes, absolutely, "No perfume on you" are songs for the history books. The boys also had fun with their music. Where else but second-gen K-pop will you hear a chorus like this one from "Rocking": "TEEN TOP, we gonna rock it drop it top it/ Hey, don't stop it pop it." (Proving that they endorse the absurdity, TEEN TOP named their most recent tour after this lyric.)

Looking back on their time together now, CHANGJO cites touring with TEEN TOP as his favorite memories of growing up in the band. "We did world tours: South America tours, Europe tours, Asia tours," CHANGJO told me nostalgically, "So many tours. It was amazing and such a valuable part of my journey.

"I really treasure the times we toured overseas together. Flying to different countries, performing, and meeting fans all around the world," he continued. "Those moments were some of the most powerful and meaningful experiences of my life."

The early days of TEEN TOP. TOP MEDIA

Throughout his time with TEEN TOP, though, CHANGJO challenged himself when he could. In 2014, he starred in the K-drama Sweden Laundry, followed by several more productions. "There are emotions and sides of myself that I couldn't express just through idol activities," he said of his decision to try acting. "I wanted to show a different version of myself through acting and take on a new challenge."

But his priority remained with TEEN TOP. Though CHANGJO left TOP Media in 2022, he remained a member of the group. This summer, TEEN TOP released their latest EP, Just 15, Just TEEN TOP, and went on an anniversary tour; their first tour in six years. The members know each other very well now and what works for their musical tastes. "It's been a while since we've worked together, so the mood was great," he remembered. "We really enjoyed making the album."

On tour with his members, CHANGJO thought back to the boy he used to be at fourteen with a mix of nostalgia and appreciation. "The moment I stepped on stage, all the emotions from our early debut days came rushing back," he told me. "It was such a precious moment. Being with the members and our fans again made me feel deeply moved and grateful."

THERE’S A RESILIENCE to CHANGJO's message that he's been a K-pop idol for fifteen years. It was a different – if not punishing – time for idols when TEEN TOP was actively promoting. Many second-gen groups that debuted around the same time as TEEN TOP have burned out or left K-pop for everyday life. And many groups from even larger agencies have disbanded, leaving their members to figure out how to move forward without support. The fact that CHANGJO is still here is no accident.

"Honestly, I think it comes down to love. I genuinely love what I do," he said of why he stuck around. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have lasted this long. There were plenty of days I wanted to give up, but every time, my fans were there for me. Because of them, I've been able to keep walking this path."

Today, CHANGJO finds a lot of inspiration from artists like Able Heart and WesGhost. "Their expressiveness, sound moods, and attention to detail really align with my taste," he observed. The new music, influenced by this taste, is quieter and more experimental than anything he's done with TEEN TOP. You can hear this direction in his intimate ballad track "Light Up My Way" or in the trap, harder sonics of "ALL IN MY ZONE".

All of this comes down to CHANGJO branding himself as a new artist. You might know him as a quiet boy from TEEN TOP, but the man CHANGJO wants you to meet today is outspoken and confident. He is, above all, able to be an idol on his own terms. "There's still so much I want to share and show," he emphasized.

CHANGJO is not content to stay still. He could be an example of how far an idol can go if he takes a chance to go the independent route. CHANGJO feels sure this is the beginning of a new chapter for him, one in which he is in control and can make art he believes in.

"I cherish everything that's happened so far, but I believe the time ahead will be even more meaningful," he said, before adding, "and I'm determined to make it that way."

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