Why JUNHEE’s Refusal to Compromise Brought Him His Most Successful Year Yet
A year after opening his company H&P Entertainment, A.C.E’s leader looks back on a sold out tour and why his visionary direction is bringing him a successful second act.
In Hungary, JUNHEE had his first drink on stage.
JUNHEE was in Budapest, headlining his first solo tour, when he asked fans what food they recommend. The fans told him about a drink called pálinka. “I was so flustered because it wasn’t food, but it was funny,” he recalled.
Not long after, a fan brought a shot of the drink onstage for him to try. “It was the first time in my life I’d ever had alcohol during a performance. Normally, I really can’t sing well if I drink, so I never drink before a show. But in Budapest, that rule got broken,” he said with a laugh.
By the end of the night, JUNHEE was tipsy on stage.
Yet the Budapest story reflects an exciting year of “first” experiences for JUNHEE, the talented leader and vocalist of A.C.E. Last year, after A.C.E announced a pause in activities for members to focus on personal projects, JUNHEE founded H&P Entertainment, a company for which he is CEO and manages his own artistic endeavors. Not long after founding the company, he released his debut album, The First Day & Night, and soon embarked on his first solo tour, which led to the Budapest concert.
JUNHEE managed every aspect of The First Day & Night, from its promotions to the production and songwriting. He arranged the album thematically, as twenty-four hours with a woman whom he yearns for – even if their love might be toxic.
JUNHEE had toured multiple times with A.C.E, including countless overseas activities, but he was uncertain about how a solo tour might go. There was, after all, no barometer to assure him it would be a success.
“It would be a lie to say there was no pressure,” he told me recently as he thought back to the tour. “But one thing was certain: I wanted to show the fans every side of myself that I had wanted to show them all this time. Maybe that was my confidence, now that I think about it.”
Then, to JUNHEE’s shock, his first concerts in Cologne, Berlin, Warsaw, and Paris sold out. “I couldn’t believe it. All of the staff at the company were shocked too and couldn’t believe it either,” he told me. “We really never expected a blessing like that would come to us. I know so well that it was something the fans made possible. More than anything, I kept thinking that I needed to give back as many good things as I had received from them.”
Perhaps because so many K-pop tours are happening more than ever before, and not least because as a soloist, JUNHEE is an untested artist in a crowded market, the show’s success was not guaranteed. The thought that kept replaying in JUNHEE’s head was a humble one: “How could anyone believe that an artist who has only just begun his solo career would sell out so many shows?” He asked himself this question over and over. Even now, he still can’t believe it.
What stuck with JUNHEE throughout this tour, too, was how his fans continued to support him even as a soloist. “I made memories I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. Way more people came to the shows than I ever expected, and it really felt like everyone had been waiting for this with one heart.”
He noticed, too, how fans enjoyed every aspect of the show, from the setlist to his interactions with fans. “It was an amazing experience,” he added.
JUNHEE founded his company, H&P Entertainment, exactly one year ago in April 2025. He noted that it has taken a full year from the company’s start to reach his successful European tour, marking that milestone in his solo journey.
Founding H&P was, in some ways, non-negotiable for JUNHEE. He is an artist who strives for perfection. He could not lower his ambitions to have someone else manage his career. He had no one to guide him, either, on how to run the company. “I’m just moving forward in my own way, in the direction I believe is right,” he said.
Perhaps one reason JUNHEE has to be a CEO is that he alone understands what is best for him. His best quality, he told me, is that he refuses to compromise on a vision. “In some ways, that can be both a strength and a weakness, but as I work, there are times when I could take the easier route or do something without thinking too deeply about it,” he said. “Even when I know that doing that probably wouldn’t make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, I still find it very hard to compromise.”
He does look to DPR Ian, though, as inspiration. “His story, his path, and the various issues around him make me think about a lot of things,” JUNHEE explained, adding that he sees some of his own story in DPR Ian’s: They are both former idols who are creatively ambitious with the videos and music they create. Like Ian, JUNHEE produces and has a hand in every aspect of every project he directs. “What’s certain is that he’s one of the greatest musicians and artists I know, and everything he thinks up and creates feels really fascinating to me.”
The way JUNHEE sees it, as long as he goes in a direction that he knows is genuine and meaningful to him, then at least he can take responsibility – with pride – on the outcome. He considered this perseverance, this determination to always do what he thinks is best, and why it pushes him to run H&P the way he envisions for himself. “I know better than anyone that it won’t always bring good results. But at least I won’t have regrets toward myself, right?” he asked. “That’s enough for me. That moment isn’t the end, and if I don’t give up, then everything will remain part of the process of eventually reaching the destination. So I don’t compromise. Not when it comes to the things that stand in the way of the path I want to take.”
In the year since JUNHEE founded H&P, he’s had little time to look back at his accomplishments. Yet, in our time talking, he considered how far he’s come on his own. The most rewarding part of that first year was finishing each show held across the U.S., Korea, Japan, and Europe, selling out multiple dates, and meeting fans who had never come to an A.C.E. show. “It wasn’t easy physically, and I really didn’t want to show the fans any lacking side of myself,” he said. “So I want to tell myself that I worked hard too.”
At shows, JUNHEE wanted fans to feel like they belonged there together with him. “I hope it feels like they’re going to sing with a close friend and let off steam after a long time,” he said. “Honestly, that’s one of the greatest things music can give people, isn’t it? To step away for a little while from the thoughts and stress of everyday life, to get immersed in the lyrics and the sound, to lose yourself in that fantasy and enjoy the moment.”
That possibility of creating connections is what pushes him to work harder, to do more to meet his fans and to share his vision with others. “I want to keep creating shows like that for them. Most of all, I want to make fans smile. And I sincerely hope that those smiles connect to happiness in the future.”
This summer, JUNHEE will release his follow-up to The First Day & Night, something that he looks forward to with great anticipation. “When it comes out, I hope you’ll be able to feel a different kind of emotion and love from this album than you felt from last year’s first album.”
Now, a little more experienced and prepared for what’s to come, JUNHEE is excited to provide another summer album for fans to listen to. “Once again, please let your summer hold my thoughts and my time,” he added. “I’ll prepare it with my very best.”
