KATSEYE’s Yoonchae On Breaking Out Of Her Shell And Finding Her Voice

Growing up in South Korea, Jeong Yoonchae had always admired the world of K-pop long before she began her journey in KATSEYE.

While most people would express their admiration for the genre’s upbeat nature, high-quality production, elaborate visuals, and captivating choreography, the 17-year-old Korean pop star found herself drawn to it due to her immense passion for performing — an art form she realized at a very early age.

Having expressed her admiration for renowned musicians like BTS and IU, Yoonchae took it upon herself to strive her efforts into stepping forth into the same world as her idols to do exactly what they’ve done, having trained with CJ ENM and WAKEONE for two years before making her way to become selected as one of the twenty contestants of HYBE and Geffen Records’ highly competitive The Debut: Dream Academy program.

Yet if you’ve closely followed the program during its initial run, or even watched its accompanying Netflix documentary series, Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, Yoonchae never found the opportunity to really stand out beyond her stealthy, yet highly impressive performances during the former’s challenges. While both of these shows were able to shed light on several of KATSEYE’s other members (with an abundance of storylines and interviews) prior to their official debut, they never really showcased the spotlight on Yoonchae to tell her own story — in her own terms. 

But now, as I find myself talking to Yoonchae here at the group’s Billboard Philippines’ August 2025 cover shoot, she’s a lot more talkative and expressive as compared to the last time we spoke just one year ago. 

“We’re definitely really excited to be here doing this,” she says with a chirpier and excitable tone — a rare sight that you wouldn’t expect from someone at an early morning shoot.

Given the very-busy banner year that both she and her KATSEYE members have experienced, much has changed for all six of them. The inevitable rise of their fandom of EYEKONs was only the starting point, while their influence on the global pop music scene was yet another signifier of their steady growth within a short period of time. 

“Touch” may have been the kickoff point for their quest for global recognition, yet it was the surprise success of “Gnarly,” “Gabriela,” and their Beautiful Chaos EP that really put them on the radar of global domination. “Every time I [go on] and see people talking about us on social media, whether they’re dancing ‘Gnarly’ or anything, or even just sharing stuff about KATSEYE, it still feels weird and so funny,” she states.

Yoonchae describes the uncanny feeling of being perceived in such a manner, though she also notes the consequent amusement that she realizes upon realizing their impact — a feeling that’s often shared with her fellow KATSEYE members. “We always send the links to each other about our EYEKONs dancing to our stuff, and they’re always making new challenges with our songs. We still can’t believe it.”

In dealing with all the corresponding changes of their sudden rise to fame, the Korean musician notes how important the sisterhood she shares with her fellow members has helped in keeping them afloat amidst everything. She mentions having roomed with Sophia during their training days, their relationship blossomed into a sisterhood that has extended it’s way to the rest of the other members of the group.

“[Over time,] I think we’ve become closer and closer to one another,” she mentions of the group’s relationship. “After [our] Soft Is Strong (SIS) era, we got so much closer. And during the promo [of the record], we really got to know each other a lot more, and I can say [that] we all loved it so much.”

The resounding, tight-knit bond that’s developed between Yoonchae and the others has inspired her in numerous ways, even in deciding to learn more about her fellow members’ backgrounds. “I think for me, my biggest challenge lately was really about trying to learn more about the other members’ cultures. Because it was like after our debut and the past year, I really wanted to make that effort of learning more about their culture, and everything about them, because I didn’t really know about it beforehand,” she says, referring to the period of The Dream Academy.

“So now that we’re all here in KATSEYE, it made me realize that I wanted to really learn about them because they are my sisters,” Yoonchae continues. 

Given her candor, she also notes how that wasn’t the only personal challenge she’s faced upon joining the group, considering that their global reach has required them to utilize the English language as a primary means of communication — not just with one another, but also with their fans in all corners of the world. “Of course, another challenge for me was embracing English as a language, especially since I was not used to it before. [However,] I’d like to think that I made some progress there,” she laughs, before continuing, “I think that’s what the biggest challenge was.”

In overcoming these language barriers, she notes how much it affected her relationship with her fellow members, as well as her own self-confidence as an artist. “Definitely, my fellow members helped me a lot to get here to this point. And I think with their language too, I try to talk [their native languages] and also learn more from my KATSEYE members with their cultures,” she mentions. 

Her close relationship with Sophia has led her to learn numerous Filipino words and phrases, with Yoonchae even masterfully executing the tongue twister, nakakapagpabagabag. “I’ve tried to open my mind more and more, and to also care about [what I’ve learned from them] as I try new things also,” she says, regarding what she’s learned from her fellow members. 

With her open-minded and more experimental nature, it has emboldened her to find her own voice and ferocity, as well as a brand new stage persona which she and her fellow KATSEYE members have lovingly named C*ntchae. “It came so suddenly,” Yoonchae says, bursting with laughter. “We were together during rehearsal, and they were trying to get me out of my shell [because I was a bit shy], and they called me that nickname.”

“It took me a bit by surprise [at first], but that actually helped me develop my confidence and to find my voice because it felt like my second persona as Yoonchae. So from that moment, I got to fully embrace it from then,” she continues.

Beyond making its way to her and her sisters at KATSEYE, the nickname has also made its way to the public eye with their fandom of EYEKONs. She mentions how it’s always said lovingly, with fans rallying and cheering her on to really embrace a new side of herself. “Even online, I see fans writing it in the comments and it makes me laugh. So every time they call me that nickname, I really try to come out of my shell and be more confident for them,” Yoonchae affirms.

With the one year that has passed since KATSEYE’s debut, Yoonchae reflects on how a lot has changed since she began to embrace these new sides of her personal and artistic identity. Though she notes how much she had to put herself out there in the public eye, she also mentions how she learned to be unashamed in wholeheartedly embracing a sense of authenticity in her life. 

“I really do think confidence was the biggest thing that I changed. After we became KATSEYE, I learned how to show more of myself and to showcase the real side of me to the world,” Yoonchae states. She recalls how when they started out, there was a unspoken need to conform to the idol standards of who people expected her to be, sharing “Because before, I used to look at the comments and see people’s reactions in order to try and be that person who the EYEKONs loved. And even though it wasn’t truly me, I tried to be their definition or assumption of who Yoonchae was.”

“Eventually, I realized that it wasn’t the real me. And both my sisters and the EYEKONs really loved how I act in real life too, so I think that’s how I learned how to act authentically, be myself, and be confident about everything,” she adds.

Now that Yoonchae has become an empowered force of nature, she makes sure to utilize that newfound power with her creative process as an artist in order to showcase just how seriously she takes the craft. She tells me of the intriguing, methodical process that she’s employed with their work, even breaking down each step of her routine. 

“For me, it’s all about learning the choreography. Because when I learn the choreography (which is often the hardest part), I really focus on that. So when I learn the steps and moves of what to do in each day of rehearsals, I also make it a point that at the last step, I’ll try to give a strong set of facial expressions,” she says. “What I do is that I film myself closer to my face, and I make like crazy facial expressions while filming everything from top to bottom just so I can see and watch them later, so I can choose what facial expression looks good on me, and also for the concept. I try to think about it first, then I practice it, and then I tie it to get what I get to do on the stage.”

The result of such a detailed technique is one that has surely paid off for Yoonchae, as seen from nearly every music video and on-stage performance that they’ve conquered. As it stands, fans have become accustomed to seeing the 17-year-old idol’s “face card” take center stage –– especially on recent hits like “Gnarly” and “Gabriela.”

Given Yoonchae’s evolution in such a short amount of time, it’s clear that she’s now ready to take the spotlight, but this time, entirely on her own terms. No longer the quietly compelling performer tucked between storylines or side edits, Yoonchae is now the one holding the mic, both literally and figuratively. She’s chosen to step forward with vulnerability, curiosity, and a boldness that was always within her, now reclaiming the narrative that was once written about her and rewriting it by her own hand.

As she continues to grow alongside her KATSEYE sisters, what has become most striking about Yoonchae isn’t just her stage presence or meticulous artistry, but her insistence on showing up as her whole, unfiltered self. For Yoonchae’s journey on the scene isn’t one of sudden transformation, but a slow, intentional becoming of someone who finally feels ready to speak, act, and perform as she truly is.

Read KATSEYE’s August 2025 cover story here.

Listen to KATSEYE’s latest EP, Beautiful Chaos, below:

_{Photographed by JC Cerilla. Creative Direction by Daryl Chang. Art Direction by Nicole Almero. Art by Alannah Mitra. Make up by Valerie Vonprisk assisted by Ashley Ysabelle Sarmiento. Hair by Sully Layo assisted by Ryan Taniguchi. Camcorder videographer Coey Wu. Interview Video & BTS video Edmond Liang. Assistant and BTS photographer Sky Wu assisted by Malcolm Bacani. Production by Andrew Bear & Spencer Kelly of Hyperion LA. Shot at Hype Studios LA. Produced by Mika Cruz.}

_{Special thanks to Hybe, Geffen Records, Interscope, UMG PH, Hyperion LA, & Hype Studios LA.}

_{Written by Gabriel Saulog. Billboard Philippines, August 2025.}