Q. Have you dreamed of living this way from childhood?
Probably not. I didn’t have particular thoughts when I was a student. I didn’t think I was that special, either. I had learned how to play the piano, clarinet and such when I was in elementary school, then an opportunity came along, and fortunately I became Jung Yonghwa that I am now. Since I lived away from the capital, I didn’t even imagine becoming a celebrity. Auditions were out of the way. But I ended up getting auditioned by chance, and that’s when I felt that I really enjoyed something for the first time. When I was in high school, I had only dreamed of living in Seoul, the capital. I guess I’m a boy whose dream came true.
Q. When you’re spending time alone, what comes to your mind?
When I’m writing a song, that’s all I think about. If I want to take a rest in the middle, I watch TV because I don’t want to have other complex thoughts. Other than the times I work, I would see my friends, play games, leisurely observe the things around me, and take notes. The small things that I feel from everyday life tend to get applied to my songwriting later on. You could say I’m always attentively projecting my antennae.
Q. Is there something you really want to try?
To be honest, I don’t quite enjoy going out to meet people. I’m unaffected about what happens around me. I don’t even have a hobby. (Perhaps I worked too much.) Rather, it feels like work to find a hobby and change my lifestyle with it at this point. I like being naturally as I am.
Q. Do you enjoy being lonely or solitude?
When I meet someone in private and spend time talking a lot, sometimes it feels like Jung Yonghwa who’s at work. Instead of such encounters, I would spend time by myself, and that’s when I’m calm and collected like I truly am. But I’m not lonely. Perhaps I’m used to it. I mean I don’t particularly enjoy it, solitude is solitude.
Q. What’s your zodiac sign?
Cancer. I don’t believe in fortunetelling though. I don’t look into those things. After I get inauspicious results, it doesn’t quite feel nice. Then I’ll look into Fortune of the day, Fortune of the month, then Fortune of the year. I’m not fond of such intangible beliefs.
Q. How do you protect yourself?
Rather than going out on a limb to change something, I live as life flows. If there really is my destiny, it won’t be something I can change on my own.