Life in the Army - Discipline, Sacrifice, and Structure
Army life is built on structure.
Every day was about precision, duty, and service.
There wasn’t much room for self-expression,
and emotions were often tucked away for survival.
At the time, I believed this was strength.
But after years of service, I realized I had left part of myself behind.
Coming Home - Searching for a New Purpose
Returning home was harder than I expected.
The discipline that served me so well in the Army
felt out of place in the civilian world.
I was searching for something—anything—that could reignite my spirit.
Something that could remind me there was still joy to be found.
I never thought that "something" would come through music.
First Encounter with K-pop - A World Full of Color
The first time I really heard K-pop was in a Seoul café.
The vibrant melodies, the intense energy, the unapologetic emotion—
it hit me like a wave.
K-pop wasn’t just entertainment.
It was life exploding in full color.
For someone who had spent years muted in khaki and camouflage,
it was overwhelming—and exactly what I needed.
BTS and the Power of Storytelling
BTS wasn’t just singing.
They were telling stories—stories of struggle, resilience, love, and hope.
It felt personal.
Their songs spoke to wounds I hadn’t yet acknowledged,
and dreams I thought I had left behind.
Through them, I learned that true strength wasn’t about hiding your pain—
it was about transforming it.
Learning to Dance - Embracing Joy Without Fear
It started as a joke.
My niece challenged me to learn BTS's "Mic Drop" choreography.
At first, I laughed.
But as I stumbled through the moves, something surprising happened:
I smiled—genuinely, fully—for the first time in a long while.
Learning to dance wasn’t just about steps.
It was about giving myself permission to feel alive again.
Living in Korea - Feeling the Beat Up Close
Now living in Korea,
I’m surrounded by the culture that gave birth to K-pop.
The music plays in every shop, echoes from open windows, fills the subway stations.
It’s a constant reminder that life here pulses with creativity, dreams, and resilience.
In every beat, I feel both the country of my heritage
and the home I chose after duty.
Healing Through Music - K-pop’s Unexpected Gift
Healing doesn’t always look like therapy or long conversations.
Sometimes, it looks like dancing in your living room to SEVENTEEN,
or singing along badly to IU’s latest ballad.
K-pop gave me back parts of myself I thought the Army had permanently buried.
It reminded me that vulnerability is a form of courage too.
A New Mission - Living Fully Between Two Worlds
I still carry my Army past with pride.
But now, alongside that badge of honor,
I carry a playlist full of color, emotion, and life.
K-pop taught me that the mission never really ends.
It just evolves.
And today, my mission is simple:
to live fully, to dance without fear,
and to honor both the soldier I was and the dreamer I have become.
