South Korean actress and singer Nam Gyu-ri opened up about her journey to stardom and the emotional reunion with her girl group SeeYa during a recent appearance on MBC's variety show Radio Star.
According to Daum, the episode aired on May 6 and featured Nam alongside Choi Daniel, Ahn Ji-young, and Tomorrow X Together's Beomgyu. The show was themed "Meeting makes my eyes light up," focusing on stories of connection and reunion.
Nam expressed her joy over SeeYa's reunion, marking 15 years since the group disbanded. She revealed that she and the other members established their own company, "SeeYa Inc.," where they hold stakes as owners.
The group is preparing a full-length album to share their personal stories, scheduled for release on May 14.
Discussing the challenges leading up to the reunion, Nam recalled a failed attempt in 2020 after appearing on Sugar Man 3, citing difficulties coordinating among agencies and accumulated misunderstandings.
READ MORE: Nam Gyu Ri Opens Up on Being Bullied by Fellow Actresses: 'I Found Out I Was an Outcast'
"I felt that we wouldn't be able to reunite in the future," she said. However, when the members eventually met, they cleared up those misunderstandings quickly, reigniting their desire to come back together.
The reunion rehearsals were emotional. Nam said the members cried as they listened to each other sing, reflecting on the hardships they had endured.
"Why did we go around in circles only to meet now?" she recalled them thinking.
Nam also shared candid memories of her early career struggles. Before debuting with SeeYa, she was a trainee at both SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment but did not debut with either. Troubled by uncertainty about her future, her break came when Vibe's Ryu Jae-hyun encouraged her to sing in a practice room. After singing two verses, she was accepted.
As per Chosun Biz, she highlighted the rapid success that followed. "I debuted with SeeYa and got first place in just 40 days with the song 'Scent of a Woman.'"
Nam also humorously noted that SeeYa was originally planned to debut as a "faceless singer" group, but that changed quickly when she joined.
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