Name: Park Jung-min Group: SS501 Born: Seoul, South Korea Zodiac: Pisces Chinese zodiac: Rabbit Albums: Collection (mini-album); Not Alone; The, Park Jung Min I've been to Hong Kong ... three times now. My first impression was that this is a really hot [temperature] place. My schedule ... has been loaded with interviews and other promotional material. I've been really busy, but yesterday I had time off and got to do some shopping. I originally wanted ... to be an actor, but someone offered me the chance [to be] a singer. I felt singing was like acting, but on stage, so I changed my dream and began to have ambitions as a singer. Nowadays ... it's no longer the case where you act and only act, and when you sing you only sing. That's not how the industry is. Plus, I've always felt that singing on stage is like acting on stage, and since I wanted to be an actor first, that attracted me to be a musician. I've taken ... a more hands-on approach in my music. I'll be producing the next [album] myself. And I'm learning a lot and doing a lot of things myself. I'm more involved in my work now so that feels like a real high for me. At first I was ... worried about releasing a solo album, but I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of great people [who helped me]. I worked through it and have gained confidence along the way. The album is called The, Park Jung Min because ... it was finally time to emphasise my own existence and not as a member of SS501. I really wanted to come out and let people know that I'm a solo artist and I wanted to emphasise my name, too. So that's why it's self-titled. I have a few nicknames ... - rabbit, horse, and sexy charisma. I was born in the Year of the Rabbit. I like rabbits, too, so that's why some people call me that. In Korean, horse is 'mai', but it also means 'words' or 'talk'. I'm a really talkative person - a lot of people feel that way, too - so it suits me well. Never lose ... sight of your dream. If there's something you want, don't hesitate, just go for it. There's an old Korean saying: 'When you think it's too late, it's a bit early'. It means it's never too late, even when you think it is. Keep that saying in your mind and you can conquer any challenge. Korean singer Park Jung-min talks about becoming a solo artist, his early acting ambitions and why his friends call him 'rabbit' and 'horse' win! win! win! We have five sets of Park Jung-min-autographed CDs and calendars to give away. For a chance to win, e-mail your name, address and phone number to yp@scmp.com , with 'Park' in the subject field.
