Cube has produced many girl groups over the years. How do you feel Lightsum differentiates itself from previous teams?

Juhyeon: Previous groups produced by Cube were a little bit more conceptual and intense, with strong images. We aim to be a friendlier kind of act, more approachable, more relatable, and a little bit more intimate than previous girl groups. Past groups were formed kind of more based around storytelling and specific ideas, but for us we hope to be more like our listeners’ friends. 

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Beyond your performance roles, what does each member bring together to make the “sum” of Lightsum’s whole?

Juhyeon: I’m responsible for bringing the members’ thoughts together and leading our team. 

Sangah: I’m the eldest member of the group, but I’m the most energetic one so I try to help make the atmosphere more comfortable and enjoyable among us all. I think my energy can help the group’s energy. 

Chowon: Whereas Sangah is more energetic, I’m a bit calmer. I think I’m the one who has my teammates’ backs. I quietly observe and take care of the members.

Yujeong: I’m the cute member, I have a lot of aegyo [a Korean term for behaving cutely]. I also think I’m like the fan attractor within the group. I think a lot of fans are drawn to me. 

Nayoung: I’m like the vitamin within the group. I’m very bright and positive. 

Hina: I’m the only non-Korean member in the group. I’ve also heard from a lot of people that I’m a very bright person and that I have a very pure image. 

Huiyeon: I’m the bubbly one within the group. My charm is that the more you see me, the more you’ll fall for me. I’m also the only one with dimples in the group.

Jian: I’m the youngest member, and because of that I think I’m going to be able to interact with younger fans and audiences better.

Being a K-pop star isn’t necessarily an easy path. How did you decide to pursue this career?

Juhyeon: I’ve been training for seven years and four months. I joined Cube when I was [10]. I had tried cheerleading and being on dance teams before, because I liked dancing. I didn’t necessarily dream of becoming an idol or performing artist. But I auditioned for a few companies along with my friends, and somehow I made it and luckily was given the opportunity. Once I started training, I was inspired by the people I trained with. It made me realise I wanted to achieve this goal. 

Jian: Huiyeon and I trained for the shortest amount of time, about five to six months.

You’ve obviously all worked really hard to debut, so how are you dealing with anxiety and anticipation as you approach the start of this career you’ve been working towards?

Chowon: Honestly, it’s been a while since I competed [on 2018 television show Produce 48], and since then there were many things that I had to go through. People would always ask me many questions about my debut and future, but there was nothing I could answer or share. That was a bit of a struggle for me, but now that I’m finally about to debut, I feel relieved by the fact that I can answer those questions. Because it’s been quite a while, because I’ve been training for quite a long time, my debut doesn’t really feel real to me. Although there were some struggles and tough moments in the process, because that process was there I’ve been able to meet the rest of Lightsum and I’m very happy about that. 

Yujeong: I thought I’d be able to debut shortly after I also appeared on Produce 48, but it took a while. I was anxious that people would forget me, but now that I’m finally debuting as Lightsum I’m really glad and happy that this opportunity has come to me. And recently, I was able to talk to some fans during a video call event, and I found out there were fans supporting me since that show, so I was very happy and surprised to learn that they’ve supported me for so long. 

Vanilla is inspired by ice cream, so I’m curious. What flavour of ice cream represents each member and why?

Chowon: dark chocolate. Because I think I’m class and have a deep aura, which is why I’m dark chocolate not milk chocolate. 

Hina: Strawberries and cream, because I’m sweet, soft, and lovely. 

Jian: I’m like rainbow sherbet, because I have many different charms. 

Yujeong: candyfloss, because it reminds me of a joyful, vibrant atmosphere and has the taste of youth. 

Sangah: [Baskin Robbins’] shooting star, because it has popping candies and I think my personality is very vibrant and excitable, like that flavour.

Nayoung: I know I said it before, but I’m like a vitamin of the group so I think the citrusy flavour of lemon goes well with me.

Juhyeon: Yogurt flavour, because I really like that flavour. It doesn’t have a very vivid colour but has a distinct taste to it. 

Huiyeon: I think green tea. It’s my favourite, and also I like the colour. I think it’s a flavour that people who like it don‘t just like it, they love it. 

What do you hope to achieve as Lightsum?

Sangah: I hope that we’re perceived as a group that always learns and becomes better and grows with our fans. 

Chowon: I personally think it’s best to have big dreams. I used to hope that people know me by my name, Han Chowon. Everyone would be like, “Oh, I know her.” But now that I’m debuting as Lightsum, my hope has changed to expand to the name Lightsum and those of all our members.