Just hours before he took the stage at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles for the final two shows in the North American leg of his TRUSTY World Tour, Yugyeom made a special stop at USC Annenberg to talk with students about his journey and artistry.

From his start as a member of the iconic K-pop group GOT7 to launching a successful R&B solo career, he shared valuable insights into adapting to changing media, strategically building a personal brand, leveraging cross-cultural understanding, and navigating the dynamic entertainment industry.

“This is the first time in six years that I’m really performing,” Yugyeom said. “I felt like this was the time to prove myself. While I was a part of GOT7, I was a part of a big group. I was also the youngest, the ‘maknae’.... I wanted to show that I have grown and can grow as well.”

Hye Jin Lee, who teaches COMM 314: The Evolution of K-pop — the only course at USC exclusively focused on the subject — led the conversation with Yugyeom and spearheaded the collaboration with Billboard Korea that made the event possible.  

“In my class, we explore K-pop not just as a Korean phenomenon, but as a form of global pop culture — a product of ongoing cultural exchanges,” said Lee, clinical assistant professor of communication. “So, I was especially keen to ask Yugyeom about the value of having national and cultural diversity in his group, GOT7. These exchanges have shaped K-pop into what it is today.”

Lee also emphasized that opportunities to engage with K-pop industry leaders and artists like Yugyeom encourage students to think more globally about pop culture, music and entertainment.

“For students looking to enter the entertainment or media industries, it’s essential to be aware of K-pop and understand its place in the broader global media ecosystem,” she said.

Here are a few key takeaways from the March 28 conversation with Yugyeom during which he spoke in Korean and was supported by interpreter Jenny Kim, a master’s student at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Adapting to an evolving media and promotional landscape

“I think honestly, the biggest thing is that the promo is so different…. When I was coming up, we had to do this weird photo shoot thing where we had to do weird poses and everything. And sometimes like we would come out ugly. There weren’t many showcases back then, and JYP mostly relied on more traditional PR methods. But now, K-pop artists regularly do showcases or go live on YouTube, and with the popularity of TikTok, things have really changed. What surprised me the most was how many TikTok challenges I ended up doing during breaks while filming music shows. Still, I was flattered that my junior artists asked me to join them, and it just felt natural to take part.

“Another thing about my generation that’s a little bit different is that almost all of our performances were done live. And now it’s kind of the opposite where most of it isn’t done live. And I’m kind of sad about this because the energy is different from when you’re performing live with an audience. And the lack of that just does kind of make me sad.”

Strategically building a personal brand

“When I transitioned into AOMG it felt like I became a trainee again because before then I felt like I didn’t write as well or I didn’t sing as well. At AOMG, the biggest difference was that they were objectively able to critique me. Fundamentally, I realized that they’re just trying to help me grow and get better… We discussed that the objective would be to escape the cute image that I originally had. So, instead of creating easy-listening type music, I ended up making a lot of music with really deep 808 beats that were really powerful….

“When it comes to growth, when I think of my ideal future self, I think I’m around 75% there right now… I think my personal weapon is that I practice over and over and over again…. You have to become as skilled as you age. If I have the same level and skill of singing and dancing as I used to have when I first started, people won’t continue to like me…. There are a lot of younger people who keep coming into the industry and are new and shiny. So, I really have to show growth and make people think, ‘What’s he gonna do next?’”

Leveraging cross-cultural understanding

“The cultures of Thailand and Hong Kong — the fact that I was exposed to them at such an early age — was such a huge advantage to me.Through my fellow members, I was able to be exposed to these cultures, learn the languages, etc. And I love this fact because I think it really helps me in life and also in terms of language for learning. I think the best part of this, honestly, though, is the fact that we as a group could communicate internationally with fans all around the world directly.”

Navigating the dynamic entertainment industry

“I think what truly defines an artist is the ability to do your own thing — to envision an entire album. By that, I mean being able to create a cohesive theme, thoughtfully sequence the tracks, and weave everything together into a unified whole. Some people just write lyrics, some people just write melodies. But I don’t think it's just that. I think you have to be able to look at it as a whole, like a producer. That's what I think truly makes an artist. I think what’s really important is that you do your own thing and try to make sure that you stay true to that….

“For the song, ‘Remember,’ I just wrote it thinking about my fans…. When you have really long-term fans, there’s something called ‘jeong,’ the Korean concept of love, a kind of connection and affection that happens between you and the fans if they’re long-term. As opposed to when I first started, my attitude towards the fans is very different. For example, back then I was thinking, ‘Oh, this is the culture. I just need to be grateful, etc.’ But now, 11 years later, I really genuinely feel like I want to make them happy. I have such gratitude for these fans, and time flies so quickly and the world changes so quickly as well. So I just want to remember this moment together with the fans, hence the title of the song.”