2 North Korean Refugees to K-Pop Stardom, SB Boyz

I wanted to tell you about two young North Korean refugees who escaped to South Korea, live in Seoul, and dream of becoming K-pop stars.

Their names are Hyuk and Seok, and they have been training, studying, and practicing their hearts out every day with the incredible goal of forming the world’s first K-pop idol group with North Korean refugees, SB Boyz (trainee name).

But they simply don’t have enough money to make it happen.

That’s why I’m reaching out to you now. The group has been operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s going to take at least $20,000 for them to travel outside of South Korea, recruit more artists, and spread the word about this history-making group.

Let me quickly tell you about how this all got started.

Two years ago, one of my good friends, a K-pop executive named Michelle Cho, happened to meet Hyuk and Seok in Seoul. Michelle saw their talent and potential, and decided to start training them in singing, dancing, rapping – even English, starting with the ABCs.

Michelle had previously spent seven years at SM Entertainment – one of the biggest K-pop production companies in South Korea – before founding her own music label, Singing Beetle. She’s a Harvard graduate who joined the music industry as a career change, and has produced songs that have gone on to sell more than 7.5 million copies.

In other words, Hyuk and Seok found the right person to help them realize their dream. Michelle has been giving them everything she has – her time, her expertise, and even her personal savings from years in the music industry.

But it’s still not enough.

In their search for more members for this groundbreaking group, Hyuk, Seok, and Michelle hope to travel to Southeast Asia and the United States to make music and hold mini-concerts with aspiring local artists, and ultimately decide who else will join them.

During their travels, the trainees will also work with famous K-pop songwriters to compose powerful music filled with the deeply personal stories of North Korean refugees striving and hustling for a better life in the South.

Every penny of your donated funds will be spent to make this trip a reality, and to leave a Youtube trail that people all over the world can watch as these aspiring stars travel across Southeast Asia.

Raising $20,000 will not only help the team get off the ground, but also enable Michelle to reach out to her ex-colleagues, some of the most successful songwriters in the K-pop industry, to join the trip.

And if they can raise $35,000, the group will be able to travel to the United States too, opening even more doors for Hyuk and GS to showcase their talents and meet with American musicians.

As a token of gratitude, supporters will not only gain a spot on the credits to the videos, but also receive exclusive, behind-the-scenes content, where Michelle and the team show exactly how K-pop teams are created from scratch.

For those generous souls who donate a total of $1,000 or more, they will send you a personalized shoutout video featuring Hyuk and Seok. Michelle has shown me videos of them practicing, and I promise you, they will blow your mind.

Whatever the amount, if you can donate to this cause, your contribution will make a real and direct difference in the lives of these brave refugees. You not only will help them overcome their past struggles, but will give them the chance to share their extraordinary gifts and stories with the world.

Michelle is their number-one supporter and has invested so much into this fun, exciting, and incredibly difficult project. Most recently, Hyuk and Seok’s story has been featured on Wall Street Journal, sharing their big dream to become the next K-Pop sensation.

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/north-korean-escapee-who-begged-on-the-streets-chases-k-pop-stardom-bc344958#comments_sector

Please join her and be a part of history!

Show your support by making GoFundMe donations, following their YouTube and Instgram pages, and sharing the story with your friends, family, and on your social networks!

YouTube: @singingbeetle_

Instagram: @singingbeetle

Tik Tok: @sbboyz_

Thank you!

Esther,