Noh Ji Sun: "Zooming in on my chest and applying slow motion"... The struggles of having her appearance consumed during her idol days

Noh Ji Sun, a former member of fromis_9, revealed her experience of having her appearance and body receive more attention than her stage performances and works during her idol activities. Appearing in a video released on the YouTube channel ‘Min Sae-rom's Open Studio’ on the 11th, Noh Ji Sun spoke about the difference between the image of an idol she expected before her debut and the reality she faced during her activities. She mentioned cases where stage videos are uploaded with zooms on her body or slow-motion effects applied, saying, “It wasn't honorable and it was very upsetting.” She also stated that it was difficult to change direction alone while being part of a team, so she suppressed her own expressions. Noh Ji Sun appeared on Mnet’s ‘Idol School’ in 2017 and debuted as a member of fromis_9 the following year. After leaving the team due to the expiration of her contract in 2024, she is currently active as an influencer.

A way of being consumed that was different from the idols she liked

In the video, when asked about the difference between the days she dreamed of debuting as an idol and the period after she began her activities, Noh Ji Sun replied, “Actually, I think there are parts that are a bit different from reality in any profession. It's also different for each company and each group.” The difference she explained lay between the way she liked and looked at idols and the way the public looked at her. Noh Ji Sun said she focused on the inner selves, stages, and composing abilities of artists she thought were cool. In particular, she explained that she liked the process and results of maximizing abilities to create works.

Noh Ji Sun said, “The way I thought idols should be consumed and the way people consumed me were quite different.” What she hoped for was interest in her stage performances and her works. However, she recalled that the comments directed at her were about evaluating her appearance and body or imagining her romantic partners. Noh Ji Sun said, “The comments left for me were ‘She’s pretty, her body is like this,’ ‘Who would date a girl like that? If you play your cards right, you could probably seduce her,’ and ‘I'm jealous of her boyfriend.’” She explained that reactions focusing on her appearance continued, which was different from the interest in her stage and works that she had expected.

Editing that highlights the body in stage videos

Along with the appearance-centered reactions, Noh Ji Sun also mentioned the way stage videos are edited and uploaded online. She said, “When I perform somewhere, they upload videos with my chest zoomed in and slow motion applied, so the consumption ends up being focused only on the external parts. It wasn't honorable and it was very upsetting.” She meant that scenes highlighting her body received more attention than the works or performance content she wanted to show on stage. Noh Ji Sun stated that such a way of being consumed was different from the idol activities she had expected.

She said, “I hated being consumed just because I'm pretty or because I have a good body,” and added that she would prefer people to be curious about what can be seen on her stage and tell her it is cool. The comments mentioned by Noh Ji Sun included not only evaluations of her appearance and body but also discussions about her dating possibilities. She explained that these reactions and the videos edited with body zooms focused attention on her outward appearance. Min Sae-rom, who appeared in the video with her, said after hearing Noh Ji Sun's story, “I think the most important thing for a person to eventually become happy is to be oneself.” Min Sae-rom mentioned the situations that make it difficult to protect one's ego from the outside and the sense of discrepancy Noh Ji Sun might have felt.

Things that were difficult to decide alone within a team

Noh Ji Sun cited team activities as the reason why it was difficult to reveal the direction she wanted during her activities. Min Sae-rom asked if it would be easier to feel satisfaction and achievement if an individual's desired image, the group's direction, and the public's desire all aligned. Noh Ji Sun replied, “It would be hard to immerse oneself, and viewers would be able to tell that she couldn't immerse herself.” Min Sae-rom asked if it could be hard to immerse oneself when an individual's pursuit, the group's direction, and the public's demand are misaligned, and Noh Ji Sun agreed with that statement.

Noh Ji Sun said, “That's right. And since I exist as a team and am a person belonging to it, I cannot try to walk this path alone, so I suppressed it as much as possible.” She explained that even if there was a direction she desired as an individual, she could not decide alone since she was active as a member of a team. While expressing regret about that time while looking back on her activities, she did not deny the time she spent as an idol itself. She said, “Anyway, I like idols. I also like watching idols' stages. I am grateful that I could be among them.” She added, “So now, let's try doing what is true to me. I think I was able to change well because of this.”

The path after the audition program and debut

Noh Ji Sun appeared on the Mnet audition program ‘Idol School’ broadcast in 2017, made it into the final debut group, and debuted as fromis_9 in 2018. In the video, she mentioned the controversy regarding vote manipulation that arose after she debuted in first place through the program. According to related reports, Noh Ji Sun said, “I did come out of that program in first place, but the manipulation controversy broke out not long after we started activities,” and “I really thought I became first because I worked hard, but it wasn't the case. It was so confusing.” This was to convey that she thought it was a result she earned through effort, but she experienced confusion upon encountering the controversy later.

Related reports also stated that Noh Ji Sun experienced financial hardship because she did not receive settlements during her fromis_9 activities, and after being rejected for bank loans because she was classified as having no income, she used card loans. It was also mentioned in the video that she borrowed money from her older brother while in the process of paying off the debt incurred from the card loan, and she only finished repayment one year after leaving the group. Noh Ji Sun left fromis_9 after her contract expired in 2024. She is currently active as an influencer, and related reports stated she is active as a beauty creator and brand planner.

In the video, Noh Ji Sun looked back on the appearance-centered consumption she experienced during her idol activities, the difficulty of adjusting her individual direction within the team, the audition program controversy, and her economic difficulties. She expressed gratitude for being able to work within idol stages and said she would try to do work that is true to herself in the future. The video was released on the ‘Min Sae-rom's Open Studio’ channel on the 11th.

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