Chinese K-pop idol’s father had the most ‘dad’ response to son’s debut

Finding inspiration: Hanjin, 18, whose real name is Han Zhen, hails from China’s Henan province. In an interview with Weverse Magazine on Jan. 14, he shared that his drive to become an idol started after he listened to Seventeen, his seniors under Pledis Entertainment.

Parental concerns: Hanjin told Weverse that his parents initially worried about his K-pop aspirations. Like other parents, they urged him to focus on his studies. After a great deal of persuasion, however, he convinced them to let him pursue his dream of becoming an idol.

Hanjin said he was accepted into Pledis after sending a TikTok video that captured his “boyish charm.” After extensive training and making it to TWS‘ final lineup, he shared the news with his family and received the most “dad” response from his father.

“My dad just sent me a 👍 [thumbs up] emoji,” the 18-year-old K-pop rookie recalled, laughing.

About TWS: TWS, which consists of Hanjin, Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Jihoon and Kyungmin, debuted on Jan. 22 with “Plot Twist.” The song leads their mini-album “Sparkling Blue,” which also features their pre-release single “Oh MyMy : 7s.”

TWS is the first boyband Pledis Entertainment produced after Seventeen, who debuted in 2015. It is also the first group coming from the agency as a subsidiary of Hybe, home of acts such as BTS, TXT, Le Sserafim, Enhypen and NewJeans.