Rising K-pop star 'Ponyo' Jeong Sewoon wants to show his sexy side

Sexiness is not a word that you'd associate with rising K-pop star Jeong Sewoon.

After all, his nickname is 'Ponyo' -- yes, the adorable Japanese animated character -- and it's a name he embraces.

But all that may change soon, if Sewoon has his way.

Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday (Dec 21) through a translator, the young singer-songwriter definitely sees the resemblance between himself and the animated goldfish, especially in his younger days.

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But while he's thankful that fans associate him with such a "sweet and nice" character, there's definitely more to him than his moniker implies, says Sewoon. 

He mentions that he's waiting for the chance to show a more "mature and sexy" side of himself, and one gets the sense Sewoon wants to break out of the adorable mould. But who can blame him? After all, the guy just turned 21. 

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It may be our imagination, but it appears his sessions at the gym (which he goes to whenever he has some downtime these days) has been paying off. 

In person, his famously-full cheeks appear slightly deflated, although we can't really tell if he possesses washboard abs beneath the layers of clothes he wore to the interview. Jeong is set to appear at the StarHub Night of Stars awards ceremony at Marina Bay Sands tomorrow (Dec 22).

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Since making his debut in August last year as a solo artiste, Sewoon has amassed a sizeable fanbase, with more than 146,000 followers on his official Twitter account. And his loyal fans have also created gems like this: 

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We were stopped from asking questions regarding love interests and his friendship with fellow K-pop artiste Kim Jae Hwan, whom he met on the second season of the South Korean reality singing competition, Produce 101. Jae Hwan edged out Sewoon to win the last spot in the competition, thereafter joining boyband Wanna One.

However, with the impending fourth season of the show starting in 2019, Sewoon's advice to "trainees", as they are called, will be for them to enjoy the learning process as a group, instead of focusing on the rivalry.

So can Sewoon's fans in Singapore look forward to his concert here soon? There are no official dates as yet, but Sewoon says he is will definitely "give his all" if he gets a chance to perform here.

Who knows, we may get to see a more mature and yes, "sexy" side to this rising star in 2019.

candicec@sph.com.sg