'I'll just cry by myself': Rising K-pop stars AB6IX open up on how they deal with stress

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

For up-and-coming Korean boy band AB6IX, it seems that the pressures of fame are all too real.

Members Lim Young-min, Jeon Woong, Kim Dong-hyun and Lee Dae-hwi were in town on Sunday (Nov 24) to attend StarHub Night of Stars 2019, where they had some heartbreaking responses when asked how they cope with stress.

To say that it's been a great year for the group is an understatement. They've clinched numerous awards including the StarHub Night of Stars Rising Star Award and the main prize at the Soribada Best K-Music Awards.

That's not all — they even collaborated with Grammy-nominated artist Lizzo on the Korean remix of her hit song Truth Hurts.

But behind the glitz and glam are the gruelling schedules and injuries, not to mention the trolls that leave hate comments.

So how do they deal with everything?

Woong said in Korean in an interview, "I used to play or eat with friends. But nowadays, I prefer to sleep. I think I can relieve stress by getting enough rest."

Lead vocalist Dong-hyun shared a similar method — he finds a quiet place to lie down and clear his mind.

But the youngest of the group, Dae-hwi, had the saddest answer.

"I cry," the 18-year-old admitted candidly, "when I'm alone though.

"I don't cry in front of other people. I'll just cry by myself in the hotel or in my room."

The leader of the group Young-min then lightened the mood by sharing that while he used to de-stress by sleeping, he now reads self-help books, eliciting an incredulous laugh from Dae-hwi.

"He really reads! When he is in the plane, he is reading," Dae-hwi added in disbelief.

Mental health aside, the life of a K-pop idol can often take a physical toll as well.

Fifth member Park Woo-jin missed StarHub Night of Stars after injuring his knee during a performance on Nov 16.

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Despite his absence, Woo-jin remained in the thoughts of the rest of the group and was the top pick among the members to accompany them to a hypothetical deserted island.

"I'll bring Woo-jin with me because he's very strong. He'll be able to protect me," Woong said.

"He's gone to the jungle before so he'll be more experienced," Young-min added, referring to Woo-jin's stint on the reality show Law of the Jungle where he had scavenged for food in a forest in Thailand.

While Woo-jin remains on hiatus for now, the group is going full steam ahead and making plans for their first world tour next year.

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While they stopped short of confirming the dates, the boys couldn't resist dropping some hints.

Good news: Singapore just might be on the list of stops.

"We really hope to see our Singapore fans in January, maybe?" Dae-hwi said. "I'm not sure about the actual schedule but we are planning on the world tour."

Well, guess it's time for fans to start saving up.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com