On September 28th(KST), all five members of H.O.T.—Tony An, Jang Woo Hyuk, Moon Hee Jun, Kangta, and Lee Jae Won—appeared together on JTBC 'Newsroom', where they reflected on their legacy and discussed the recent revelation that Netflix’s 'K-pop Demon Hunters' (hereafter 'KDH') was partly inspired by them.
Debuting in 1996 under SM Entertainment, H.O.T. (Highfive Of Teenagers) is often regarded as the first true K-pop idol group. With smash hits like "Candy" and "We Are the Future", they not only dominated the charts in the late 1990s but also laid the foundation for today’s idol fandom culture, earning them the title of “1st-generation legends.”
During the broadcast, Jang Woo Hyuk shared, "It feels surreal. It’s been such a long time since all five of us stood together—it’s truly moving." Moon Hee Jun added, "It even feels like an AI-generated reunion," expressing his emotions. Kangta noted, "This is our first full-group broadcast in about seven years. The last one was in 2018," voicing his excitement.
Now celebrating their 29th debut anniversary, H.O.T. reflected on their journey.
Jang remarked, "Whenever I see wrinkles forming or monitor our stages, I realize how much time has passed. But we don’t think of it negatively." Moon recalled, "Our debut stage is still unforgettable. Even after 29 years, I dream about it or it suddenly comes back to me—the passion of dancing together with the members remains vivid."
They also shared an anecdote from their early days: initially, they introduced themselves as “Hot” instead of “H.O.T.” for about one to two weeks, before Lee Soo Man advised them to correct it.
The group then reacted to director Maggie Kang’s statement that the 'Saja Boys' characters from 'KDH' were influenced by her days as an H.O.T. fan.
Tony An said, "I was so surprised. I never expected the director to mention it directly. I’m grateful and would love to meet her someday." Kangta added, "At first I had no idea. I never imagined it. But now that I hear it, I can see the similarities in Woo Hyuk and Hee Jun’s hairstyles." Jang joked, "The outsider-type character must be me, and the main vocalist Jin Woo is definitely Kangta."
Kangta also quipped, "Before I heard about the influence, Cha Eun Woo came to mind," prompting the members to laugh and tease him: "So you’re saying you look like Cha Eun Woo?"
Looking ahead to their 30th anniversary in 2026, Moon revealed, "We’re discussing many possibilities and ideas. Our thoughts are aligning well. I’m really looking forward to next year." He added, "Personally, I hope we can hold at least one concert a year," signaling steady activity.
H.O.T. was originally set to headline the '2025 Hanteo Music Festival' on September 6th and 7th at Seoul World Cup Stadium, marking their first full-group stage in six years. However, the festival was postponed to November, delaying their 'Newsroom' appearance as well.
The event will now take place from November 22nd to 23rd at Inspire Arena in Incheon, where H.O.T. will perform as headliners with a set lasting over 60 minutes each day.
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