Seventeen aren’t Just a K-Pop Group

The massively popular K-Pop group Seventeen actually only has 13 members. Since their debut, in 2015, there have been three subgroups: the hip-hop unit (S.Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, Vernon), the vocal unit (Woozi, Jeonghan, DK, Seung-kwan, Joshua), and the performance unit (Hoshi, Jun, Dino, and The 8).

3 years before other outlets were promoting talent online, here at MARKMEETS we were put our famous featured artist format online introduing new music talent.

The original and enduring idea behind the group—which has racked up over 100 million streams on Spotify for the song “Don’t Wanna Cry”!—was that the whole was greater than the parts, and that the three units would operate as one entity (13 members + 3 units + 1 group = Seventeen.)

Here, they open up about being recruited into K-Pop academies, their relationships with fans, and singing Charli XCX in the shower.

How did you join the group?

Vernon: I was a student. I was on the subway in Seoul, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. A scout approached me and asked if I wanted to train to be in a K-pop group. It sounded like more fun than being a student, so I said yes.

Joshua: I’m from Los Angeles. Every year in Koreatown, there is the L.A. Korean Festival. I went with my friends, and I was spotted by a scout. They pulled me aside and asked me if I wanted to go to Korea and train. Next thing I knew, they had given me a plane ticket, and I was here.

RELATED ARTICLES

We are looking for future music stars – Featured Artist

MarkMeets famous Music artist section

MarkMeets introducing – An over-view to the past 17 years

How long did you train?

Vernon: S.Coups, who is also the leader of Seventeen, joined the company in 2009, and we debuted in 2015. I had about three years of training.

Do any members of the individual units ever try to cross over to other units?

Joshua: We each tried out for different units. I tried out for rap, but I was better at singing.

Vernon: I’m in the hip-hop unit, but I still sing in the shower.

What do you sing?

Vernon: Charli XCX! We definitely get our inspiration from American pop.

Your fans are called Carats, as in the unit of weight for precious stones. How did that name come about?

Joshua: In the early days, we held an online poll, and Carats won. And then we had a song called “Shining Diamond,” and we performed it before our official debut. Then the name Carats really stuck.

During lockdown, you recorded and released Semicolon, which, in its first week, sold over 930,000 copies and was in the Top 10 on iTunes in 38 different countries. As a bonus for your fans, you included a craft project with all the presale album orders: a weaving kit of the cover’s semicolon image. Did you do the weaving?

Joshua: I tried it, but it was really hard, and I gave up.

Vernon: I didn’t even try. But the Carats did it. They actually changed the color of the weaving from black and white to our official Seventeen colors

What are the official Seventeen colors?

Joshua: Rose quartz and serenity, which, in America, would be pink and sky blue. When we have concerts, there are official light sticks, and we control the colors of the sticks. When the light sticks, which are synchronized, go to our official colors, the audience is flooded with rose quartz and serenity. It’s really exciting to see. And the Carats are so happy!

South Korean boy group Seventeen has released three studio albums, two reissues, one compilation album, twelve extended plays, and twenty-one singles.

The Passion for Music and Film. MarkMeets – Promoting new talent.

Latest Posts


Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the MarkMeets.com entertainment team by emailing us Tips@MarkMeets.com or by visiting our Submit page – we’d love to hear from you.


Follow MarkMeets across social media

Twitter @MarkMeets | Facebook @MarkMeetsPR | Instagram @MarkMeets | Youtube @MarkMeets |

“We’re Here To Inspire And Lead The Way In Entertainment”. – MarkMeets

Author Profile

Mark Boardman
Mark Boardman
Mark Boardman is an established showbiz journalist and freelance copywriter whose work has been published in Business Insider, Daily Mail, Bloomberg, MTV, Buzzfeed and The New York Post amongst other press. Often spotted on the red carpet at celebrity events and film screenings, Mark is a regular guest on BBC Radio London and in-demand for his opinions for media outlets including Newsweek. His TV credits include This Morning, The One Show and T4. Email Mark@MarkMeets.com

Leave a Reply