Former CIX Member Hyunsuk Opens Up About Group's Breakup and Bae Jin-young's Exit

Former CIX member Hyunsuk is speaking publicly for the first time about how his group fell apart. He says he wanted to keep CIX going until the end, and admits he still has lingering feelings about his life as an idol.

Hyunsuk sat down for an interview on the Sept. 11 at the Ten Asia offices in Cheongpa-ro, Jung district, Seoul. He recently wrapped his role on the tvN drama "My Dearest Employee" (Choeaeui Sawon), which marked his acting debut. The series follows Nam Da-reum, played by Kim Hye-jun, a woman who joins a startup called Apello to get close to her favorite star. Hyunsuk played Hyuk, the oldest member and leader of a fictional disbanded idol group called D.N.X.

The timing carries some weight. About a year ago, in September of last year, CIX held its first-ever round-table interview since debut. After Bae Jin-young left, the group reorganized as a four-member act and released a new album, promising to push forward. Roughly seven months later, at the end of April, they announced their disbandment.

Looking back at that final album, Hyunsuk said the mood in the studio was simple. "At the time, the feeling was just, let's give it everything," he said. "We had talked with the company, and in some ways we knew it could be the last one." He was candid about the results. "We worked hard, but there wasn't really a sign of the kind of growth that would let us keep going."

After the release, the members started weighing their options. "Once the album was out, the CEO sat down with each of us one by one," Hyunsuk said. "A few of us wanted to enlist in the military together, come back, and try the group again. Others were thinking about reality and felt each person needed to find his own path."

Hyunsuk was leaning towards the first option. "I was on the side of enlisting together and coming back to keep the group going," he said. "But forcing that on everyone felt too selfish. The older members have their own lives too. You can't just chase a dream forever and turn your back on real life." He added that the group parted on good terms. "I think we understood each other and ended things beautifully."

Bae Jin-young's exit was not a sudden decision either. Hyunsuk said he only learned later that his contract and Bae Jin-young's were on different timelines. "We started CIX together, so I just assumed our contracts would end at the same time," he said. Because Bae Jin-young had debuted earlier with Wanna One, his contract was set to expire on a different date from the rest of the group.

The members had actually been discussing his future for two years before he left. "We talked a lot about what to do and tried to talk him around," Hyunsuk said. "But he had strong feelings of his own." In the end, he said, there was no way to hold on. "We couldn't stop him. It was his choice, and we agreed to respect each person's decision."

The group is gone, but Hyunsuk says the pull of being an idol has not left him. "I was the one who wanted to keep CIX going, so there's a lot I still regret," he said. He even pictured a version of the future that mirrors his own drama, where the members of D.N.X come back together.

"A group isn't something you can just do because you personally want to. It takes everyone," he said. But he refused to close the door. "I don't think CIX is over. We could put out another album someday. You really never know."

Even after moving into acting, his heart is still on stage. Hyunsuk is now signed to Management Run, the agency that also represents Jinyoung and Park Sung-woong. Jinyoung, formerly of B1A4, has built a strong acting career while continuing to release music and meet with fans.

Hyunsuk said that approach fits him well. "My current company doesn't ask me to give up the idol side of what I do," he said. "Jinyoung is a great actor, but he still holds fan meetings and releases songs. I really liked that part of it." He added, "I love dancing, so I want to perform and act at the same time."

He also hopes to get closer to his labelmate. "I'd love to go to his place and just talk," Hyunsuk said of Jinyoung. "I've watched him since I was young, back when he was with B1A4. I'm curious about how he made it from idol to actor." He smiled as he wrapped up the thought. "We have things in common, and I have a lot I want to ask him about acting. He's leading dramas as a main actor, so he's the senior I most want to become close with."