[Exclusive] UNIS's Hyeonju Shines on Third Debut: "I'm Sad It's Ending"

"So many people are only getting to know UNIS now. It's sad to know our time together is coming to an end."

That is how Hyeonju, the leader of K-pop girl group UNIS, described the timing of the group's final days. Their remake of "Sky Land, Star Land" was drawing new attention to UNIS and its earlier releases. In an interview at F&F Entertainment's headquarters in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, on Sept. 22, Hyeonju said the response still felt hard to believe.

"When the reactions first came in, we were checking so often that we couldn't tell whether UNIS was only showing up on our own phones or whether a real 'UNIS boom' had started," she said with a laugh. The remake continued to rise on the charts after the group finished its music show promotions. Hyeonju said each day had felt like a dream.

UNIS marked Hyeonju's third debut, following Good Day and cignature. Asked what kept her trying, she said, "I'm grateful that I was able to debut three times. It wasn't a moment when I made some huge decision. I just didn't give up on my dream and kept trying when opportunities came. I don't like giving up or losing, and I think that played a part."

She had usually been among the younger members in her previous groups. In UNIS, she became the oldest member and the leader. Hyeonju said she drew on what she had seen and learned from earlier group activities when guiding the younger members.

Yunha praised the way she helped a team whose members spoke different first languages. "Sometimes we misunderstood one another, and Hyeonju would explain things clearly so everyone could follow," she said. "That's when I'd think, 'That's our leader.'"

Hyeonju spoke just as readily about what the other members brought to the team. "When we sing English lyrics, Elisia and Gehlee help us with pronunciation. During Japanese activities, Nana and Kotoko help us," she said. "It feels as though the leader changes depending on whose country we're in. That's one of the greatest strengths of a group with members from different countries."

On the afternoon of Sept. 22, the day of the interview, UNIS announced that the members' exclusive contracts would end. Hyeonju acknowledged her sadness but also talked about what she hopes to show audiences in the future. "This was the first time people described me as a 'grown woman,'" she said. "I'd like to show a calmer, deeper side of myself too."

UNIS released its goodbye single "Milky Way" on Sept. 23. Hyeonju, Nana, Elisia and Yoona took part in writing lyrics that express their feelings for the group's fans. For Hyeonju, it was her first time writing lyrics.

"When we were asked to try writing lyrics, I sat down at 4 a.m. with the bedside light on and started putting my thoughts into words," she said. "I got emotional and wondered if I'd gone too far with that late-night mood. But I thought I'd be embarrassed and delete it all the next day, so I sent in what I'd written just as it was and went to sleep."

With "Milky Way," the eight members thanked the fans who had stood by UNIS throughout their two and a half years together.