LE SSERAFIM's Huh Yunjin recalls running BTS, Taylor Swift fan accounts in middle school

Huh Yunjin of LE SSERAFIM recalled that before becoming a K-Pop star, she was already deeply immersed in online fandom spaces.

“Oh my gosh, who isn’t a fan?” she said when asked about her early interest in K-pop superstar BTS.

The Korean-American revealed during a recent podcast interview with Variety that she ran several fan accounts while she was in middle school, including ones dedicated to BTS, Taylor Swift, My Little Pony, and My Chemical Romance. 

She frequently shifted between different fandoms, describing it as an early outlet for her creativity. Yunjin shared that her interest in becoming a K-pop idol grew after realizing how multifaceted the industry was, combining music, choreography, visuals, and storytelling.

“K-pop is another medium… and there's so much world-building in K-pop.” She added that the collaborative nature of K-pop resonated with her from an early age.

 “Since I was young, if I ever wrote something, I wanted to do it with my sister or friends. I always wanted to create things together.”

The 24-year-old cited BTS’ win at the American Music Awards in 2017 as a particularly influential moment, especially as a Korean-American navigating questions of identity and artistic direction.

Yunjin moved to South Korea at around 15 or 16, to pursue training. She described going back and forth between the United States and Korea during her early attempts in the industry.

“I did K-pop at one label for like a month, then went back. Then I came back to Korea again and stayed longer.” After several years of training, Yunjin said she eventually began to feel the weight of the industry. “It was just really intense,” she admitted. “I kept thinking about what my life could be.”

She described feeling emotionally exhausted and homesick, recalling that she missed her family, friends, and life in the US. She also began questioning whether continuing in music was the right choice for her.

Yunjin also spoke about the challenges of the trainee system. “It is difficult to lose friends along the way because it’s kind of an elimination process as well.”

The singer eventually decided to leave Korea and return to her hometown, where she began preparing for university applications and considered stepping away from a music career entirely.

But just as she began transitioning into her new plans, an unexpected opportunity arrived. Yunjin received a call from her label regarding a new project—later revealed to be LE SSERAFIM.

For Yunjin, the timing was unexpected, noting that the offer came just after she had decided to pursue a different life direction.

Yunjin reflected on her journey with a sense of perspective shaped by uncertainty and timing.

She referenced the film “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” drawing parallels to the idea of alternate life paths.

“There’s another parallel universe where I’m pursuing something completely different,” she said. “But the life I’m currently living now is the best version of me that there is. And I truly do believe that.”