Ateez Captivating Fans: A Proud Group for ATINY [Interview ②]

-Continued from Interview Part 1.

-Who was the first person you wanted to share the award news with?

▶Park Han: I think almost all the members would say the same, but it’s my parents. Receiving an award at a major awards ceremony is such an honorable experience that I contacted my parents. They sent me a message congratulating me.

▶Jungwoo: For me, as soon as it ended, my mom sent me a KakaoTalk message saying, ‘Congratulations,’ and I replied, ‘Thank you,’ and that was it.

▶Daisuke: I contacted my parents. More than anything, I wanted to thank POHA (the fandom name). And I think we were able to receive the award thanks to all the staff who helped us. I also wanted to thank them.

-What kind of stimulation did you receive from watching other artists’ performances on site?

▶Cha Woonggi: While watching ATEEZ’s performance, I thought, ‘They’re so cool.’ I totally fell for them. I hope we can show a performance that can fascinate people just as well.

▶JL: I saw the performance of the Filipino group SB19. I had only seen them on TV, but they were amazing. When I was in the Philippines, I always wanted to see them, so it was an honor to see them up close through ‘ACON’.

▶Steven: I’ve met many idol seniors while performing on various stages, but it was my first time seeing actors, so it was amazing and a new experience. What was especially amazing was seeing IU and Park Bo-gum.

▶Park Han: I also really enjoyed the drama ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’, so it was nice to meet them in person.

-Were there any fun behind-the-scenes stories at the time? Did you meet any artists you wanted to see or have any conversations with them?

▶Cha Woonggi: I’m close with the CRAVITY seniors, and I saw them cheering along to our song during our performance. I was touched.

▶Steven: There were two people. I’m close with Allen from CRAVITY; he’s my friend. It was amazing to see my friend acting as an MC in such a cool way. He also cheered me on a lot while MCing. Also, I communicated with SB19 and they were so kind that I felt like I was talking to a friend of 10 years.

-In your acceptance speech, you said, “We will climb higher.” How high do A9 think is high?

▶Cha Woonggi: I hope we can reach the position where we can receive the Grand Prize at ‘AAA’. We will work hard.

▶Zhang Shuaibo: My personal goal is to attend ‘AAA’ again as a complete group. And A9’s goal is to become the best group in the universe.

▶Zhe: My goal is to meet all the POHA around the world. In particular, I hope we can go to each of our members’ hometowns and hold solo concerts. It’s good to receive awards, but I want to become an artist that fans can be proud of no matter where we go.

-You’ve been busy filling a year since your debut. What kind of year was last year?

▶Park Juwon: Looking back on last year, I think it was filled with things to be grateful for. There were many first-time experiences, such as forming a team, debuting, and meeting fans for the first time. Above all, I was even more grateful because it was a year where I realized that we could receive such great love. I think we will be able to climb even higher with this as a stepping stone, and I am even more excited for 2026.

▶JL: I think it was possible not because of us, but thanks to our fans. I want to show you even better and more perfect performances than what we have shown so far. I will work hard.

▶Seo Jungwoo: I was recognized a few times even when I was wearing a mask and hat, and they asked, ‘Are you A9?’ So I said, ‘Thank you,’ and quickly left the place. Even when I go to convenience stores or hamburger restaurants, our song comes on, and my friends and mom often send me videos. It felt amazing.

▶Steven: I only heard our songs on stage or in the practice room, but when I heard it outside, I felt like I became a fan.

▶JL: Even in the Philippines, my friends send me a lot of videos and pictures of me wherever they go, so it feels amazing.

Continued in Interview Part 3.