Korean singer, actress Kim Sejeong talks first full-length album 'Door'

South Korean singer and actress Kim Sejeong released her first full-length album this month titled, "Door".

Kim Sejeong’s big break in the industry came in 2016 when she participated in the first season of competition survival show Produce 101, the show that would later debut project groups Wanna One, IZ*ONE, and X1.

Sejeong placed second, meaning she would be joining the debut group I.O.I.

The project group experienced quick success in Korea and internationally before their disbandment in 2017, but that wasn’t the last group she would be joining.

During promotions for I.O.I she was added to the lineup for a new group under Jellyfish Entertainment called Gugudan.

Unfortunately, Gugudan officially disbanded in 2020 after a two-year hiatus.

Since her time in I.O.I and Gugudan, Kim Sejeong has been busy with both singing on original soundtracks for Korean dramas, as well as starring in them herself.

In 2022, Sejeong starred in the hit netflix series "Business Proposal", a romantic comedy, and starred in the mystery drama, "The Uncanny Counter" this year, which just aired the finale for their second season. 

Now, with the release of her album "Door", Kim Sejeong is excited for the future of her music career. 

"I'm sure that when others listen to the album, they will understand the amount of effort I put into production of the album. So if you were to ask how much effort I put into this album, I would say I gave it my all," she tells FOX 13.

Sejeong participated in writing the tracks for the album during her two-year music hiatus.

Talking about her favorite tracks, Sejeong says, "..if I were to choose from the track list excluding the title songs, it would be the last track of the album, ‘In the Rain.’ When I was younger, I didn't have a proper space for practicing singing, so I used to practice on the school playground in front of my house. During that time, I couldn't go to the playground as often as I wanted because some people there might feel uncomfortable with me singing. However, on rainy days, I remember having the playground all to myself and practicing as much as I wanted. I really tried to incorporate that memory into the lyrics of this song."

While she was on a music hiatus, she was focused on her acting. 

FOX 13 asked if she would be leaning towards acting or music more in the future. 

"It is my goal to keep the balance between acting and singing. I enjoy working in both fields, and I genuinely feel a strong synergy when I engage in both acting and singing simultaneously. If possible, I want to be active in both fields and even combine acting with singing on stage."

Sejeong will have her first two-day concert in Seoul this week, an event she has been waiting for.

"It's my first concert after COVID-19, so I'm very excited about it. I hope you all are looking forward to it too! I can't go into details, but I'm currently reviewing several scripts and also working on plans for my next album. Stay tuned for my future journey ahead!"