'32-Year-Old' Dawn Says, "It's No Secret"... Hints at Retirement Within 5 Years: "I Want My Name Forgotten Quickly"

[Sportschosun Kim Soo-hyun] Singer Dawn surprised fans by revealing his retirement plans.

On the 30th, the YouTube channel TEO's content series "Salon Drip" featured singer Dawn and NCT's Johnny as guests.

That day, Dawn spoke candidly about everything from the backstory behind his stage name to his retirement plans.

Dawn, whose real name is Kim Hyo-jong, explained, "The company told everyone to choose their own stage names when we debuted." He added, "The Chinese character for 'Hyo' means 'dawn,' so I took the English word 'Dawn' and made it my name."

He went on to say, "At first, I thought I had chosen the wrong name. When I searched my name on portal sites, the word 'Dawn' appeared too often." He laughed as he recalled, "Even if an article only had a phrase like 'prices had gone up,' my name would quickly get pushed aside by other keywords."

But his view changed over time. Dawn said, "Later on, I actually liked it," and when Jang Do-yeon asked why, he replied, "I like that my name disappears quickly."

He also shared his honest feelings, saying, "When I retire from the entertainment industry, I actually want to be forgotten quickly."

In particular, Dawn surprised everyone by saying, "It's no secret. I'm thinking about retiring within five years."

Just five minutes into the conversation, Dawn mentioned his retirement plans, leaving Jang Do-yeon flustered as she asked, "Why are you talking about something so heavy?" Dawn laughed and replied, "I'm thinking about it lightly."

Toward the end, Dawn added, "I might have another dream within five years, too. I always like dreaming up something new. Thinking that way, I also like the idea of my name disappearing quickly."

Meanwhile, Dawn debuted in 2016 as a member of the boy group Pentagon. He later began a public relationship with singer Hyuna in 2018, left the group, and transitioned into a solo career.

Dawn and Hyuna announced their breakup in December 2022. Hyuna later married singer Yong Jun-hyung in 2024.

shyun@sportschosun.com