[Sportschosun reporter Kim Jun-seok] Singer Nam Yoo-jung pushed herself hard in preparation for her first WATERBOMB stage, dancing for more than nine hours a day at most. Still, after the performance was released, she could not avoid some harsh criticism.
A recent video uploaded to the YouTube channel "Yuralla" showed Nam Yoo-jung’s preparation process and behind-the-scenes moments for her "Waterbomb Sokcho 2026" stage.
In the video, Nam Yoo-jung focused on choreography practice and body management ahead of the WATERBOMB stage.
Her practice schedule was especially intense. Nam Yoo-jung said, "Last week, I danced for nine and a half hours. I basically dance for five hours a day," adding that she had been continuing high-intensity training.
She also handled her diet through dance. She said, "In the past, I tried to lose weight by starving myself. If you want to lose weight, cardio is the best," and added, "K-pop dance is good for dieting."
But the relentless schedule eventually drained her energy. Nam Yoo-jung admitted, "I kept falling asleep in the car. After practice, I got home, but I don’t even remember how I washed up and fell asleep."
During practice, she also struggled, saying she felt "dizzy even with my eyes closed." Even so, she got back up and continued, saying, "Let’s keep going a little longer."
After such grueling preparation, Nam Yoo-jung took the stage at "Waterbomb Sokcho 2026" in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, on the 22nd of last month. Attention had already been building before the show, as it was her first major solo stage since leaving BB Girls in 2024.
Nam Yoo-jung built her set around remake versions of well-known hits, including Jewelry’s "I Like You," Park Myung-soo’s "Prince of the Sea," and Uhm Jung-hwa’s "Invitation." During "Invitation," she also performed with BtoB’s Lee Min-hyuk, who featured on the track.
However, once the stage video was released online, some reactions were cold. Critics said that despite preparing by dancing for more than nine hours a day, the performance and overall stage quality fell short of expectations.
Some online users expressed disappointment, saying, "Does she not have her own songs?" "I thought she had a different kind of music she wanted to do as a solo artist," "She shined more when she was in a group," and "If this is the case, why did she leave BB Girls?" Others also said the dancing and stage quality did not meet expectations.
On the other hand, some said the atmosphere at the venue was good, and others offered support, saying that since this was her first large-scale solo stage after leaving BB Girls, it was worth watching her new challenge.
For Nam Yoo-jung, this WATERBOMB stage carried even more pressure. Before the performance, she had honestly said that she had never released a solo song even during her group activities, and that standing on stage alone felt "both burdensome and enjoyable."
Nam Yoo-jung debuted in 2016 as a member of Brave Girls and won widespread love in 2021 as part of the group’s viral "Rollin'" comeback. She later continued group activities with BB Girls, then left the team in 2024 and began working on her own as an actress and through individual activities.
narusi@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
