Amidst light bantering and cheeky teasing, camaraderie shine between Korean bands The Boss and X-5, one of the many examples of senior-junior relationship in the Korean entertainment scene.
The two bands were in town on July 15 to attend Korean Music Wave 2011, this being The Boss' second visit and X-5's maiden trip to Singapore.
Meeting up with the media backstage after their performances, the 10 boys from the same management company were in high spirits, enthused by the fan support they received.
Upon seeing the xinmsn team step into the room, they immediately greeted us with 90-degree bows and synchronized introductions, displaying the well-trained manners of most Korean bands.

The Boss debuted in March 2010 with one Korean mini-album and three Japanese albums under their belt, while X-5 is still considered a rookie group, having only debuted this April.
Korea is known for its strong emphasis on seniority within the society and this is even more prevalent in the entertainment industry. Celebrities caught on camera for using disrespectful language to their seniors have been criticized by ruthless netizens.
When X-5 was questioned on how their seniors treat them, The Boss' Karam purposely put on a serious face and sat in a threatening manner before resuming his bright smile.
X-5's leader Ghun first joked about The Boss not being nice to them, evoking laughter from the other boys. Then he clarified that from the time they were still trainees, they received tips on singing and dancing from the seniors.
He said gratefully, "When we were doing activities in Japan, we received a lot of help and guidance, so we really love them."
However, X-5 member Taefung cheekily added, "Of course they are fierce. They are seniors!"

Considering the youthful image The Boss usually portrays, xinmsn wondered if they are actually more cute than fierce. Ghun quickly answered amidst chuckles, "How can you say that your seniors are cute?"
As for The Boss, leader Mika replied that they are people who practiced singing and dancing together, with Ghun (born in 1989) actually being older than him (born in 1990). Thus, they "are more like friends and brothers", his answer receiving a loud applause.
Who is the naughtiest among the juniors then?
Karam and Injun immediately grabbed Taefung, who was actually standing behind their chairs, by his shirt. He wittily defended himself, "What I do, I learned it from the seniors."
When the bad influence was revealed to be Injun, he protested, "That's not me!"

Korean pop groups usually spend years training for long hours every day, shedding sweat and blood together until they debut, so it is no surprise that The Boss and X-5 share a close friendship despite being in different bands.
On rivalry between the two bands, The Boss frankly replied, "Of course (there is), but we don't think of it as bad animosity. It's more of like if X-5 has more fans, we are going to work harder."
As for jealousy within the band over popularity, Karam's answer of "no such thing" was swiftly shot down by Hyunmin.
He explained, "He's really popular so he doesn't have to worry about that! Personally I do have, even though I am happy to see all the placards. It's a personal motivation though."
It has been a while since we last heard a Korean release from The Boss, with their full group promotion in June last year and unit group Popsicle's promotion this January.
Currently busy on a promo tour in Japan, The Boss urged for fans to wait a little while more and they will return to show a better side of the band.
When the interview concluded, it was another round of bows and loud thank-yous. You have got to hand it to them.
Check out this video of them with English Subtitles! (<- Click me)
Credits: Xinmsn | @dgnasg | AstroMAFIA.com