[INTERVIEW] WONHO lets CORE do the talking

K-pop icon and soloist WONHO has never been afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, but with his newest project CORE, he’s inviting listeners even deeper into his world. Blending raw emotion with powerful pop, the seven-track EP captures an artist embracing vulnerability without losing the confidence that has defined his career. To celebrate the release, we caught up with WONHO to talk about the stories behind CORE, the song that surprised him the most, the special nod to WENEE hidden within the album, and why some songs only become more meaningful as time goes on.

Congratulations on the new release! – CORE is such a personal and emotional record. Was there a moment during the writing or recording process where you surprised yourself by being more vulnerable than you expected?

From the very beginning of this album, I knew I didn’t want to hide anything. I wanted to share my honest thoughts and everyday experiences just as they are. As I worked on the songs, so many emotions came out naturally. There were moments when my exact thoughts found their way into the lyrics, and I caught myself thinking, “Ah, so this is how I was really feeling.” That’s why CORE feels like the most honest representation of who I am right now.

Is there a lyric or song that you almost didn’t include because it felt too honest?

Not really. I never hesitated to include something just because it was too honest. I don’t think there’s any part of myself that I wouldn’t want to share with my fans.

CORE feels like it tells one complete story. Did you decide the track order early on, or did arranging the songs into the final emotional journey take a lot of experimenting?

I started with a clear vision, but as each song came together, the direction evolved a little. I rearranged the tracklist several times until it felt like the most natural flow. I wanted the album to feel like one continuous story from beginning to end.

Which song from the EP surprised you the most once it was finished compared to how you originally imagined it?

I think it has to be “Don’t Wake Me Up!” It went through so many revisions before reaching its final version, so it ended up changing the most from what I originally imagined.

Looking at the seven tracks, which one do you think reveals something about you that fans have never seen or heard before?
It would definitely be “Don’t Wake Me Up!” It has a completely different atmosphere from anything I’ve shown before, and it brings out a new side of me as a performer as well.

Which song on CORE do you think will have a completely different meaning for you five years from now?
I think it will be “Promises.” As time passes, even the same lyrics can take on a completely different meaning. I feel like this is the kind of song that will continue to bring out new emotions as the years go by.

“Don’t Wake Me Up!” explores the idea of escaping into a fantasy. When life gets overwhelming, what’s something simple in the real world that helps bring you peace?

Whether it’s working out, listening to music, or simply resting without thinking about anything, those moments give me a lot of strength. More than anything, though, meeting my fans brings me the greatest comfort. They give me so much love, and they’ll always be my biggest source of energy.

Have WENEE ever inspired a lyric, concept, or performance in a way they might not even realize?

My fans were naturally on my mind throughout the entire process, and I think you can feel their presence across all of the songs. One example is the lyric in “Summer Blue” that says, “3am, deep in the night I wrote this song.” Since my birthday is March 1, my fans like to call 3:01 “Wonho’s O’Clock.” Keeping that in mind while writing the lyrics made the song feel even more personal and connected to them.

Imagine WENEE find this album 20 years from now. What’s one feeling or message you hope still feels timeless, even after all that time?

I hope their first thought is, “What a masterpiece.” Haha, I’m kidding. But honestly, I hope that whenever people listen to this album, it brings back memories of that summer and all the moments we shared together.

Would you like to leave a special message to WENEE?

Thank you for waiting for me all this time. I hope you listen to CORE from beginning to end and experience every emotion I poured into it. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your endless love and support. I hope we can make lots of happy and unforgettable memories together during this comeback.

After speaking with WONHO, it’s easy to see why CORE feels so personal. Rather than chasing perfection, the singer sets out to capture exactly where he is in this moment and that’s what makes the EP resonate. As this new era begins, CORE feels less like a destination and more like the start of an exciting new chapter, one that WENEE will undoubtedly be right there to experience alongside him. We thank WONHO for his time. Don’t forget to stream CORE right here: