RESCENE's Minami. [Yonhap]
RESCENE's Minami. [Yonhap]

RESCENE member Minami has revealed that her Japanese friends mocked her over her gyaru image.

Minami appeared on MBC variety program "Radio Star" on Wednesday alongside Lee Hyung-taek, Lee Hye-jeong and Jo Jun-ho.

During the show, host Kim Gu-ra brought up the topic, saying he had heard Minami was being "ridiculed" by people in Japan.

In response, Minami said her Japanese friends had reached out to tease her, asking, "You've been getting popular lately — are you suddenly doing gyaru now?"

She went on to say that when she had told her friends back in Japan she was going to audition to become a K-pop idol, they were shocked to see her appear in a gyaru look.

"Gyaru" is a Japanese pronunciation of the English word "girl" and refers to women who adopt a bold, distinctive fashion and makeup style. The subculture was popular among Japanese youth in the 1990s and 2000s.

Minami then shared how desperate she had felt at the time, recalling that her friends had said, "Are you crazy?" — to which she had replied, "I have to do something like this to stand out."

RESCENE had gone largely unnoticed for two years after its debut before Minami's gyaru concept and the "Geoje Yaho" meme went viral on YouTube.

Minami said she had never encountered gyaru culture while living in Japan and had first gotten into it after coming to Korea, explaining why her friends were so surprised.

Her mother also played a role in shaping the gyaru concept.

Minami said her mother had taught her a great deal as she developed her content, adding that her mother even gives her tips on eyeliner technique — a remark that drew laughter from the studio.

The show also touched on her catchphrase "Geoje Yaho." Minami said fans request it so often that she shouts it about 30 times a day, and explained that "yaho" is a casual, friendly greeting used in Japan.

She then declared that she felt she had done "yaho" enough and would shout it one last time on Thursday's show before "graduating" from the phrase — prompting fellow panelist Yoo Se-yoon to intervene, saying, "Don't graduate from 'yaho.' I'm still doing my gelada baboon bit," drawing more laughter.


choigo@heraldcorp.com