At an agency studio in southern Seoul, three of the five members of South Korean pop group F.T. Island are waiting; the missing two are still at the doctor. Of those present, bassist Lee Jae Jin looks at this writer with a curious grin but becomes alert when our eyes meet. Guitarist and so-called leader Choi Jong Hoon and vocalist Lee Hong Ki are enjoying the small break in their schedule by jamming on acoustic guitars and sitting quietly as a hair and make-up crew finish styling them.
Their faces are mostly inexpressive, perhaps due to a 20-hour-a-day routine that began when their newest EP, "Grown Up," was released earlier this month. When drummer Choi Min Hwan and guitarist Song Seung Hyun finally join the group, they all seem to relax by cracking jokes about each other's pet peeves or latest love interests.
"I didn't even know singers needed to go to a throat doctor until (an older singer) told me," says Lee Hong Ki, 22, stressing both his inexperience and his expectation of a long career. "Our range of music is expanding. As a band, we've reached our comfort level."