It was one fine spring day. In the peaceful evening sunlight, I was playing soccer with my first grader son in the park. When I was catching my breath, my cell phone rang. It was from the editorin-chief of the True Peace magazine. I got a mission: interview Daesung Kang. What? Daesung, the member of the idol group, Big Bang? Isn't he the famous singer? Normally, interviewing someone this famous is a job for a real professional journalist even among True Peace reporters. Yet, I headed to church since I was the only one who could come to the church right away to interview Daesung, who was in the church at the moment, and also out of curiosity about the way his mother raised such son. And surely enough, I got to ask him the kind of questions that only moms could ask. I hope this interview will satisfy the curiosities of many moms at Pyungkang Cheil church.




Nice to meet you, Daesung! Since May is Family’s Month and I heard your mother is a great believer, today, I hope to interview you as a "believer" more than as a "singer." What has been your mother like for you since your childhood until now?
Mother has always been the same. She was always in church when I was young, and she still is. My family lives within a 2-minute walking distance from the church. When we moved, what mattered the most was how close the place was from the church. I went to Pyungkang Christian Academy (PCA) (He is a graduate of the 2nd year class), and went to school with my friends from PCA. So my school friends were church friends. After school, I usually hung out at the church.
Since mother was always at the church, too, I played with my friends there. Naturally, my childhoodimage of the church was a like “million-dollar playground.” Even the stairs to Moriah sanctuary was my playground. Back then, there were lots of red sage blossoms in the church and a soccer goal post in the large parking lot. I was very close to church physically and mentally.

So you were raised in the garden of Pyungkang. Didn't you feel bad that your mother spending too much time at the church?
I just felt it was natural because I had seen her like that ever since I was very young.
Back then, I came to church to meet my friends, not to hear the Word. My mother seems to be doing even better today since it must be more difficult for her physically and mentally than before.

Why do you think your mother was so devoted in her life of faith? How would you say your mother influenced your life of faith?
She is like a strong magnet. As I am working in the entertainment world, it is easy for me to get side-tracked in life of faith. That’s when my mother pulls me back on track.

How does your mother bring you back on track? How do you two spiritually communicate with each other?
She just leaves me alone. But, since she raised me within the church, I feel pressured when I see her always working and serving in the church. I feel more so because now I know the importance of going to church and the loss of not going. In fact, I’m not very good at keeping in touch with my family, because I am not as easy going with them. So, my mother pulls me with this silent and invisible spiritual magnet.
I am not a great believer as seen by our church members. My faith is weak and shaken all the time. And my mother holds me every time I fail. That makes her presence all the more important.

What kind of son are you to your mother?
I think I have been a trouble-maker all the time. When I was young, I did not listen to her and did not study hard.

How did your mother discipline you when you were young?
She beat me! I got beaten a lot with a rod. (Interviewer’s note: This was the question I was the most curious, and I couldn’t help but to smile when he answered with the word “rod.” I thought, “I shouldn’t spare the rod for my son to raise him like you.”)



Yet, you didn’t resent such disciplining?
I just couldn’t. Because she scolded me so strictly, if I didn’t get back on right track, my bones would probably have been dislocated. (At this point, both of us were laughing?one was looking back at his past, the other planning her child’s future.) And there were so many restrictions for me compared to my friends?including going to game arcades or PC room.
When I decided to pursue music, I was met with a strong opposition from my family. I got scolded a lot at that time. I was almost neglected my family.

Today, you are a successful son. Why do you think you are still a trouble maker for your mother?
My mother does not see me in that way. She sees me from a spiritual perspective, not from social perspective.

Then, what kind of son do you want to be in the future?
I want to be a trustworthy son, of whom she can be proud in all aspects.

How have you honored your parents?
Oh, please ask my mother. Undutiful son must cry at this question. From when I was young, I have always been a headache to my parents. Unlike me, my sister was always a good student and a good daughter. I thought it was her role to please my parents. Actually, I couldn’t answer the question because I am still not sure what honoring parents means. It seems to me the basics of honoring parents are making them feel happy because of me.

Have you been staying overseas? I haven’t seen you recently in the choir during the third service on the Lord’s Day.
I was in Japan this year. While I am in Korea, I come to church on the Lord’s Day. I attend the second (11am) and third service (2pm). Sometimes I even make it to the fourth service. I gain strength by praying at the Young Adult services on Saturdays and the main services on the Lord’s Days.

How has this year been for you, Daesung, as a member of Big Bang?
This is the first year for the release of my solo album. It is a Japanese album, so I work in Japan. At first, I worried a lot, but I got a lot of favorable responses and had opportunities to open concerts as well. I was initially planning on having only four concerts, but twenty-one more concerts have been added, all of which will take about two months. Currently, each member works on his own things, but at the end of this year, we will go on a year-long world tour with Big Bang's album. I try to serve as best as I could with the talents God has given me.

You will get even busier then. What was your new year’s resolution in the life of faith? And how have you accomplished it so far?
My all-time resolution is to evangelize by making the most out of the benefits in my profession?“If I set a good example, people who didn’t know me would recognize me.” A more specific goal for this year is to remember what I have learned from the first six books of the History of Redemption series, and to finish reading the seventh book.

It has been about a year and half since we last interviewed you. How have you changed since then?
I’m receiving undeserved love from even more church members and fans. That makes me feel greater sense of duty. Nothing much has changed inside of me, yet the power that surrounds me seems to have gotten stronger. It is true that my faith weakened while I was in the overseas for two years. Preparing for my solo album and concerts, I was so stressed out that I wanted to quit everything and run away. However, now everything has worked out well. I am thankful and doing well. Although people say I look tired, I feel great. I love working, and I love receiving the Word of God.

Do you have any particular Word that you keep in mind at all times?
You know how our senior pastor scolds us often: “Why don’t you believe what you have prayed for?” “It doesn’t happen because you don’t believe!” That message holds true all the time. I ask myself about what I am praying for and how much I believe that prayer will come true.

What is your prayer today?
It is about the remaining twenty-one concerts in Japan. Also, since I’ve come to church after a long while, I feel a bit disheveled somehow. So I pray that my faith will keep growing while enjoying everything in church life without feeling any foreignness. Although I lack in many ways, the talent I received from God is my voice. So, although I am focused on my work right now, I believe that the experiences I gain will someday help me serve to please Father through music.




The day I was interviewing Daesung at a church restaurant, his mother stopped by to say goodbye to him.
She was on her way to her evening class at the church seminary. I asked a quick question: What kind of son is Daesung? She answered, “Son of PyungKang and work of Father.” And she disappeared. She seemed busier than her son.

What kind of mother would you say you are to your children?
I raised my kids so strictly that people around me often said, “You must be their stepmom.” An old lady in my neighborhood once said, “You forgive your children ten times if they do bad things ten times.” But, I remembered Job’s prayers. He made atonement sacrifice for his children for the sins they might have committed unknowingly. I worried about the things my children did when they are not under my watch. People say that if you look at children you can know about their parents. So when my children were younger, if they did something wrong, I made them to stare at the wall with their arms raised up for 30 minutes to think over what they have done wrong. After the punishment, I hugged them and made sure to tell them that I scolded them not because I hated them.

Daesung said he was so severely scolded that he could never deviate when he was a kid.
I think parents have to teach their children until they enter elementary school. When we were little, we couldn’t even dare to step on parents’ pillows. And because I was taught that way, I taught my children the same: when visiting your friend’s house, bow to their parents; don’t go into their parents’ room; put shoes in order when you leave the house. I nagged at them a lot. Once they passed the first grade, the “rod” was no longer needed. One day, I was talking with Daesung and his sister, and Daesung said, “Is the rod still necessary? We needed it until now because we did not understand mother’s heart, but I think we no longer need it.” Ever since then, we only kept the rod where it was visible, but never used it.

What kind of son was Daesung when he was younger?
He was very obedient. I never heard him say, “I won’t,” or “I can’t.” He strongly believed in protecting women and was very considerate of others. Particularly whenever we went to grocery stores, he insisted on carrying the bags since he was man. He thought women need to be protected. About his school life? Daesung’s sister is a perfectionist and cried over the questions she missed. However, Daesung never studied at home. He always said, “Mom, why do I need to study at home when I already studied at school?” But he received fairly good grades on his tests. When he was in third grade, his teacher advised him to become a comedian. To me, he was introvert, but at school he had many friends and showed many talents and tricks. On Saturdays, five kids including his cousins gathered at our house to go to church the next day. Every Saturday night, they would burst out laughter and say Daesung was so funny. Looking back, I may have suppressed him too much. Yet, we did have a lot of conversations together. Even when one of us was in the bathroom, we kept the door open and kept talking.

Daesung is now a celebrity. Did you see it coming?
He is surely Father’s work. Before having him, I received his name from the senior pastor. I prayed every dawn for him to become a child that will be used by Father God. I never considered him as my own child. I prayed secretly each morning, “Father, I leave all my children to you. Please take care of them and use them to Your heart’s desire.” Daesung started studying music when he was in ninth or tenth grade. One day he sent me a text message: “I won the first prize in the school talent show,” “Mom, I have an audition at YG. Please pray for me.” I answered, “If you are not going to quit in the middle, I will pray for you. Do as you wish.” His strength is that once he sets a goal, he presses on until the end and doesn’t give up easily. I asked Daesung’s sister over the phone, “What kind of company is YG anyway?” and she told me that it was a very famous agency and that they recruit singers based on their talent. Daesung never learned music professionally. However, when I told the senior pastor that he wanted to be a singer, he said then to become the world’s best singer. On the day his sister joined the army (She is currently serving in the army as an officer), I cried at Young-deung-po station?not because I was sad she was leaving, but because I was grateful to Father that He answered my prayers.



How do you teach your children on money and offering?
After praying, I tell my children about things that go on in the church. When they agree with me and say they would give offering, I feel thrilled to become one with my children in faith. Then I thank Father. They are my children, but they have oneon-one relationship with God. I am sure they have also given offering which I do not know of.
I don’t get involved with how they manage money. Daesung is by nature very thrift and doesn’t spend much. When my children were little, we were very poor. Such hardship was our blessing. Only after their shoes wear out, I bought them a new pair. I still don’t buy clothes at department stores. We respect each other’s space. When there is a Big Bang World Tour, some moms go along with Big Bang members. However, I say “no” to my son’s request. I tell him that because I have an important duty in the church and cannot miss the Lord’s Day service, I cannot go with him, although I feel bad. But, I just can’t imagine myself traveling around the world like that all the time.

What kind of important duties do you have at the church? (We both burst out laughter.) What is your schedule like?
Working in Martha Restaurant is an important duty. I don’t do much work in church.
I attend cell group leaders’ Bible study on Mondays, seminary classes in the evenings, and services on Wednesdays and Thursdays, prepare food ingredients on Thursdays, prepare food for weddings on Saturdays, and work in Martha Restaurant on the Lord’s days. I am at church every day. I go home just to sleep. But I do clean up the house before leaving, because I can’t make an excuse of leaving it messy in order to serve at church.
Once a week, I go to Daesung’s place to do the laundry and cook. When I see him reading the History of Redemption series in his bed, I can’t help but smile.

How do you feel to see your son fully grown up?
I am very proud of him for having growing up in faith. I am grateful that he has become my colleague in faith. I am also always sorry to him. My wish is that my children would grow to pass down their faith to their children. My job will end there. I always tell them, “I will pray for your marriage. I hope you will marry upon the foundation of my prayers. If you do not marry in faith, I’ll remove your name from our genealogy.” Ha ha.



After meeting the mother, I got to understand the son even better. The first impression of Daesung’s mother was that she was very bright. I’ve only heard of her as a woman who always quietly serves in church, but she was more beautiful than I expected. Toward the end of the interview, however, I could not help but notice her two hands. Throughout our talk, she had said modestly in a low voice, “I don’t do all the kitchen work. I don’t do much. I just help.” However, her left hand was all swollen up. I then also remembered someone telling me that she couldn’t do much kitchen work these days, because her feet hurt. She has sores between her toes from wearing rubber work boots all the time; so she needs to put cloth in between her toes. Her hand is so swollen that she needs to wrap her wrist up with vinyl when she works. What a great faith Daesung’s mother has! Who would think she is a mother of Daesung, a member of popular Big Bang? I pictured the son in whom his mother’s faith has been infused. They resemble each other.

By reporter Kang Myung-Sun