Rare K-pop duo Flare U gradually tunes into harmony with 'Lovehood'

What comes to mind when you think of a K-pop act is typically a group of four or more young performers singing and dancing in tightly choreographed routines, taking turns in the spotlight that may last only seconds of a song.

Flare U is a rare K-pop duo consisting of member Chuei Li Yu, a 22-year-old from Taiwan and Kang Woo-jin, 19, from Korea. Debuting in May under FNC Entertainment, the pair has been bringing together two distinct personalities to tell a lasting story for fans.

“To be honest, we have very different personalities, raised in different countries and speaking different languages,” said Kang in a roundtable interview at FNC Entertainment in southern Seoul on Wednesday, ahead of the release of the duo’s second EP, “Lovehood.”

In a larger group, he explained, members might sometimes go with the flow. As a duo, however, both could hesitate to voice their ideas when their opinions differed.

“So it would be a lie to say we never fought in the beginning,” he continued candidly. “But as time went on and we had more conversations, I began to recognize when Li Yu was compromising for me, and I did the same for him. That’s how we’re finding harmony with each other.”

The duo is also refining what it can offer on stage as a two-man army.

“Ever since predebut, I used to worry that the stage might look empty, but we’ve realized it doesn’t look empty at all,” Chuei said, adding that they have turned their small lineup into a strength, highlighting their individual charms.

“Because there are only two of us, we can show more diverse sides of ourselves. With our backup dancers, who really help us stand out onstage, we’re creating a cool tableau.”

“Lovehood,” set to release at 6 p.m. Wednesday, features six songs: the lead track “Bloom,” and B-sides, “Hundred Nights,” “False Alarm,” “Madly in Love,” “Window View” and “Never Ever.”

“Bloom” is a gentle synth-pop single where the instruments build into a surging sound, with lyrics about precious memories of love, expanding the theme of young romance from its debut track, “Way 2 U.”

“Our debut track, ‘Way 2 U,’ was about romance and young love with a female lead appearing in the music video,” noted Kang. “This time, the song and the album are still about love, but I think we can branch out into many directions.”

Such love can extend to family and friends, encompassing not only excitement but also nostalgia and heavier emotions, according to Kang.

With youth remaining central to Flare U’s songs, Chuei sees being young as a mindset.

“If you have a goal in mind and the passion to pursue it, I think that makes you young,” he said.

Flare U debuted with its first EP, “Youth Error,” in May, about eight months after Mnet’s audition program “Boys II Planet” (2025) concluded. Both Kang and Chuei competed in the program, with the former finishing in 16th place and the latter 10th place, narrowly missing the roster for the resulting group Alpha Drive One.

In the moments of uncertainty and struggle before and after competing in the program, Kang said he reached out to adults in his life for advice and tried to remind himself of why he started to pursue music.

“When I watch the videos of artists I look up to, they remind me of why I began on this path,” he said, adding that fans are the driving force behind everything, describing Flare U as “a team created for fans.”

Chuei, who moved far from home at a young age to pursue his dream of becoming a K-pop idol in Korea, also recalled moments when he considered giving up.

“When I thought I might not be able to do what I wanted, I got the chance to appear on the show [‘Boys II Planet’]. Then I didn’t make it, which felt at the time like being wounded twice,” he said. “When I thought there wasn’t much left I could do, I got lucky again and had the chance to debut.”

Now, Chuei and Kang want Flare U to tell their own stories about small things as two young people that might bring listeners comfort in their daily lives. The members proposed presenting themselves as a comforting presence, an idea reflected in an animated trailer depicting them as fairies bringing comfort to people in everyday moments.

“Our long-term goal, eventually, is to become artists who can bring others comfort, like many other senior artists who have been on this path before us,” said Kang.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [[email protected]]