Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) invited singer and DJ Dal Su-bin, formerly of the group Dal Shabet, as the speaker for its 670th Thursday Special Lecture, held on the afternoon of Thursday, September 17, in the Academic Conference Hall. Dal Su-bin, who debuted as a member of Dal Shabet in 2011, has worked as a singer, actress, and TV personality, and is currently active as a singer-songwriter and DJ who writes her own lyrics and music and participates in album production. On this day, under the theme “Practicing to Become an ‘IDOL’—How to Become the Person I Want to Be, Rather Than Someone Else’s Idol,” Dal Su-bin spoke about the process of breaking free from others’ expectations and judgments to discover the direction she wants her life to take and how to sustain that path.
 
Dal Su-bin began by reinterpreting the term “idol” not simply as a celebrity loved by the public, but as a process of shaping the version of herself she aspires to become. Sharing her journey—from dreaming of becoming a singer as a child and auditioning, to living alone in Seoul at age 15, training as a trainee, and eventually debuting as a member of Dal Shabet—she emphasized, “A dream doesn’t simply mean having a certain job or becoming a certain person,” stressing that the process of reflecting on what one truly wants is a crucial starting point for determining one’s life’s direction.
 
She then candidly shared the inner conflict she experienced during her time as an idol, torn between the image of “Dal Shabet’s Subin” that the public and her agency wanted and the image of “Park Subin” that she truly desired. She explained that while performing in accordance with the persona demanded by broadcasts and stages, it was difficult to discern what she truly wanted; subsequently, she began creating her own music by writing her own lyrics and composing her own songs, as well as producing albums and music videos. Although she faced practical constraints and setbacks along the way, she explained that through the experience of creating music for herself—rather than to meet others’ expectations—she came to understand her own longings and shortcomings and discovered why she must continue making music.
 
In the latter part of her lecture, she emphasized the importance of “passionate goals” for sustaining the life she desires. She stressed that one shouldn’t stop at simply finding what they love but must constantly ask why they want it, and set goals that can be sustained without giving up easily. In particular, she explained, “When I was an idol, I was the protagonist, but when I’m a DJ, you are the protagonists,” noting that while she has experienced different stages, her focus on the music she loves remains consistent. Finally, she encouraged the students by saying that while balance and compromise may be necessary in relationships with others, the process of discovering who you truly are must be pursued to the very end, adding, “Those who know how to be happy will ultimately be able to stay happy in the future.”
 
Kookmin University’s Thursday Special Lectures—the first and longest-running regular lecture series at a Korean university to feature weekly guest speakers—have hosted approximately 670 speakers from various fields, including politics, society, science, and the arts, over the past 30 years. Notable figures who have taken the podium include former President Roh Moo-hyun, Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan, author Ryu Si-min, film director Park Chan-wook, National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun, and U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark William Lippert.