SeeYa, the three-member female vocal group that dominated Korea’s pop scene in the 2000s (Nam Gyuri, Kim Yeonji, Lee Boram), has returned after a long wait. They pre-released their new single "Even So, We" on the 30th, marking a reunion after 15 years. The timing carries extra weight: this year is their 20th anniversary.
At a recent meet-up in a Seoul café, the members said, “When the three of us gathered in the recording studio, we cried and felt a rush of emotions,” adding that the time apart helped them better understand one another.
SeeYa debuted in 2006 as a trio and, until their 2011 disbandment, earned huge popularity with hits such as "Scent of a Woman," "Love’s Greeting" and "Shoes." After the breakup, their full-group appearance on JTBC’s Sugarman 3 in 2020 raised hopes for a reunion, but those plans ultimately fell through.
Six years later and on the cusp of their 20th anniversary, the members pushed again for a reunion. While they describe the comeback as serendipitous, they repeatedly credited fans as the driving force. The spark came when Nam Gyuri, preparing a solo event, needed an instrumental track of a SeeYa song and reached out to Lee Boram. From there, the trio coordinated schedules through their agencies and the comeback took shape. Leader Nam Gyuri said, “The comeback flowed naturally. In the end, it felt like our fate to sing together again.” Lee Boram added, “Last year, fans kept asking if we’d reunite for our 20th. We want to share our stories and commitments with them.”
The recording session for the new single—when the three finally reunited—was full of emotion and tears. Kim Yeonji said, “Our three voices still blend beautifully. Together, they became stronger and richer. I was overcome with emotion and cried.”
“This song is our story. We feel we’ve moved past the season of blooming and now must live like a tree. Looking back, those years helped our fruit grow firmer,” Nam Gyuri said.
Above all, the new track is a classic Korean-language ballad steeped in native sentiment. Nam Gyuri noted, “What’s most Korean can be most universal. If people love the song, I believe listeners across countries and generations will embrace it.” She added, “We joked among ourselves about ‘opening the honmun’ and about being called the original ‘kedeheon’—we want to reach younger audiences with our music.”
Meanwhile, SeeYa is preparing an album with the goal of releasing a fifth record. The members said in unison, “If given the chance, we want to stage concerts, do a national tour and perform overseas. If possible, we’d like to keep working together and also pursue individual activities.”
