K-Pop Star Hunt 3 winner quits school for dream

SINGAPORE - Taiwanese Andy Su, 15, quit school in October last year to pursue his dream of becoming a K-pop star.

And to him, the decision was well worth it when he was crowned the winner of Scoot: K-pop Star Hunt 3 in the finale yesterday.

"Being shortlisted into the top 12 of the competition was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I didn't want to give it up," Su said.

"There were only two options, to quit school or to transfer to a school which allowed me to take a few months off. After my parents' consent, I dropped out of school."

The contestant was clearly the crowd favourite as he garnered the loudest cheers from the more than 1,000 audience members who had gathered at Suntec City. He put up a high-energy sing, rap and dance routine to K-pop superstar G-Dragon's hits Michigo and Crayon.

The judges, who were impressed by him, explained why he stood out among the top four finalists.

Mr Han Seong Ho, CEO of FNC Entertainment, said: "Andy has a lot of potential and he knows how to showcase his talents well on stage."

K-pop boy band FT Island member Lee Jae Jin added: "His dance was very powerful and he had so many supporters. There was a lot of strength and emotions in his performance. It was very good."

Su's mother, who flew in from Taiwan yesterday morning to support her son, was elated that he won the competition.

Housewife Su Mei Jian, 48, told The New Paper: "I'll definitely miss him when he heads to Korea for his training, but I'll give him my utmost support in chasing his dream."

For Su, who was quiet and shy during the interview, winning the competition still felt unreal to him.

He said: "I feel like I am still in a dream. I hope that in the future, I can be the next G-Dragon."

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