Shinhwa's Hye Sung goes drag

Veteran boy band Shinhwa may be K-pop's longest-lasting male idols, but they happily got rid of that image for variety comedy series Saturday Night Live (SNL) Korea.

The episode, which will air on Channel M (SingTel mio TV Ch 518/StarHub Ch 824) on July 27 at 11pm, features the 15-year-old group as guest stars and shows off the six members' comedic side.

In a standout segment, 33-year-old lead vocalist Shin Hye Sung underwent a shocking transformation by donning a blonde wig, tight-fitting dress and make-up to portray a sexy middle-aged woman for the first time on television.

Surprise

Member Lee Min Woo, 33, told The New Paper in an e-mail interview: "The biggest sacrifice was probably (made by) Hye Sung, who completely surprised fans and viewers by cross-dressing as a lady. He did a fantastic job and we are all extremely proud of him."

Leader Eric Mun, 34, agreed: "The highlight was definitely Hye Sung's segment as it was something that viewers did not expect, given his quiet image."

Besides appearing on SNL Korea, the 90s boy band have also been busy with the release of their new album The Classic.

For the sextet, the secret to staying together boils down to being loyal and considerate.

Mun recalled an incident which touched him, when Jun Jin, 32, sent a bouquet of flowers to each member's parents during Parent's Day in Korea while everyone was caught up with the The Classic.

He said: "Jun Jin put in the effort to do that despite all of us being so busy... This is what real family means."

Member Andy Lee, 32, added: "When my parents received the flowers, they also went, "Gosh, Jun Jin is making up for what (Andy) can't do. He is really like our own child too'."

The ambitious outfit hope to stay on the ever-changing K-pop landscape for a long, long time.

Lee said: "We want to be a group that can accept life's changes and be together even when we're married and reach our forties, even fifties."