After two and a half years of recording silence, VERIVERY return to make themselves heard with Lost and Found, a return that has the emotional weight of things held back for too long and finally put back into circulation. The male group under Jellyfish Entertainment returns to the scene with a project that does not seek nostalgic shortcuts, but faces head-on the suspended time of recent years, transforming it into story, tension and renewed identity.
Lost and Found revolves around a key concept in Korean culture: han (한 / 恨). It is not pure anger nor romantic melancholy, and reducing it to a simple emotion would be a cultural error even before a linguistic one. Han is a tension that is deposited over time, a wound that no longer bleeds but continues to pulsate beneath the surface. It arises from loss, from the injustice suffered, from the impossibility of changing the course of events and, precisely for this reason, it does not explode: it remains, sediments, transforms.
In Korean culture, han is collective and individual emotional memory at the same time, a feeling that is not consumed but reworked, becoming a silent drive, inner resistance, the need for expression. He doesn’t ask for consolation, he asks for a voice. It is what remains when time passes but the weight of things left unsaid, unresolved or granted continues to be felt. In Lost and Found, VERIVERY translate han into musical and visual language, transforming absence and inactivity into narrative matter, and lost time into a creative urgency that demands to be seen and heard.
The return comes at a symbolic moment, shortly after the participation of DONGHEON, GYEHYEON and KANGMIN in the survival BOYS 2 PLANET, which has rekindled attention on a group that had long remained on the margins of the main stream but never really disappeared from the imagination of fans. Lost and Found was also born from here: from the need to reaffirm a presence, to refocus on who VERIVERY are today and why their story still has space in contemporary K-pop.
Active since 2019, VERIVERY is a male group known for a strongly narrative approach and the direct involvement of its members in writing and composing. Their name contains a precise manifesto: “VERI” as truth, “VERY” as intensity, indicating a sincerity taken to the extreme and a constant desire to show themselves without conceptual filters. Over the years they have gone through different artistic phases, experimenting with sounds, aesthetics and narrative structures, until this new chapter which appears more essential, more discovered, almost necessary.
With Lost and Found, VERIVERY don’t ask for attention: they demand it. And they do so by choosing to talk about han, waiting and transformation as integral parts of their artistic identity, in a return that is not just a new beginning, but a declaration of existence.
Panorama spoke to them.
For those who are now approaching your story, can you introduce yourself one by one and tell what role you feel you naturally embody within VERIVERY, on a musical or emotional level?
DONGHEON: Hi, I’m DONGHEON, the anchor and leader of VERIVERY. I’m also the oldest member of the group and usually rely a lot on the younger members, but when there’s something important to deal with I’m the first to step up to resolve any issues.
GYEHYEON: Hi, I’m GYEHYEON and I’m the lead vocalist of VERIVERY. On an emotional level I am a stable and supportive presence, like a calm lake, while musically I participate in various creative processes, including lyrics, composition and choreography.
YEONHO: Hi, I’m YEONHO, main vocalist of VERIVERY! I have an optimistic and positive personality. I like to go with the flow, but within that flow I always try to do my best.
YONGSEUNG: I’m YONGSEUNG, the second youngest and main dancer of VERIVERY. I am in charge of the most powerful performances and energetic vocals in the group, and on an emotional level, I am the one who raises the mood of the team.
KANGMIN: Hi, I’m KANGMIN from VERIVERY! Being the youngest, I usually represent the fresher, more youthful side, both in vibe and voice.
“Lost and Found” marks your first comeback in over two and a half years. When the absence is so long, does the return feel more like a continuation or a reinvention?
YONGSEUNG: I would say both. During the break we improved a lot, and since in this album we could show our growth through new music and new attempts, it might seem like the beginning of a completely new chapter compared to VERIVERY before the break. But if you look at the big picture, it is still part of a path of musical growth that we have always pursued. From this point of view, our story since the debut continues without interruption.
The title track “RED (Beggin’)” has an intense atmosphere and a very strong visual impact. What is the main emotion you wanted to convey upon first listening?
YEONHO: I hope that the central aspect of “RED (Beggin’)”, i.e. desperation, comes across clearly to the listener. This is the first album after a long break, so it would be nice if people thought: “VERIVERY really worked hard for this album” or “They prepared so much during the break” while listening to the title track.
Several members participated in the writing and composition of all three songs. How does personal authorship change the way you interpret a song? Does it make emotions more intense or expectations heavier?
DONGHEON: One of the B-sides of Lost and Found“Cotton Candy (Blame us)”, is a fan song that carries a message that we really wanted to convey to our fans. When we try to send a specific message, like on this album, we participate in the creative process from the beginning to decide what to include in the song and maintain that mentality throughout the journey. This also strengthens our affection for the song and the hope that fans will listen to it.
GYEHYEON: When we work directly on the songs that we will then bring to the stage, we are able to identify with the message of the music much more intensely. We think a lot about how to best convey emotions and which atmospheres enhance our sounds the most, and this helps us to better blend our emotions into music.
The contrast between the songs is evident: the reinterpretation of a great classic in “RED (Beggin’)”, the more experimental mood of “empty” and the warmth dedicated to the fans of “Cotton Candy (Blame us)”. What is the thread that binds these pieces into a single narrative?
YONGSEUNG: I think all three songs reflect what we felt during the break. “RED (Beggin’)” expresses our desperation for the music and the fans, “empty” represents the desire to enjoy the stage, and “Cotton Candy (Blame us)” contains our message to the fans. They are all emotions that we experienced during the break or in the preparation period of the album, so I would say that they are connected by our minds and our hearts.
In the highlight medley, fans were also able to see your reactions to the songs. Was there a moment, in the studio or in production, when you thought: “This comeback will change the way people see VERIVERY”?
KANGMIN: While working on this album I clearly felt how much we have improved as members. Not only in skills, but also in the ability to tackle different genres and sounds in Lost and Found. Seeing this while preparing the album gave me a lot of confidence to show a new side of VERIVERY through this project.
Many K-pop groups explore different concepts, but VERIVERY has built a reputation for conscious transformation. Which part of your identity did you want to protect and which part did you want to break?
DONGHEON: In this album we wanted to highlight our “continuous growth”, showing how much we have improved as artists during the two and a half year break. Taking on new challenges, such as our first use of interpolation in “RED (Beggin’)” or the new sound of “empty”, we wanted to break the more traditional images associated with VERIVERY and propose our musical diversity.
During the break you cultivated a very loyal fan base, also thanks to individual activities and digital content. Did that period without group releases change the way you see your audience today?
GYEHYEON: Our fans have always supported our activities in acting, various content or television appearances, leaving comments on YouTube and social media saying that they missed us and that they missed our stages. Every time we saw them we realized how much they loved us, and this made us feel even more sorry, grateful and affectionate towards them.
A comeback after years can seem like a new start from scratch or an exact pick-up from where everything stopped. What was the mood in the studio: fear, excitement, liberation, or something in between?
KANGMIN: Shortly before the comeback I participated in BOYS II PLANET together with DONGHEON and GYEHYEON. I was very grateful for the love I received through the show, but at the same time I was a little worried about being able to repay it with this comeback. Fortunately, by preparing the album I was able to overcome that worry thanks to the hope of sharing good music with fans and the excitement for the next stages. Now I just think about enjoying the stage with the fans again.
As “creative idols” you are asked not only to perform, but also to create. What’s the hardest part about keeping creativity alive without losing joy, and what motivates you on days when inspiration is slow to arrive?
GYEHYEON: I think the hardest thing is finding a balance between what we want to do and what listeners hope to see, because everyone has different thoughts and standards. However, by maintaining the goal of creating music that everyone can enjoy, I am able to continue to create with joy.
YEONHO: It’s a little challenging to try something new every time. Trends, times and music change, so it’s not easy to keep up without being stuck in one style or genre.
DONGHEON: It’s something we often say: in the end, our main motivation comes from the fans. Let’s expand our creativity by thinking of different ways to convey our love, our gratitude and our messages.
YONGSEUNG: Another motivation is our determination to improve ourselves. When we work on music we talk a lot about how we can grow further, what new sounds and challenges to face.
Looking to the future, what do you hope “Lost and Found” leaves behind, not only for the listener but also for you as individuals and as a group?
DONGHEON: I hope this album will be remembered as the starting point of the “VERIVERY return” for the public. It marks the end of a long break and the beginning of new activities as a group, and it would be nice if people remembered that it all started again from Lost and Found.
KANGMIN: For ourselves, I hope this album leaves you with a new confidence that we can return to promoting as VERIVERY. After such a long break we had a bit of pressure and worry about the comeback, but through this comeback we understood that many fans were waiting for us and that as artists we have grown a lot.
To close, one at a time: if you had to define yourself with just one word, not as an idol or character, but as a person, what would it be and why?
DONGHEON: “First snow”, because now it’s winter and I love winter very much. I hope I can approach everyone with enthusiasm, like the feeling of the first snow, and I hope you stay warm this winter.
GYEHYEON: I would choose “challenge”. I used to be afraid of challenges, but recently I’ve realized how wonderful it is to face them without fear of failure. Now I want to be a person who tries everything.
YEONHO: “Simple”. I don’t like things that are too stimulating. For example, I prefer long content to short content, and I want to live life slowly, seeking beauty in calm.
YONGSEUNG: I would say “calm”, because I am generally a calm, logical and analytical person. I believe I can do everything better from a relaxed mind.
KANGMIN: “Youth”, because I am 23 years old, the age of dedication to youth.
