Name – Vernon -버논
Birth Name – Hansol Vernon Chwe
D.O.B – February 18, 1998
Unit – Hip-Hop Unit
Position – Lead Rapper
Nickname – Mr. Headphones, Peacekeeper
Height – 175 cm
Home Town – New York, U.S.A
Vernon or Hansol is the only member of Seventeen who has one Caucasian parent. He was born in New York but moved to Korea when he was 5 years-old. His father is Korean and his mother is American this means he has more western compared with the others. Despite being incredibly young, Vernon has a wise head on his shoulders. On stage, Vernon is full of attitude and ‘swagger’ but behind closed doors and when confronted with a camera he can be a little more shy and reserved. A very valued member of the team, the very young Vernon is currently the Lead Rapper and proves his worth time and time again rapping in both English and Korean. He’s also a very capable dancer with a very natural sense of rhythm and style.
Now, this isn’t something you’d spot from just the M/Vs but my personal favourite thing about Vernon, and the thing that really makes him stand out in my eyes, is his cheerful demeanour and his ability to laugh at himself. Vernon loves to sing though he’s not the greatest singer (Much like myself), he does an incredible impersonation of Seungkwan (check out the ‘part switch’ videos) and he loves his members and loves to laugh. He has a slightly kooky sense of humour and sometimes does things or makes faces that you’re not expecting which adds to the enjoyment. It’s got to be a lot of fun working with this little piece of sunshine.
Picking him out from the crowd
Here’s the fun bit! Anyone who is a fan of k-pop knows that there is simply no point in using a hair style or make up style to try and identify a member as they change them like they change their clothes so I will focus on facial features and give you a quick run down of his outfits from a couple of M/Vs / performances to make it a little easier for you to find this sweet little monkey in future.
Ignoring the fact that Vernon has a more Western appearance, it is actually very easy to pick him out anyway because he has a pretty impossible to ignore stage presence. His facial expressions on stage and in recordings tell you that he not only loves what he does but he is having the best time doing it. A lot of people say he oozes ‘hip hop’ and was probably made to perform, just watching a few performances of his tells me that it is very likely true, and at such a young age too! His parents must be so proud!
Mansae M/V
Now, as the lead rapper, Vernon appears multiple times throughout the Mansae M/V and he is pretty easy to pick out. His hair is fairly long, reaching down to his ears and he wears it parted in the middle framing his face. This hairstyle is a nice throwback to the 90s boybands that dominated the British and American charts when I was a child, a very familiar and comforting look that really highlights just how easily comparable he is with a young Leonardo DiCaprio.
Early in the Mansae M/V Vernon can be seen rapping into an old fashioned microphone that is hanging from the ceiling, he is wearing a black blazer and a white t-shirt and his hair has been given some body and a bit of a wave.
Vernon’s interaction with the object of his affection doesn’t go quite as well as he might have liked, possibly he is a little lacking in experience, seeing as he grabs her when she is walking away and receives very quick retribution.
Throughout the video there are various shots of the boys in a classroom, during the scenes Vernon can be seen wearing a pair of red headphones and ignoring the completely useless attempts of his fellow band mate Wonwoo to win the girl.
He can also be seen with his fellow Hip-Hop unit members rapping in a corridor full of lockers wearing a black jacket and red shirt combination.
And, finally, during the last dance sequence which is filmed on an outdoor basketball court he can be seen sporting a dark jacket, white t-shirt and cream trouser outfit.
Now that we’ve covered Mansae, let’s move on to:
Adore U M/V
In the Adore U M/V Vernon’s trademark wavy hair is slightly longer than with Mansae and is worn with a side parting rather than a middle one. There are three separate dance sequences in this video, all of which present the boys wearing all white but it is a little different in each scene.
During one sequence which has been shot in what looks like a sterile classroom or practice room, Vernon can be spotted in the background wearing a white long sleeved shirt over a white t-shirt styled like a lab coat with a name badge, similar to the others.
In the second dance sequence the boys are dancing on a large expanse of white with a pink hue. During this Vernon wears a slightly overlarge white t-shirt and a pair of shorts, he is the only member wearing red shoes so he’s fairly easy to pick out.
During the third sequence the group dances and sings in a simulated cloud setting, during this Vernon can be seen rapping alongside his leader S.Coups wearing a tailored white jacket and round necked t-shirt.
Now, before you start thinking ‘this is going to be impossible if they’re always just in white’ I can assure you that isn’t always the case! Towards the beginning of the video there is a clip in which Dino and Vernon, the maknae line, get their chance to shine having a cup of tea surrounded by trees.
And he even gets the chance to play with some futuristic style laser effects in these trippy sequences.
So that is Hansol/Vernon, a sweet maknae who is wise beyond his years. I hope this helps you keep your eye on him, just like I will be. I think we can expect great things.
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I’ll leave you with some more of Vernon.
Rui's Hallyu Ramblings 