Noel Opens Up About Late Jang Jae-won: "I Grew Up Loved... But Shut Myself Off"

Confessing to Family Estrangement: "I Shut Myself Off Until I Was 19"
Sharing Stories of Family Support Despite Opposition to His Rap Career

Rapper Noel (real name Jang Yong-jun) candidly reflected on his relationship with his parents and openly shared his past regrets. Appearing recently on the YouTube channel 'SPNS TV,' Noel calmly discussed his personality during his school days, how he started music, and the sense of distance he felt with his family. He is the son of the late Jang Jae-won, former member of the People Power Party.

On the morning of the 4th, around April, at the funeral hall of Haeundae Paik Hospital in Haeundae District, Busan, where the funeral ceremony for the late former National Assembly member Jang Je-won was held, his son Noel bowed his head in front of his father's portrait, deeply immersed in grief. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Noel recalled his childhood, saying, "I didn't like hanging out with kids my age, and I had a strong rebellious streak against authority," adding, "I think I used to look at the world with a bit of a twist." He continued, "What I feel most sorry about toward my parents is that I actually grew up well, receiving plenty of love and going on many trips when I was young."

He also confessed that his relationship with his family became distant after he got into music. He said, "After listening to music like E Sens's 'Poison,' I started to develop a sense of victimhood about my family," and added, "I shut myself off from my family until I was 19, erasing the good memories."

Regarding what changed his relationship with his father, he recalled, "When I first made a lot of money at 19, I told my father, 'I didn't know how lonely it was for a man to earn money. I'm sorry.' After that, we started having real conversations." He also shared how his family reacted to his career as a rapper. Noel explained, "Both my maternal and paternal families valued academics and professional careers, and I was the first to take a different path. They tried to dissuade me, but they never said anything to hurt my self-esteem." He especially remembered his paternal grandfather often telling him, "You are a deep-hearted child." As for his current relationship with his family, he said, "I started attending family gatherings since last year, but I still don't meet my father's side of the family very often."

Meanwhile, Noel first became known to the public in 2017 through Mnet's 'High School Rapper,' but later caused controversy and served time for drunk driving and driving without a license. His father, former lawmaker Jang Jae-won, was found dead in an officetel in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, on March 31.