There is more to K-pop girl group Sistar than their sizzlingly sexy image. While they were in town on Wednesday to grace the opening of the flagship store of American footwear brand Skechers at Ngee Ann City, their powerhouse vocalist Hyolyn says she would like to be a zookeeper if she were not in show business.
Dasom tells Life that she jumped at the chance to rough it out on an island in the survival reality show Law Of The Jungle.
It is not what you expect of leggy pop starlets who have heated up screens everywhere with the music video of their summer comeback hit Shake It in which they don crop tops and micro shorts while showing off nifty dance moves.
"I really love animals," coos Hyolyn, 24, who is often seen playing with her pet felines on Korean reality TV shows. "Initially, I had only one cat; now I have four cats. I wanted them to have friends to keep one another company because I have a busy schedule."
Looking every bit the damsel in distress during this interview, the genteel Dasom, 22, lights up at the mention of her TV stint on Law Of The Jungle.
On the show airing in South Korea, she is seen battling the elements on Micronesia's island of Yap, alongside co-stars such as actress Park Han Byul and boyband M.I.B member Kangnam. The new season will premiere here on cable TV channel One next month.
"I've always had the fantasy of travelling to an isolated place, a jungle. I really enjoyed filming the TV series," says Dasom, with a glint in her eye.
"The biggest challenge was having to fend off sandflies. The insects even managed to get through my jeans. It was hard getting to sleep."
Sistar have worked their way up the ranks since making their debut in 2010, producing dance hits such as So Cool (2011), Loving U (2012) , Touch My Body (2014) and Shake It (2015). On this year's list of South Korea's 40 most powerful celebrities by Forbes Korea, they came in at No. 10.
Unlike Dasom, the other three members of Sistar sound less keen to go on the show.
Bora, 25, has a fear of water, as she admits to being a horrible swimmer. Soyou, 23, confesses she is terrified of rats. "I can't even watch a video of rats," she says.
Hyolyn is an unabashed creature of comforts, saying: "I'm worried about where I'll have to sleep and wash up."
•Law Of The Jungle premieres on Aug 2 and airs on One (StarHub TV Channel 124, 820 and 823; mioTV Channel 513 and 604) on Sunday at 10.15pm.
