TwoFive – Gwangju’s Hardest-Working Punk Band Turns It Up to Eleven

By Jon Dunbar

Yes, there’s punk in Gwangju. It’s just hard to find sometimes.

After interviewing Dirty Rockhon for the Gwangju News’ January issue (and Monkey Pee Quartet in January 2020), I decided to hit up TwoFive, the City of Light’s hardest-working punk band, for my next interview.

I caught the band last July 23 at Victim Records’ cross-country tour and came away thinking TwoFive stole the show. Bassist Kwon Sunje was a sight to behold as he went through the setlist with maximum gusto, showing more life and passion even than the headlining band from Japan. His two bandmates didn’t have trouble keeping up, but nothing could match Kwon’s enthusiasm.

TwoFive is actually quite an old band, with over a decade of experience. If it helps, their Facebook page was created on July 17, 2012.

Originally, they were a five-piece band called Match Point, but the band went through a metamorphosis when Kwon and two other members left for the military in November 2013.

Korea’s military conscription has been a constant source of setbacks for punk bands here, taking away young men for a couple years when they’re in the prime of their youth, right around when they should be going to university, protesting the government, and playing in punk bands.

But Kwon acknowledged the necessity of doing his duty for the country.

“It is important to understand that the reason for the existence of the military is war. Because the Korean Peninsula is under a ceasefire, military service is mandatory,” he said.

He sees military service as a necessary evil in order to prevent the threat of war. “I believe that war cannot coexist with anything,” he said. “War is a cruel act of killing and being killed among innocent people because of the conflicts of adults. The Korean Peninsula needs peaceful reunification, and the mandatory military service system must be abolished. We hope that no more people will die for no reason in wars. We oppose war.”

For the next two years, the band members would occasionally post updates on TwoFive’s social media pages, letting everyone know when they finished basic training and sending holiday messages when they had time off and access to computers. They maintained their musical activities in their respective units by participating in military bands, church choirs, music clubs, and so on.

In September 2015, the band ended its nearly two-year hiatus with a show, but they also announced two members weren’t coming back. “Fortunately, they are two of the ugliest members, so it won’t affect our activities,” the band added in an online announcement.

Both members had decided to pursue careers in the military.

Kwon explained to the Gwangju News, “The reason they made that decision is because it was difficult to have a stable life solely from the income generated by their band activities. They gave up their dream and chose a financially stable life.”

In October 2016, the three remaining members of Match Point decided it was time for a name change.

“The reason for changing the band name was that the words ‘Match Point’ were too common, making it difficult for album releases and online activities to be easily searchable,” Kwon explained.

That’s when they came up with TwoFive, a salute to their former bandmates. “The combination of the numbers two and five represents the memory of when we initially formed as a five-piece band, even though two members have since departed,” said Kwon, who has also been a member of another local band, The Nap.

He’s joined by guitarist Park Tae-min, also a member of Accelerando, and drummer Yang Ji-yeon, also in the bands Flight No. 8 and Heavy Gauge.

They’d released two albums as Match Point, I do not want to exactly and Repressed Freedom. Since becoming TwoFive, they released the single “What Is At The End Of The Universe?” in August 2020 and the five-song EP It Was Good That Day shortly after.

Over the years, Gwangju has seen a handful of punk bands come and go. Meanwhile, the people remaining in the scene are getting older.

“It is true that many punk bands in Gwangju have disbanded or disappeared compared to the past,” Kwon said. “However, it is foolish to judge whether the scene is growing or aging based on this fact. Whether active or inactive, we always communicate and support each other and live on. The value of punk as an existence remains unchanged, even if friends we used to work with are no longer there.”

TwoFive has become an active promoter of the local scene, and its members communicate with bands across many genres and in many different cities to keep the scene alive and kicking. They organize regular shows branded “Boojik Day” at Club Boojik near Chonnam National University.

“What makes Gwangju’s scene special and unique are the people who represent Gwangju’s punk scene. They are very creative and pursue uniqueness. I think their individuality comes together to create the color of Gwangju’s scene,” Kwon said.

“Gwangju’s punk scene has many great bands, including TwoFive, Dirty Rockhon, Monkey Pee Quartet, Flight No.8, and BettyAss. So, you should follow them and become friends with them. If you’re into punk, we are always ready to be friends.”

The band also joined Victim Records, a label supporting bands across Korea and bringing overseas bands to the country.

They’ll also play IT’S A FEST!, a three-day beach punk festival organized by Seoul-based label World Domination, Inc. at Hanagae Beach on Incheon’s Muui Island from June 16–18. There, Kwon will play an acoustic solo set on the first night, and the whole band will play on Sunday. They’ll be sharing the stage with 22 other acts, including Korean punk legends Crying Nut, Daejeon punk band Burning Hepburn, Malaysian post-punk band Social Circuit, Japan’s Green Eyed Monster, and the French-Korean one-man hardcore band Octopoulpe.

“Among the numerous festivals held in our country, I think IT’S A FEST! is more special than the others,” Kwon said. “It is a festival that should not be missed from the moment it starts until it ends.”

He disclosed that the band is now recording their next album, and after it’s released, they hope to tour nationwide and overseas.

Visit twofive1.bandcamp.com to listen to TwoFive’s music, or follow them at fb.com/BandTWOFIVE or on IG @twofive_official.

The Author

Jon Dunbar is a member of the Gwangju International Center living in Seoul. He contributes the monthly crossword to the Gwangju News. He’s also a council member of Royal Asiatic Society Korea and an independent publisher. He founded the punk zine Broke in Korea in 2005 and published the novel Hongdae Fire in 2020.