K-pop star returns to San Jose, his unlikely childhood home

"When he was about 10 years old, he moved in with his aunt and uncle in San Jose, in the hopes that young Yeonjun could learn English by living in the states. Like any other kid, he enrolled in a local school, making friends and a great deal of formative memories in his two years in the Bay Area. In the years since becoming a household name in Korea, Yeonjun has shared a number of fond stories about living in the bay. When asked by a fan about his days in San Jose, Yeonjun recalled returning home every day from school and riding his Razor RipStik with friends. He also developed a fondness for the snacks that every American middle schooler knows: Lunchables and Hot Cheetos."

"He's only returned a few times since, including a visit in 2022, when Tomorrow X Together played the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. He eschewed a fancy hotel for his modest childhood bedroom, and he filmed a visit to Rolling Hills Middle School in Los Gatos. "It's still the same with minor changes," he mused as he walked around the campus. "This place holds a lot of memories," he said at the time. "It feels like home.""

Yeonjun moved to San Jose around age 10 to live with relatives and learn English, attending a local school and making lasting friendships. He remembers riding a Razor RipStik and enjoying Lunchables and Hot Cheetos during his two years in the Bay Area. After debuting with Tomorrow X Together in 2019 under the same label as BTS, he returned to the region only a few times, including a 2022 visit when the group played San Francisco. He stayed in his childhood bedroom and revisited Rolling Hills Middle School, describing the campus as largely unchanged and homey. On Tuesday, Tomorrow X Together opened the American leg of their world tour at the SAP Center, and Yeonjun described San Jose as a very meaningful place, noting he once attended a concert at the same venue 15 years earlier and that performing there now felt very special.

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