"PenBamRa", an abbreviation for "PENTAGON’s Bam Radio" (bam means night in Korean), is a nightly radio show on EBS FM, hosted by PENTAGON’s ShinWon. Since August 30, 2021, "PenBamRa" has been airing every night from 10 pm to 12 am KST to accompany their listeners as they wind down for the day. Over the last year and a half, ShinWon has rarely had time off because of hosting the show, proving to be a stable presence for his listeners.

The two words that can sum up "PenBamRa" are ‘wisdom’ and ‘weirdness’. This comes down to the host himself.

ShinWon is an interesting character. At first glance, he might seem like the jokester who isn’t afraid to take the initiative to lighten up the mood and make those around him laugh. However, PENTAGON fans (UNIVERSE) know him to be a very conscientious, honest, and loyal person who takes great pride and care in his work. Through his life experiences, he has a deep understanding of people and life and is known to share fragments of his complex mind with fans every now and then. Being candid and straightforward is another one of his charms which comes across well when he hosts "PenBamRa".

When it comes to ShinWon, there lies a sense of joy in the serious side of life and something to reflect on even in the funny or absurd moments. The right balance between being serious and funny is what draws listeners in every night.

Here are some of the wise and weird moments on "PenBamRa".

1. Advice on using anger to your advantage

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Anger is often spoken of with negative connotations but ShinWon has a way of looking at things positively. In the episode from October 18, 2021, the show opens up with messages from listeners stressing over the Suneung (CSAT) exams and sharing their gratitude for ShinWon cheering them on. To motivate them, he offered a few words on how to use an emotion we experience but often want to get rid of to our advantage.

He alluded to the Space Race of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. With Sputnik’s launch in 1957, the U.S. was determined to surpass the Soviet Union in space exploration but wasn’t without experiencing many difficulties along the way. In 1969, the US effectively won the Space Race when man landed on the moon. The driving force behind constantly innovating new ways of exploring space was the tensions and anger between the two countries. Without the tension and anger, there would be nothing propelling them to do better than each other.

In light of this story, ShinWon explains that he didn’t want to simply comfort the listeners who sent in the messages because anger and stress are driving forces in his own life. He also wanted to emphasize that one failure doesn’t mean that your life is over.

2. Being honest about making achievements as an idol

Screenshot from "PenBamRa" Livestream

From the outside, the life of an idol seems exquisite, especially with the impressive list of accolades attached to their names. However, ShinWon opens up about his true feelings associated with the work that goes on behind the scenes. He shared that PENTAGON always puts in their best efforts in preparing for each comeback with the hopes that it will be successful but even after achieving first-place wins with an album, he tends to feel an anti-climactic sense of emptiness in the end. Sometimes they are given compliments by the company and sometimes are criticized for how the comeback period turned out. Either way, after all the effort over a long period of time, it ends so suddenly, leaving him to wander.

The conclusion that ShinWon ends on is that such feelings are temporary. The important thing is to keep persisting because a certain problem will be short-lived and replaced with another. There’s no telling what will happen in the future so he encourages us all to keep going.

They are relatable words of comfort to the listeners who might be tuning in after having a bad day but feeling better knowing their favorite idol empathizes with them.

3. Sharing stories of PENTAGON’s daily life

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Anyone who knows ShinWon knows that he has a deep love for the PENTAGON members. He will take any chance he can get to boast about them or share a funny story. The listeners of the radio show, many of whom are PENTAGON’s fans, never know what story they’ll hear about the group behind the scenes in their daily lives.

One story ShinWon shared was the time when a fellow member, YanAn, brought out his mischievous side and hid ShinWon’s phone. The members had taken a taxi back to their dorms after having dinner. They had gotten out of the taxi and only once the taxi had already gone, ShinWon realized that his phone was missing. He was panicking for ten minutes, worrying about his data that hadn’t been backed up, before they called his phone and heard it vibrating in YanAn’s pocket. YanAn had deliberately hidden it there, waiting to see what panic his mischief would cause.

4. Understanding a poet’s mind with poet, Kim Hyun

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"PenBamRa" has a wide range of guests in their weekly line-up who each bring something different to the episodes. The diverse guests include music critics, writers, and idols. Not only is having a diverse range of guests a good opportunity for listeners to get insight from people of different expertise but it is also a new experience for ShinWon to interact with such knowledgeable people.

One of these people was poet Kim Hyun, who was a regular weekly guest until recently. During their first episode together on November 2, 2021, ShinWon expressed his excitement about talking to a poet for the first time.

In the episode, listeners got to learn about a poet’s deep intuition about people. Just a person’s eyes can tell him a lot about who they are. Even though it was only their first meeting and they were wearing masks on the show, Kim Hyun could tell a lot about what kind of person ShinWon was simply by looking at his eyes.

A listener also sent in a message about their worries regarding making friends and keeping them. Kim Hyun explained that no explicit actions are needed to attract a friend. It can simply be someone’s gaze or being able to read their heart for people to understand what kind of person someone is and want to approach them. He then recited a poem in response to the message.

It was interesting to learn about how a poet’s deep insight and intuition shape how they see the world and inspire their writing.

5. Getting relaxed and casual while on air

"PenBamRa" Livestream Screenshot

"PenBamRa" Livestream Screeshot

"PenBamRa" Livestream Screenshot

Sometimes it’s not what ShinWon says but what he does that makes him the peculiar person that he is. "PenBamRa" has become somewhat of a second home for him. After hosting it for a year and a half, he has become familiar with the procession of the show and comfortable with the staff working there.

During the live radio show, ShinWon is not afraid to lose his idol image and reveal his laidback, casual self. He doesn’t hold himself back when he feels a little crazy or a bit too relaxed and the staff is willing to cooperate by adding funny edits or by simply zooming in on him.

Tune into "PenBamRa" every night from 10 pm to 12 am KST through their YouTube channel, the EBS Bandi app, or catch up on all the episodes on their official home page.