For fans familiar with Wheesung's playful image as a performer, it may come as a shock that the 32-year-old South Korean singer is a strict disciplinarian as a producer.

In an appearance reportedly airing Tuesday on the Korean Broadcasting System television game show "1 vs. 100," host Han Seok Joon asked Wheesung about his reputation as a "scary producer."

The successful artist explained that his workhorse attitude in the studio comes from the high expectations he has for the acts he produces.

"It's because I know they can do better," Wheesung said.

He recalled that his tireless perseverance from behind the mixing console when he worked with American-born K-pop singer Ailee paid off big time, when he was producing two chart-topping hits, "Heaven" and the ironically titled, "Singing Got Better."

"You have to sing so that the listener can feel the story within the song, but in Ailee's case, her accent was awkward because she spent many years overseas [in the US]," he said.

"So I ended up making her record the songs for four days in the studio."

Wheesung recalled the 24-year-old pop star being a bit taken aback by his high standards at first.

"Ailee has probably never heard that she is bad at singing in her life," he said. "There are no flaws in her singing ability."

The artist and producer also revealed that his love life has been on hold since he began his mandatory two years of military service in the South Korean army, back in 2011.

"I had my last relationship before I enlisted in the army. If I get a girlfriend I'd like to hold hands with her and walk down the streets," Wheesung said.

In the almost three years since he was actively dating, the singer claims what he wants has changed.

"I used to mostly care about physical appearance," he said. "But now my ideal type is someone who can hold me tight when I'm struggling."