The Beginning of K-Pop: Seo Taiji and Boys

Seo Taiji and Boys’ syndrome began on April 11, 1992, a few weeks after releasing their first album, when they came out on the famous talent show with their title song <I Know>. Their appearance marked the beginning of K-Pop.

Seo Taiji and Boys 서태지와 아이들

Seo Taeji (서태지)

– Leader
– Vocal
– Directed overall production of their albums

Yang Hyun-suk (양현석) and Lee Juno (이주노)

– sub vocals
– choreographers

Previously, popular music was for the 20s and 30s (and older). However, Seo Taiji and Boys’ emergence has turned the industry on its head.

They are the first to popularize dance and rap to the Korean music industry and the first to have something similar to today’s fandom.

From their third album, they began to have a great social and cultural impact as they wrote songs on societal issues. Seo Taiji acquired a nickname “Culture President” from then on.

Surprisingly, their emergence lasted only for 4 years. In 1996, after releasing 4 albums, they disbanded and said, “We’ve shown everything we can.”

What happened then?

Well, not only fans but the whole nation was shocked. The fans protested in front of the agency and the members’ houses, opposing the group’s disbandment.

Recommended songs

• 난 알아요 (I Know)
• 교실 이데아 (Classroom Idea)
• Come Back Home
• 너에게 (To You)
• 환상 속의 그대 (You In My Fantasy)

Where are they now?

Seo Taiji turned his eyes to hardcore funk and alternative rock. He continued performing until 2017. He is now married to an actress and doesn’t show up in the media often.

Yang Hyun-suk established YG Entertainment and raised incredible K-Pop bands, including BigBang, 2NE1, Blackpink, and more. He resigned from his CEO position in 2019. He is now involved in illegal issues and visits the court occasionally.

Lee Juno also established an entertainment company and continued his solo career but they didn’t work out well. He’s also known to be involved in fraud and assault.