The Evolution of Korean Idol Culture: From H.O.T.'s Jang Woo Hyuk to Today's K-pop

K-Trend | July.24.2024

The Evolution of Korean Idol Culture: From H.O.T.'s Jang Woo Hyuk to Today's K-pop

Do we grow apart from our favorite idols as we get older?

🖐 NO, that's just an excuse!

Are you worried that spending time and energy on your favorite idol is a waste?

🖐NO, you don’t need to worry!

How to Love Your Favorite Idol in Style

Enjoying Idol History and Culture with Jang Woo Hyuk

from H.O.T., the Symbol of 1st Generation Idols

Korean cultural content has gained worldwide attention, especially K-pop. K-pop stands for Korean popular music. We are now in the 5th generation of K-pop. Understanding the culture of K-pop will help you enjoy the K-pop of your generation more. Today we want to share the story of the 1st generation of K-pop, something you won't hear anywhere else.

You may not know them, but Korean fans do:

seeing the 1st generation K-pop idols today in 2024 will inspire you to love your current favorite idols to the fullest!

The look and feel of H.O.T's 5th album cover

When talking about the first generation of K-pop in Korea, the group that everyone thinks of first is H.O.T. Although the name "High-five Of Teenagers" is a bit grammatically awkward, H.O.T revolutionized the Korean K-pop scene at that time.

As a first-generation K-pop group and Korea's first idol group, H.O.T was a boy band debuted by SM Entertainment in 1996, the same company that later brought us Girls' Generation, EXO, Red velvet, and aespa.

From the beginning of fan culture to the cheering practices we see today, the starting point of today's K-pop culture was right here with H.O.T.

H.O.T was more than just an idol group. They were icons for the youth of the 90s and pioneers who made today's K-pop possible.

💎 Here’s a Pro Tip!

If you're curious about the culture of that time, we recommend watching the Korean drama <Reply 1997>. It vividly portrays the life of a female protagonist who was a member of the H.O.T fan club. Think of it as a first-generation version of the intense fan culture we see today with groups like BTS or BLACKPINK. You can watch it on TVING and Netflix.

The answer is absolutely not.

Jang Woo Hyuk, born in 1978, might make you wonder, "How is he still active at this age?" But as of 2024, he continues to work diligently and spend quality time with his fans.

As your favorite idol ages, so do the fans, creating a deep temporal bond between fan and idol. In fact, as everyone gets older, the bond often strengthens with events like deeply themed fan concerts that you couldn't have imagined in your youth.

In 2024, he held the A-don-no-sang-sa(아돈노상사) fan concert. In 2023, he held a Christmas fan concert called 'Blue Sunshine', a time capsule concert, and a fan meeting titled 'Spring with Woo Hyuk - Picnic'. In 2022, he also had a fan meeting called 'WINTER STORY 'FROM ECHO'', to keep in constant communication with his fans.

🎁 Fan Lightstick Designed by Jang Woo Hyuk Himself 🎁

In the early days of their debut, the role of the agency was strong. However, the longer the idols are active, the more they take the initiative to organize various activities and events for their fans themselves.

The name of the fan lightstick in the image above is Candy Stick. This lightstick was not created by the agency, but was designed by Jang Woo Hyuk himself, reminiscing about the memories with his fans.

A secret between Jang Woo Hyuk and his fans! The design of the Candy Stick was inspired by the cute hat that Jang Woo Hyuk wore during the promotion of H.O.T.'s first album song Candy. It brings back memories from 28 years ago and touches the hearts of fans.

Unique details of the Candy Stick! The Candy Stick design features Jang Woo Hyuk's signature number 35 and his unique color, blue. These details are special points that only Jang Woo Hyuk and his fans can understand.

Over time, Jang Woo Hyuk has taken more and more of the lead in organizing fan signings and concerts, turning these events into opportunities to spend time and communicate with his fans. You can see the relationship develop into one that resembles a loving family.

If you go to one of Jang Woo Hyuk's fan concerts now, you'll see fans bringing their children to enjoy the concert together. Someone who was once a fan has now become a parent and attends concerts with their child. This is a common sight in Korea!

So if you have an idol that you love right now, love them to the fullest. Spend time together, do activities together, share memories together, and be happy together.

#K-Pop #idol #history

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