[Photo&] Yoon Soo-il, the original "Apartment" singer also called by Rosé—The secret behind 50 years of a music career

A living legend of Korean popular music, the creator of 'rock trot'

There is someone who refused to accept Western pop and rock indiscriminately and instead pioneered a unique genre by adding distinctive Korean color. That is 'Yoon Soo-il', celebrating his 50th anniversary since debut this year. Emerging like a comet in the music scene in 1977 with 'Love Only, I’ll Not', he is widely regarded as the forerunner of 'rock trot', which has, for half a century, blended the sorrows of trot into rock sound. His unwavering musical philosophy—capturing Korean sentiments within the sophistication of pop songs—continues to deliver a heavy resonance to the history of Korean popular music even today, 50 years later.

A dazzling comeback of the era-defining mega hit, 'Apartment'

The national song 'Apartment', released in 1982, has recently been sweeping through the global music market. With BLACKPINK’s Rosé’s 'Apartment (APT.)' sparking a worldwide sensation, the masterpiece of the original singer, 'Yoon Soo-il', is once again in the spotlight. The cross-edited video that cleverly ties the two songs together heated up the internet, and the public awarded him the witty title of 'reconstruction association chairman'. The joint stage he completed with junior idol stars on the terrestrial TV stage at the end of 2024 was a historic moment that proved the great power of music that connects across generations.

The intense life of a singer-songwriter who captured the issues of the times

Born between a father in the U.S. military stationed in Korea and a Korean mother, 'Yoon Soo-il' nurtured his dream of becoming a singer by drawing inspiration from The Beatles and Elvis Presley. An anecdote that moved audiences is how, right after his debut, even amid the hardship of his mother’s battle with cancer, he kept protecting the stage with deep filial devotion. After forming the 'Yoon Soo-il Band' in 1981, he gained inspiration from residential culture—an emblem of the era—and created the immortal hit 'Apartment'. Combining the tale of a lonely vacant house with the story of a lover who left to immigrate, the song is his finest masterpiece shaped by his sharp insight that music should be a mirror of the times.

A journey of half a century, to be unfolded at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts: 'The Original'

A towering figure in Korean pop music, 'Yoon Soo-il', will hold his 50th-anniversary commemorative concert 'The Original' at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts’ Grand Theater on May 1. For two hours, this performance is expected to become an overwhelming stage that brings together his entire 50 years of musical life. He said he will prioritize the heartfelt emotion he wants to deliver to the audience above the weightiness of the stage, and he also made a firm vow that he will keep moving forward as long as his stamina allows. The path of a true legend isn’t over yet.