# Cho Yong-pil

Cho Yong-pil (Korean: 조용필; born March 21, 1950) is a South Korean singer-songwriter who is considered one of the most influential figures in South Korean popular music (K-pop). He debuted as a member of the rock band Atkins in 1968 and made his solo debut with the hit single "Come Back to Busan Port" in 1976. Cho has released 19 solo albums and has remained consistently popular during his 50-year career. Nicknamed the "King of Pop" of South Korea, his songs have ranked number one on South Korean music charts in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2010s. He was recognized with the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit for his enormous impact on the South Korean pop music scene. He was selected as Singer of the Year and his song "Bounce" was selected as Song of the Year in the surveys conducted by Gallup Korea in 2013.

## Career
### 1950–1967: Early years

Cho Yong-pil was born in Songsan-myeon, Hwaseong, South Korea, on March 21, 1950 and spent part of his childhood in Seoul. He and actor Ahn Sung-ki were schoolmates at the now-defunct Kyungdong Middle School in Seoul and remained friends even though they attended different high schools. When Cho was seven, he happened to listen to Ray Charles playing the harmonica, and this inspired the young Cho to become a musician.

### 1968–1975: Atkins, Five Fingers and Kim Trio period

Cho began his music career as a guitarist in various bands. In 1968, he formed a rock band called Atkins and played for the United States Army. Later, he founded Five Fingers, which played music by black artists. In 1971, Cho joined the band Kim Trio, which motivated him to perform rock music. Members of Kim Trio included Pa Kim (guitar), Dan Kim (drum) and Sun Kim (keyboard).

### 1976–1992: Solo debut and commercial success

Cho's debut single as a soloist, "Come Back to Busan Port [ja]", brought him national attention when it was released in 1976, later becoming a hit in Japan. Cho then made a Japanese-language version of the song, and sang live in Japan. He was accused of smoking marijuana the following year and was banned from performing until 1979. His first album, Woman Outside the Window (창 밖의 여자), was released in 1980 and has been followed by many others. In 1980, he held a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, the first Korean singer to perform there. In 1988, he became the first South Korean singer to perform in China, before the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

### 1992–2012: Commercial decline and concerts

His commercial success declined after the rise of the group Seo Taiji and Boys and many other young musicians. His studio albums released after 1992 were not so successful. Noticing this, he announced that he would stop appearing on television, concluding that he would hardly make any hits. Subsequently, he focused more on concerts and music performance. In 1993, his Busan concert attracted an audience of 1 million, a record for South Korea. The following year, he became the first South Korean singer to surpass 1 million record sales. In 2005, Cho performed a concert in Pyongyang, North Korea, a rare occurrence for a South Korean singer.

### 2013–2021: Hello and 50th anniversary

In April 2013, Cho released his 19th album titled Hello, which debuted at number one on the South Korean charts, eclipsing Psy's "Gentleman". On April 25, 2013, he returned to television with the showcase "Hello". This show was also broadcast live on YouTube.
The album ranked number one on the Gaon Album Chart for the week of April 28 – May 4, 2013. Two songs from the album won first place on South Korean music shows: "Hello" and "Bounce". Following the success of Hello, Cho reissued 14 of his old albums. He later released a Japanese version of the album.
In 2018, Cho held a series of concerts to mark his 50th anniversary as a singer.

### 2022: Road to 20-Prelude 1

Cho released the single album Road to 20-Prelude 1 on November 18, 2022. To promote the album, he released a 30-second teaser video on his official YouTube channel on November 15. The video contains the titles of the new songs "Moment" and "Like Serengeti". He will hold a solo concert, 2022 Cho Yong-pil and the Great Birth, at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul from November 26 to 27 and December 3 to 4.

### 2024: 20

Cho released his 20th album 20 on October 22, 2024, 11 years after the release of his previous album.

## Discography
### Korean studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Sales |
| Title | Album details | KOR Gaon | KOR Hot 100 | Sales |
| Woman Outside The Window (창밖의 여자) | Released: March 20, 1980 Label: Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | KOR: 1,000,000+ |
| Candlelight (촛불) | Released: December 5, 1980 Label: Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | No data |
| Cho Yong Pil 3 | Released: July 10, 1981 Label: Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | No data |
| Can't Find the Oriole (못찾겠다 꾀꼬리) | Released: May 17, 1982 Label: Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | No data |
| My Friend (친구여) | Released: June 25, 1983 Label: Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | No data |
| Party of Tears (눈물의 파티) | Released: February 9, 1984 Label: Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | No data |
| Let's go on a Trip (여행을 떠나요) | Released: April 10, 1985 Label: Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | No data |
| In The Air (허공) | Released: November 15, 1985 Label: Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | KOR: 1,000,000 |
| Love and Life and Me! (사랑과 인생과 나!) | Released: May 10, 1987 Label: Pil Company, Jigu Records Format: LP | No data | No data | No data |
| Cho Yong Pil '88 | Released: May 28, 1988 Label: Pil Company, Jigu Records Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| Q (10th Album Part II) (10집 Part II) | Released: January 14, 1989 Label: Pil Company Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| Reunion (추억속의 재회) | Released: January 20, 1990 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| The Dreams | Released: April 20, 1991 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| Cho Yong Pil 14 | Released: October 1, 1992 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| Cho Yong Pil and the Great Birth (조용필과 위대한탄생) | Released: July 1, 1994 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| Eternally | Released: May 1, 1997 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| Ambition | Released: October 27, 1998 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| Over The Rainbow | Released: September 3, 2003 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, cassette | No data | No data | No data |
| Hello | Released: April 23, 2013 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, LP, digital download | 1 | 1 | KOR: 250,046+ |
| 20 | Released: October 22, 2024 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, LP, digital download | 37 | – | KOR: 8,215 |

### Japanese studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
| Title | Album details | JPN | Sales |
| Hello (Japan Edition) | Released: 2013 Label: Universal Music | 264 | — |

## Book

* Speech which wind conveys (1985)

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work or nominee | Result |
| Ampex Golden Reel Award | 1982 | Golden Reel Award | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 1981 | Best Song – Film | "Candlelight" (from Love Becomes Bitterness) | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 1982 | Best Song – Television | "Flower Wind" (from Flower Wind) | Won |
| Gaon Chart Music Awards | 2013 | Album of the Year for the 2nd Quarter | Hello | Won |
| Gaon Chart Music Awards | 2013 | K-Pop Contribution Award | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Golden Disc Awards | 1986 | Album of the Year (Daesang) | Empty Space | Won |
| Golden Disc Awards | 1986 | Album Bonsang | Empty Space | Won |
| Golden Disc Awards | 1986 | Popularity Award | "Speech Which Wind Conveys" | Won |
| Golden Disc Awards | 2005 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Golden Disc Awards | 2014 | Album Bonsang | Hello | Won |
| KBS Song Festival | 1980 | Best Male Singer (Daesang) | "Woman Outside The Window" | Won |
| KBS Song Festival | 1981 | Best Male Singer (Daesang) | "Red Dragonfly" | Won |
| KBS Song Festival | 1982 | Best Male Singer (Daesang) | "Tragic Love" | Won |
| KBS Song Festival | 1983 | Best Male Singer (Daesang) | "Dear Friend" | Won |
| KBS Song Festival | 1985 | Best Male Singer (Daesang) | "Yesterday, Today And..." | Won |
| KBS Song Festival | 1999 | Achievement Award | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| KBS Song Festival | 1999 | Best Singer of the 20th Century | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Korea Popular Music Awards | 2018 | Thanks To You Award | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Korean Broadcasters Awards | 1998 | Best Male Singer | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Korean Music Awards | 2004 | Singer of the Year – Male | Cho Yong-pil | Nominated |
| Korean Music Awards | 2006 | Achievement Award | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Korean Music Awards | 2014 | Song of the Year (Daesang) | "Bounce" | Won |
| Korean Music Awards | 2014 | Best Pop Song | "Bounce" | Won |
| MBC Gayo Daejejeon | 1980 | Best Popular Singer (Daesang) | "Woman Outside The Window" | Won |
| MBC Gayo Daejejeon | 1981 | Best Popular Singer (Daesang) | "Red Dragonfly" | Won |
| MBC Gayo Daejejeon | 1983 | Best Popular Singer (Daesang) | "I Like You" | Won |
| MBC Gayo Daejejeon | 1984 | Best Popular Singer (Daesang) | "Dear Friend" | Won |
| MBC Gayo Daejejeon | 1985 | Best Popular Singer (Daesang) | "Darling" | Won |
| MBC Gayo Daejejeon | 1986 | Best Popular Singer (Daesang) | "In The Air" | Won |
| Melon Music Awards | 2013 | Best Rock | "Bounce" | Won |
| Melon Music Awards | 2013 | Top Ten Artist Award | Cho Yong-pil | Nominated |
| Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 2013 | 20's Record | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 2013 | 20's Online Music | "Hello" | Nominated |
| Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 2013 | 20's Voice | "Hello" and "Bounce" | Nominated |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2013 | Song of the Year (Daesang) | "Bounce" | Won |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2013 | Best Vocal Performance – Male | "Bounce" | Nominated |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2013 | Artist of the Year (Daesang) | Cho Yong-pil | Nominated |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2013 | Best Male Artist | Cho Yong-pil | Nominated |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2013 | Album of the Year (Daesang) | Hello | Nominated |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2013 | Best Music Video | "Hello" | Nominated |
| SBS Gayo Daejeon | 2005 | Special Achievement Award | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Seoul Music Awards | 2003 | Live Award | Cho Yong-pil | Won |
| Seoul Music Awards | 2013 | Best Album | Hello | Won |
| Seoul Music Awards | 2013 | Main Prize (Bonsang) | Cho Yong-pil | Won |

### State and cultural honors

| Country or organization | Year | Honor |
| Center for Cultural Unification Studies | 2005 | Grand Prize for Unification Culture |
| South Korea | 2003 | Order of Cultural Merit (Bogwan, 3rd Class) |
| South Korea | 2013 | Order of Cultural Merit (Eungwan, 2nd Class) |
| Tanzania | 2001 | Medal of Culture |