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.