Don’t expect to be seeing any BTS or BLACKPINK members on this list. We’re going old school as we take a look at the oldest K-pop stars who are still active in 2023 (and at the time of writing). These stars might be in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, but age is just a number, and there’s no stopping them from reliving the fame of their youth. They may have been overshadowed by the younger crowd in recent years, but they’re still making music for their dedicated fans.
Some of them are happily married, others are shifting gears from singing and songwriting to all-round entertainers. It doesn’t matter how old they are, they never go out of style. These might be some unfamiliar names to you if all you’ve ever known is Jungkook and Lisa, but it might be education to learn more about the trendsetters of the K-pop genre.
Park Joon-hyung (54)
Joon Park — the leader and rapper of the Korean pop group g.o.d. — recently turned 54. Although he was born in South Korea, Park was raised in America, specifically California, and later became an American citizen. He is the youngest of three siblings, all of whom were raised by their mother once their father died. In 1997, he moved to Seoul, South Korea, with nothing more than the dream of creating a K-Pop group, hoping to mix Korean music with a twist of Western culture. In January 1999, g.o.d debuted on television with their performance of “To Mother,” which initially received a lukewarm response from critics, but eventually became one of their most famous hits.
In May 2015, Park became engaged to Kim Yoo-Jin — a flight attendant — whom he married a month later. Their daughter was born two years later, also in May.
Uhm Jung-hwa (53)
Considered to be one of the most influential women in the Korea entertainment industry, Uhm Jung-hwa has earned the nickname of “Korean Madonna” for her success in both music and film. She began her career in 1989 as a chorus member for the broadcasting company MBC and released her debut studio album, Sorrowful Secret, that same year. Starting in the 2000s, Uhm began to concentrate her efforts more so on her acting career, winning Best Actress at the 39th Baeksang Arts Awards for her performance in the comedy Marriage Is a Crazy Thing.
In May 2010, Uhm was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, from which she fully recovered after surgery. Her most recent single, “Hop In” feat. Hwasa and DPR Live, released in 2020, and her most recent acting role was in the Korean television series Doctor Cha.
Park Jin-young (51)
Park Jin-young, known as J.Y. Park, is a singer-songwriter, record producer, record executive, and the founder of JYP Entertainment – the record label with notable groups 2PM, Day6, Twice, Boy Story, Stray Kids, Itzy, NiziU, Xdinary Heroes, and Nmixx under its management. He initially rose to stardom following the release of his 1994 debut album, Blue City. Park studied for two years under Kim Hyung-suk, learning the ins and outs of music composition from one of the best pop music composers and producers of all time in South Korea.
J.Y. Park married Seo Yoon-jeong in 1999, but by 2009 they announced their divorce. In October 2013, he married a woman (whose name is unknown) nine years younger than him. The couple share a child — a daughter — whom Park wrote the single “This Small Hand” about.
Eun Ji-won (45)
Leader of the idol group Sechs Kies, Eun Ji-won is a rapper, singer, actor and entertainer from Seoul, South Korea. He — along with many others on this list — is recognized as an ancestor of the K-Pop sub-genre, paving the way for the likes of BTS, Twice, etc. He frequently appears on the travel-reality show New Journey to the West and has featured in a handful of dramas and variety shows, the latter oftentimes as a host. His mother, Kim Seong Ah, was a member of a singing duo known as the “Lily Sisters.”
In February 2010, Ji-won married a woman two years his senior, becoming brothers-in-law with soccer player Lee Dong-Gook by marriage. Three years later, they divorced.
Eric Mun (44)
Rapper, songwriter, actor, and leader of the South Korean boy band Shinhwa, Eric Mun (Mun Jung-hyuk) has appeared in countless dramas throughout his acting career, including Phoenix, Super Rookie, and Another Oh Hae-young. Born in Seoul, he is the youngest of three siblings, and attended school in Los Angeles when his family moved to the U.S. He is the currently CEO of Shinhwa Company, the agency under which Shinhwa is contracted, and for which the remaining members of the group are shareholders.
In 2014, it became public knowledge that Mun was dating actress and model Na Hye-mi. After five years of dating, the couple got married in 2017. By 2022 they were announcing their pregnancy, and in March of this year, Hye-mi gave birth to a son.
Jo Mi-hye (41)
Jo Mi-hye — or Miryo, as she’s better known — is the current rapper of the girl group Brown Eyed Girls and a former member of rap group Honey Family. In 2012, she debuted as a soloist with her EP MIRYO aka JOHONEY. Her music career began all the way back in 2000 when she featured on one of Honey Family’s tracks. Her second group, Brown Eyed Girls, debuted with an album titled “Your Story” in March 2006 and found mainstream success. Three years after her solo EP came her single album Queen.
She names her influence in an interview with YouTuber Grace Kim as being her mother — a music teacher — who would often play classical music in the morning. This inspired her to pursue a singing career until the age of 17, when she decided to become a hip-hop dancer and rapper instead.
Narsha (41)
Another member of Brown Eyed Girls, Narsha (derived from na-reu-sha, which means ‘to fly up’ in Middle Korean) is a singer and actress. She had known the leader of the Brown Eyed Girls, JeA, since high school, and it was JeA who invited her to join the girl group. After performing several small concerts, the Brown Eyed Girls released their debut album Your Story in February 2006. Miryo and Narsha, both on this list, banded together to form M&N – a hip-hop duo. In 2010, Narsha started her solo career with her single “I’m In Love,” and followed it with her first studio album — fittingly titled NARSHA — the same year.
Narsha has appeared on a number of variety shows and television dramas, the most recent being Birth of a Rich Man and Save the Family. She also has her own ongoing skit for the radio program SBS Love FM called “Narsha’s Abracadabra.”
Park Jeong-su (40)
Better known as Leeteuk, Park Jeong-su is a singer, songwriter, presenter, radio personality, and actor who made his debut as the leader of the boy band Super Junior. He began his acting career on the music show M! Countdown and went on to appear on popular talk shows and television shows, namely Strong Heart, Star King, and The Best Cooking Secrets. Not to be confused with veteran actress Park Jung-soo, his stage name Leeteuk, means “special.” In 2007, Leeteuk was involved in a serious car accident and suffered injuries requiring over 170 stitches.
Seven years later, while he was in the military, Leeteuk was informed that his father, Park Yong-in and his grandparents were all found dead in their home. It was revealed to have been a murder-suicide conducted by Park.
Kim Hyo-jin (39)
Known by her stage name JeA, Kim Hyo-jin is the leader and main vocalist of the Brown Eyed Girls, as well as an accomplished solo artist. She is responsible for the group’s creation and was instrumental in finding the other members. The quartet debuted under the name Crescendo at several small concerts before adopting the name Brown Eyed Girls. In 2013, she released her first solo album — Just JeA — becoming the last member of the girl group to do so.
Originally announced back in 2013, JeA was dating YG composer Choi Pil Gang. It was revealed they had been dating for three years. However, by 2016, the couple had split. She was also the vocal coach for the trainees on Mnet’s Produce 101, which led to the formation of the girl group I.O.I.
Jung Yun-ho (37)
Jung Yun-ho, known simply as Yunho, is a member of the pop duo TVXQ. A singer-songwriter and actor from Gwangsan, Gwangju, South Korea, Yunho is fluent in both Korean and Japanese. In addition to his singing career, Yunho has made several appearances in television dramas, despite aspiring to become a prosecutor as a child. As his family suffered greatly from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, they initially didn’t support his decision to become a singer. Almost losing his voice to a hormonal imbalance — which affected his vocal cords — Yunho considered giving up his dream.
Yunho was selected to be a backup dancer for Shinhwa in 2002, but later left to join TVXQ.