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Kim Wan Sun

Kim Wan Sun Promoting "Use Me" (2016)

Kim Wan Sun (김완선) is a legendary South Korean singer. Since her sensational debut at the age of 17 in 1986, she has been called the "Madonna/Anita Mui of South Korea" or "the dancing queen of Korean popular music's renaissance era", as she is known for her beauty, clear voice, charismatic stage presence and catchy hits from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. Her fifth studio album, released in 1990, spawned three consecutive No.1 songs and sold more than 1 million copies.

In the mid-1990s, she also achieved success in Taiwan, releasing three albums in Mandarin under the name of 金元萱 (Jin Yuan-xuan).

Profile

  • Name: Kim Wan Sun (김완선), 金元萱 (Jin Yuan-xuan)
  • Birthday: May 16, 1969 (1969-05-16) (age 54)
  • Birthplace: South Korea
  • Interests/Other Facts/Likes/etc.:

Biography

Early Life

Kim's aunt was Han Baek-hee. She sang for the U.S. troops stationed in Korea during the Korean War. Han recognized Kim's talent at an early age and persuaded Kim's parents to let Han mentored Kim. Kim moved in with her aunt when she was 14. For the next three years, Han forbade Kim from seeing her parents. Han put her under intense training in ballet and gymnastics at Han's dance studio. Han let other dancers use her studio for free, as long as they showed and taught their best move to Kim. Kim recalled in an interview with KBS that she was not allowed to sit down during the day. She didn't attend any sort of school as a kid, she was isolated and had no friends.

1986–1990

Han used her connections in Korea's new growing entertainment industry to assemble a list of the best songs available. Her debut song "Tonight" was produced by Kim Chang-hoon, member of Sanulrim. One of her greatest hits, "That Dance in the Rhythm," was produced by Shin Joong-hyeon.

After Kim's debut, Han controlled every part of Kim's career. Han chose everything, songs, dances, clothes, shoes, hair and makeup. At the end of each performance, Han stood Kim in a corner and yelled abuse at Kim about how she was ugly, bad dancer, and hit the wrong notes. She didn't care who was watching when she yelled at Kim. Han did Kim's interviews for her. She also opposed her from speaking with any musician, man or women.

1986–1990

The first year of the new decade arrived, along with that came a new album, The Pierrot Is Smiling At Us. This album was a success all across Korea, in which she was the fist Korean pop artist to sell one million copies of an album. Still to this day Koreans young and old know the words to 'The Pierrot Is Smiling At Us' some people know it as 'Pierrot Smiling At Us'; there are many variations of the song's name.

In 1992, at the height of Kim's career Kim Announced her retirement she had had enough of her aunties dictatorship and oppression on her life but yet again under direction of her aunt and against her will. Kim then was flown to Taiwan and Hong Kong to start a career in a non-existent Chinese pop industry she released three albums in Taiwan and Hong Kong and enjoyed a successful career there.

Han never gave any of the money earn by Kim to her for 13 years, until Kim finally had enough and cut the cord on Han and on her own career after a falling-out in 1998. According to Kim, Han used all the money into a failed business venture. She was finally free from her aunt.Kim moved alone to Hawaii to study design at University of Hawaii. In 2002, Kim came back to Korea to resume her musical career on her own, but by the time of her return the 90s were over and many Korean pop groups had blossomed and the Hallyu wave had begun. In the beginning of her career she was one of a kind but now she was just like all the other idols. Kim left a legacy on the Korean pop scene without her contribution many groups wouldn’t have debut and the Hallyu Wave would be virtually non existent.

1999-2010

After a four year hiatus, it was announced that Kim would be making a comeback with the album S & Remake. The album featured to discs, one with new original music and the other was a self cover remake album of her old songs. The album received rave reviews for introducing a new electronica sound which was foreign to South Korea at the time.

In October 2005 Kim announced another comeback with the album REturN, although activities were quickly halted after the sudden death of her aunt in 2006. Shortly after Kim would announce another hiatus, in order to go live in in Hawaii for three years and study digital arts and english at the University of Hawaii.

2011-Now

She returned to the music scene in April 2011, releasing the Super Love EP. Also, she has created her own production company and is focusing on finding and developing young talent.

Korean Discography

Albums

Mini-Albums

Singles

Taiwanese Discography

Albums

Japanese Discography

Singles

  • [1990.03.21] LAMBADA (ランバダ)

Compilations / Other

External Links

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