There were unusual names at the ¡°Korean Eye 2020: Creativity and Daydream Exhibition¡± held at Seoul¡¯s Lotte World Tower Mall in June. Popular ¡°idols¡± Henry, Kang Seungyoon and Song Minho were the big draws among the 27 artists who participated in the special exhibition hosted by British art collectors David and Serenella Ciclitira.

The exhibition consisted of contemporary art such as paintings, sculptures, installation art, embroidery, ceramics, performances, videos and photography. Henry participated in the exhibition as a painter and Kang as a photographer. Henry, formerly of the world-famous group Super Junior M, and Kang, late of the boy band WINNER, are now recognized artists as well as singers.

Song, who sang with Kang as part of WINNER, participated in the exhibition the previous year as well, showcasing five paintings at the START Art Fair held at the Saatchi Gallery in London in a project for the Ciclitiras.

The talented trio are not alone in expanding their artistic horizons. Singers are enjoying more success moving into new fields. Until the 1990s, few artists and entertainers―even famous ones―made a name for themselves in a new field. At that time, social awareness of celebrities was low, and their fame was limited to Korea, which likewise limited their success. However, as Korean pop culture, including K-pop, spread to the world, stronger fan bases opened smoother paths for popular singers to enter other fields.

Idols are discovering
there is life after singing.

WINNER¡¯s Song Minho holds a photo exhibit. Idol singers such as Song are broadening their artistic horizons into other fields of creative endeavor.

A typical example is G-Dragon, the superstar member of Big Bang, who created the fashion brand Peaceminusone. In the second half of last year, G-Dragon introduced the Air Force 1 Para-Noise shoe in collaboration with Nike. The sneaker¡¯s initial purchasing price of KRW 200,000 (roughly USD 175) and resale price that hit KRW 10 million (roughly USD 8,740) reflect the star¡¯s brand power.

Yuri, a member of the popular girl group Girls¡¯ Generation, and Sohee, a former member of the Wonder Girls, have leveraged their fame to become YouTube influencers. As of June, Yuri¡¯s YouTube channel Yurihan TV, which includes a popular cooking broadcast featuring Yuri herself, boasted 250,000 subscribers, many of them international.

Sohee opened her own YouTube channel last July. The channel now boasts 420,000 subscribers. The former singer introduces fashion items such as bags, pants and accessories that women of her generation might enjoy. As a member of the Wonder Girls, Sohee was a fashion icon known for her adroit curation of ordinary brands. Her subscribers love her honesty and outspokenness. She writes everything herself and selects things she actually likes to provide better content for her viewers.

Sohee also donated 2,000 moisturizing creams to low-income single mothers and children through her channel. Starting with this donation, she opened an online flea market with her personal items and became a philanthropist by donating all of her sales to the Social Service Foundation. Her activities are an extension of sharing, a social trend, and an exertion of her ¡°good influence.¡±

Regarding ¡°good influence,¡± the person that immediately comes to mind is superstar Lee Hyori. A member of the first-generation girl group Fin.K.L, Lee remains active as a singer and TV personality. However, it¡¯s her community work, including her rescue of abandoned dogs, that really makes her shine. She¡¯s a major influencer and has donated money to heat the homes of elderly people who live alone. Younger singers, regardless of gender, respect her so much that they say, ¡°Lee Hyori is like the lighthouse that guides our future.¡±

Musical theater is probably the field most naturally suited as a second act to an idol¡¯s career. Former TVXQ member Kim Junsu, former Fin.K.L member Ock Joo Hyun, former 2AM member Jo Kwon and former Click-B member Oh Jonghyuk have already become musical icons.

Overcoming the traditionally short career path of the ¡°idol¡±―the quintessential K-pop artist―is essential for building the infrastructure of the musical genre. Idols will become role models to younger signers when it comes to taking on new challenges in the second acts of their careers. Younger idols will be able to look at the achievements of their seniors, lowering potential anxiety and emotional conflicts and improving the quality of their activities.

Lee Hyori has taken a lead in protecting abandoned dogs by issuing calendars to raise funds and other activities.