Composer Joo Young-hoon Reflects on Life After Emergency Surgery and Music Industry Challenges

Joo Young-hoon, featured on Channel A's '4-Person Dining Table,' shared his emotional experience from the ICU.

On the episode aired on the 1st, Joo Young-hoon appeared alongside close friends Yoon Da-hoon and Yoon Jung-soo. He revealed the reason behind his emergency surgery last July, stating, "My appendix burst, but I didn't feel the pain due to fat. I only realized it after the infection spread, leading to sepsis, and I had to undergo emergency surgery."

After the life-threatening surgery, which required his wife Lee Yoon-mi to sign a consent form, Joo was hospitalized in the ICU for three days. He recalled, "I was moved to tears because I understood my late father's feelings. He insisted on going to the bathroom despite wearing a diaper, which led to a bigger accident."

Reflecting on his time in the ICU, Joo said, "Wearing a diaper myself, I understood my father's feelings. The fear of that cold hospital room was palpable. The pain was so intense that I couldn't sleep."

After debuting as a singer, Joo Young-hoon found success as a composer, creating numerous hits like Koyote's 'Dream' and Kim Jong-kook's 'Lovable.' At one point, he composed up to 30 songs a month. He confessed, "I was once kidnapped by gangsters demanding songs."

Due to many entertainment agencies in the 90s being linked to shady organizations, he was forced to take composition requests. Joo shared, "I didn't want to give them good songs. It was harder trying to give them bad ones."

Joo named Uhm Jung-hwa's 'Festival' as his 'most filial song,' saying, "It's popular every election season. It's the most approved song." He added, "Last year, 'Lovable' suddenly became a trend in Japan's short-form media, generating significant revenue during the election season. It feels good. I'm a lucky guy."

Despite having over 450 registered songs with the Copyright Association, Joo has stopped composing. He explained, "There's no market for music consumption now. Idols sing foreign songs, and it's either trot or a few ballads." Although he serves as an advisor for an idol group agency, he lamented, "When I suggest ideas, the young staff say, 'Oh, these days,' treating me like an old-timer, so I decided to stop speaking up."

By Eun Kim, TenAsia Reporter eun@tenasia.co.kr