Deulgukhwa (Korean들국화; lit. Wild Chrysanthemum) was a South Korean rock band formed in 1982 by Jeon In-kwon, Choi Seong-won, Heo Seong-wook, and Jo Deok-hwan. They are considered one of the best rock groups in Korea in the 80s and 90s, often being referred to as "Korea's Beatles."[1][2][3][4]

Deulgukhwa
Deulgukhwa in 1985. From left: Heo Seong-wook, Choi Seong-won, Jeon In-kwon, and Jo Deok-hwan
Deulgukhwa in 1985. From left: Heo Seong-wook, Choi Seong-won, Jeon In-kwon, and Jo Deok-hwan
Background information
OriginSeoul, South Korea
Genres
Years active
  • 1982–1989
  • 1995–1999
  • 2012–2013
Labels
Past members
  • Jeon In-kwon
  • Choi Seong-won
  • Heo Seong-wook
  • Jo Deok-hwan
  • Joo Chan-gwon
  • Choi Goo-hee
  • Son Jin-tae
  • Min Jae-hyun
  • Lee Gun-tae

In September 1985, they released their first album March, which included hits "That's My World" and "March". After the failure of their second album, Deulgukhwa disbanded due to creative differences among the members.

In the 1980s, under the military regime, the mainstream popular music world, which was dominated by soft ballads and trots, presented Korean-style rock with rebellious lyrics and screaming vocals by Jeon In-kwon. In addition, their music became known through albums and live performances, rather than broadcasting, which was the main distribution channel for popular music at the time, and gained a huge resonance, opening the possibility of underground music for the first time in Korea. Their debut album, March, became a hot topic again in 2007 when it ranked first in the Top 100 Korean Popular Music Albums selected by the Kyunghyang Shinmun.[4][5]

History

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The band formed in August 1982 when Jeon In-kwon (vocalist), Heo Seong-wook (piano), and Choi Seong-won (bassist) gathered to form a band. They held their first performance in November of that year at the Sejong Center next to The Piccadilly Cinema in Jongno.[6] The band name 'Deulgukhwa' was derived from the name of the chewing gum Heo Seong-wook was chewing while he was thinking about the name of the band.[7] After the addition of member Jo Deok-hwan, the band released their debut album, March in September 1985.[6][8] Despite the album not being played on radios, the album sold 800,000 copies with the band performing sold-out concerts in numerous small theaters.[9] Following the departure of Jo Deok-hwan, the band released their second album You and I as a six-piece with new members Choi Goo-hee and Son Jin-tae, and Joo Chang-won.[6][8][10] After 5 years of formation, in 1989, they announced their disbandment, but in 1995, Jeon In-kwon re-formed the band with a lineup of new members.[citation needed]

Following the death of founding member Heo Seong-wook in 1998, the band reunited for a tour which lasted until May 30, 1999.[11][12]

In 2012, the band announced they were officially reuniting for a comeback, performing several small concerts throughout 2012 and 2013.[13][9] On October 20, 2013, Joo Chan-kwon died of cancer, with the band's self titled reunion album releasing posthumously on December 6, 2013.[14] Shortly after, it was confirmed that the band would be disbanding as a result of his death.[4] Jeon In-kwon announced plans to work with Choi Seong-won again in the future.[15] However, in 2014, he announced that the band had no plans to reunite.[16][17]

On November 14, 2016, founding guitarist Jo Deok-hwan died of cancer.[18]

In 2021, Deulgukhwa was given the achievement award at the Korean Music Awards for their "contributions and influence on the history of Korean popular music."[19]

Members

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  • Jeon In-kwon – vocals, guitar (1985-1989, 1995, 1998-1999, 2012-2013)
  • Choi Seong-won – bass, guitar, vocals (1985-1989, 1998-1999, 2012-2013)
  • Heo Seong-wook – keyboard (1985-1989; died 1997)
  • Jo Deok-hwan – guitar, vocals (1985; died 2016)
  • Joo Chan-kwon – drums, vocals (1986-1989, 1998-1999, 2012-2013; his death)
  • Choi Goo-hee – guitar (1986)
  • Son Jin-tae – guitar (1986, 1998-1999)
  • Min Jae-hyun – vocals, guitar (1995)
  • Lee Gun-tae – drums (1995)

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of extended plays, with selected details, chart positions, and sales
Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
KOR
[20]
March
행진
  • Released: September 10, 1985
  • Label: Seorabeol Records
  • Formats: LP, CD
  • KOR: 800,000+[9]
You and I
들국화 II
  • Released: November 25, 1986
  • Label: Donga Music
  • Formats: CD
Us
들국화 III
  • Released: April 1, 1995
  • Label: Synnara Music
  • Formats: CD
Deulgukhwa
들국화
  • Released: December 6, 2013
  • Label: Deulgukhwa Company
  • Formats: CD, digital download
11
  • KOR: 7,226
Compilation albums
Title Album details
1979-1987 Memories of Deulgukhwa
  • Released: 1987
  • Label: Unknown
  • Formats: LP, CD
Deulgukhwa Best 12
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Unknown
  • Formats: CD
Deulgukhwa Best
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Unknown
  • Formats: CD

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1986 Golden Disc Awards Album Bonsang[21] March Won
2014 Commission Special Award[22] Deulgukhwa Won
2021 Korean Music Awards Special Achievement Deulgukhwa Won

References

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  1. ^ "들국화,해체 5년만에 `따로 또 같이'콘서트". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). March 19, 1993.
  2. ^ Choi Hyun-Jung (December 4, 2013). "Lee Sun Gyun participates in an interview for Deulgukhwa's comeback". Yahoo! News.
  3. ^ "This Guy Singing "Imagine" In Sunglasses At The Opening Ceremony Really Made His Mark". Bustle. February 9, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Deulgukhwa to split after drummer's death". The Korea Herald. December 26, 2013.
  5. ^ Park Jae-chan (2007-08-23). "[커버스토리]대중음악 100대 명반 '들국화'1위" (in Korean).
  6. ^ a b c Park Jun-heom (August 23, 2007). "들국화의 탄생과 데뷔앨범".
  7. ^ "록밴드 들국화, 봄 향기와 함께 '새록새록'". Busan Ilbo. February 24, 2011.
  8. ^ a b "[대중음악가 열전] 35. 한국 록의 대부 전인권". Busan. December 1, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Yang Sung-hee (10 April 2013). "Legendary rock band breaks its long silence".
  10. ^ "<가요> "들국화, 10년 만에 재결성 무대 꾸민다"". Yonhap News Agency. May 12, 1998.
  11. ^ "록그룹 들국화, 전국 투어에 나선다" (in Korean). 1998-06-12.
  12. ^ "<가요> 록그룹 들국화, 전국 투어에 나선다". Yonhap News Agency. June 12, 1998.
  13. ^ "Reunited and it feels so good". The Hankyoreh. July 6, 2012.
  14. ^ Choi Hyun-Jung (November 24, 2013). "Deulgukhwa coming back with a new album in December". Yahoo! News.
  15. ^ 전설의 록그룹 들국화, 재결성 1년 만에 다시 해체 Archived 2013-12-26 at the Wayback Machine《스포츠서울》, 2013년 12월 26일
  16. ^ 전인권 “들국화 재결합 없다…최성원과 그만 싸우고 싶다”, 《TV리포트》 2014년 8월 20일
  17. ^ Park Si-soo (January 12, 2014). "1st-generation rock band disbanded". The Korea Times.
  18. ^ Chung Jin-hong (November 14, 2016). "Guitar legend Jo Deok-hwan dead at 64". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  19. ^ "들국화, 제18회 한국대중음악상 공로상 수상 "韓 밴드음악의 뿌리 같은 밴드"". XSports News. January 26, 2021.
  20. ^ "Deulgukhwa Chart History - Albums". Circle Chart.
  21. ^ "1986년 1회 수상자 리스트" (in Korean).
  22. ^ "'레전드' 들국화 '골든디스크' 집행위원 특별상" (in Korean). 2014-01-16.