Lim Young-woong nears 1 million concertgoers after street-vendor days

Lim Young-woong nurtured his dreams while selling roasted sweet potatoes on the street

Singer Lim Young-woong marks his 10th debut anniversary on the 8th. His beginning was not smooth. Although he debuted in August 2016 with the single "I Hate You," the public response was cold. After failing to achieve a 5-game winning streak on KBS "AM Plaza - Challenge Dream Stage" and being eliminated, he even worked as a roasted sweet potato vendor on the streets to resolve livelihood issues.

At the time, Lim Young-woong chose street vending to afford the opportunity to take the stage without a fixed schedule. Later, on the "AM Plaza" stage where he challenged again with his new song "Gyesan Malgo Elevator," he finally achieved a 5-game winning streak, creating a turning point for his career.

Coronation as 'Mr. Trot' winner and record-breaking footsteps

His appearance on TV Chosun's "Mr. Trot" in 2020 changed his life. He rose to become the first winner, securing approximately 25% of the roughly 7.73 million real-time national votes. The passion was so intense at the time that the announcement of the results was delayed due to a surge in text messages.

His achievements following the win are proven by numbers. This past March, his cumulative Melon streaming surpassed 13.49 billion, and his 1st regular album "IM HERO" recorded 1 million copies in first-week sales. Over the past 4 years, he has held a total of 81 concerts, mobilizing a cumulative audience of approximately 915,000 people to date. By this coming September, he is on the verge of reaching 1 million cumulative audience members for his solo performances.

Choices to reduce fan burden and consider the environment

Beyond records, Lim Young-woong has shown movements focused on values. During the release of his 2nd regular album "IM HERO 2" last year, he announced that he would not release a CD album to reduce the burden on fans and prioritize the environment. For his performance at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, he decided not to operate ground seats to protect the grass. Recently, he celebrated his 10th debut anniversary by gracing the cover of "Esquire."