Fin.K.L's return revives legacy of 1st-gen K-pop
From left are Fin.K.L members Lee Jin, Lee Hyori, Ock Joo-hyun and Sung Yu-ri. Korea Times file
Girl group marked beginning of idol era in 1990s
Around the turn of the millennium, first generation K-pop girl group Fin.K.L went from a sweet, fairytale image created through songs like "To My Boyfriend" and "Eternal Love" to the hip-hop-driven "Now." Its four members then branched out into separate careers that kept them in the public eye long after the group stopped putting out records.
That trajectory is back in focus as the quartet — Lee Hyori, Ock Joo-hyun, Lee Jin and Sung Yu-ri — prepares to work together again for the first time since the 2005 digital single "Forever Fin.K.L."
Their agency, Gemstone E&M, has laid out roughly two years of new music and performances leading up to the group's 30th anniversary in 2028.
From Blue Rain to Now
Fin.K.L debuted in May 1998 with an album that included "Blue Rain" and "To My Boyfriend." The ballad "Ruby" followed as the next single, extending a run of early hits.
Launched by DSP Media, then known as Daesung Planning, Fin.K.L arrived a year after SM Entertainment's girl group S.E.S., and the two groups were widely seen as rivals, mirroring the competition between their agencies, which stood side by side as leading idol producers into the early 2000s.
In May 1999, the group released its second album, "White." Its title track, "Eternal Love," pushed the group's fairy concept even further, and its catchy melody and easy-to-follow choreography made it a sensation. The follow-up single, "Pride," drew a response nearly as strong.
In November 1999 came "S.P.E.C.I.A.L," a special album the members made for fans while preparing their third full-length release.
That third album, "Now," released in October 2000, marked a complete change in the group's image.
The title track was a hip-hop dance number that set aside the group's girlish look for a more mature style, and its choreography was far more demanding than earlier songs. "Now" topped music chart shows and became one of the group's signatures. Its music video featured Zo In-sung, then an up-and-coming actor.
The group released its fourth album in 2002, led by the track "Forever."
Across releases, Fin.K.L moved between innocent, youthful concepts and bolder, more confident styles, winning over both a mass audience and a dedicated fan base.
Music critic Kim Sung-soo noted that while boy groups such as H.O.T. and Sechs Kies opened the idol era, it was the girl groups, including Fin.K.L, S.E.S. and Baby V.O.X, that came to hold sway.
"From then on, girl groups and boy groups were launched like seasons, and this generation was also the first to get a generational label," Kim said. "A single group alone could not have shifted the tide. Having several groups to choose from, each satisfying different tastes, was enough on its own to grow the market."
Separate paths
Even at the group's peak, the members were fixtures on variety shows and took on individual work as radio DJs and TV hosts. Fin.K.L never formally announced a breakup — instead, the members turned their attention to solo work.
Lee Hyori released her first solo album, "Stylish...," on Aug. 14, 2003. The track, "10 Minutes," became a major hit and established her as a solo star. She went on to become a K-pop's icon with hits such as "U-Go-Girl" (2008), "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (2010), "Bad Girls" (2013) and "Miss Korea" (2013), which she wrote herself.
She also became a fixture on television. She led SBS' variety show "Family Outing" (2008 - 2010) alongside Yoo Jae-suk, and after marrying musician Lee Sang-soon in 2013, she opened the couple's Jeju home to guests in JTBC's reality show "Hyori's Homestay" (2017). She currently co-hosts the JTBC relationship reality show "Love War."
Ock, meanwhile, took her voice to the stage. The group's main vocalist made her musical theater debut in 2005 in the Korean premiere of "Aida," winning the newcomer award at the Korea Musical Awards. When the production returned in 2010, she was cast as its sole Aida — a departure from the common practice of having major stars alternate playing the role.
She went on to play the title role in the Korean premiere of "Elisabeth" in 2012. In 2013, she took on her first villain role as Mrs. Danvers in the Korean premiere of "Rebecca," winning best supporting actress at that year's The Musical Awards. Over two decades, she has risen to the top ranks of Korea's musical stage actors.
Sung landed the lead in the 2003 fantasy drama "Thousand Years of Love," playing a Baekje era ((18 B.C.-A.D. 660) princess who time travels to the present. She and Lee Jin went on to move between acting and broadcasting. Lee married in 2016 and moved to New York.
Ock Joo-hyun performs during "VOKAL," a concert marking the 10th anniversary of her musical theater debut, at BlueSquare Theater in Seoul in January 2016. Newsis
Together again
The members reunited in 2019, when they appeared together on JTBC's "Camping Club" for the first time in 14 years and released a new song tied to the show. Gemstone E&M has framed the current return as something different: a "lasting return to activities" under the Fin.K.L name rather than a one-off project.
Under the slogan "FIN.K.L RE:BLOOM," the agency plans to spend the next two years on new music and live performances. A documentary, an exhibition, official merchandise and fan projects will be rolled out in stages.
"We want to create a special moment for fans who have long waited for Fin.K.L, and an opportunity for a new generation to discover the group," said Jason Lee, CEO overseeing group management at Gemstone E&M.
From left, Fin.K.L members Ock Joo-hyun, Lee Hyori, Lee Jin and Sung Yu-ri pose in an elevator bearing the logo of Gemstone E&M, the agency overseeing the group's activities, in this photo posted Sept. 29. Captured from Lee Jin's Instagram
Kim traced the group's resonance to the time it emerged. Fin.K.L debuted as Korea felt the brunt of the Asian financial crisis, and was active through a period when society was trying to recover "but still carried many scars."
He said young people today share a familiarty with that mood. "Economic indicators are improving, but young people don't feel it," he said. "Fin.K.L sang songs that seemed to soothe that kind of anxiety, and if the revival of this group can tap into that, it will be meaningful."
For that reason, Kim said, the group's first task should be reaching people in their 20s and 30s. "If it stops at meeting old fans, it will end there," he said.
"Retro, the feeling of going back to the good old days, is regressive, so it isn't powerful," he added. "They shouldn't just sing their hit songs but come back with content that satisfies people in their 20s and 30s as well. Then it could succeed, perhaps surprisingly."