INTERVIEW EXO's choreographer wins 1st title after fearing his time was over
Choreographer and stage director Back Koo-young poses with his "Street World Fighter: Director's War" trophy at CJ ENM Center in Mapo District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Mnet
Back Koo-young tops Mnet's 'Street World Fighter: Director's War' 4 years after 'Street Man Fighter' exit
For the past few years, choreographer Back Koo-young had quietly begun to wonder whether his time was passing, watching pitches from directors far younger than him getting picked over his own.
When he was named the winner of Mnet's "Street World Fighter: Director's War" last week, his 24 years of work in the industry meant the trophy was not a sign of a triumphant comeback but as something closer to a "perfect attendance award" — a reward for refusing to stop even when he believed his star was dimming.
"There was a time when it felt like everyone in the industry was looking for me. Then I started to feel that I was fading, too," Back said during an interview with The Korea Times at CJ ENM Center in western Seoul, Tuesday.
"I think of this trophy as a reward for the effort I never let go of, even in the middle of that."
Choreographer Back Koo-young smiles as he holds up the trophy after winning Mnet's "Street World Fighter: Director's War" during the show's final on Oct. 20. Courtesy of Mnet
The title is the first competition win of a career spent shaping some of K-pop's most recognizable work, and it came four years after he fell one step short of the final on the show's predecessor, "Street Man Fighter."
He built much of his career as a performance director for SM Entertainment, choreographing for acts including TVXQ!, Super Junior and EXO. The chorus move of EXO's 2017 hit "Ko Ko Bop" set off a worldwide dance challenge years before it became a fixture of K-pop promotions, and he later shaped The Boyz's stages on Mnet's 2021 competition "Kingdom."
In 2022, he led the crew 1MILLION on "Street Man Fighter," which was the last team eliminated before the final. He watched the last round from the audience.
"It was really hard to sit there and watch the friends who made it," he recalled.
Working for himself
This time, he made it all the way. In the final on Oct. 20, which was broadcast live, Back beat Kasper, BabyZoo and Bada with a cheer performance built around the concept of marathons, a sport he says resonates with his own life.
His wife, who was shown crying in the audience along with him, has congratulated him once every day since.
"People say I've been at the top of the industry for 20 years, but the time I actually spent in the spotlight is not even half of my career," he said. "I have devoted three quarters of my life to dance, so receiving a trophy now means a lot."
"The tears just didn't stop," he added with a dry chuckle.
Back said he joined the show because K-pop choreography is ultimately about pleasing fans, while "Director's War" offered the biggest stage to put his own stories first.
"It felt good to show what I wanted to show, even if I got criticized for it," he said. "It quenched a thirst that never gets filled when I work in the industry."
He said he enjoyed the show too much to find any mission truly hard, though he bit his tongue badly during a fall sequence in the semifinal round — something he blamed on himself with a laugh.
Choreographer and stage director Back Koo-young tears up while delivering his acceptance speech during the final of Mnet's "Street World Fighter: Director's War" on Oct. 20. Courtesy of Mnet
Wow, then aha
Back described his style as storytelling, aiming for a performance that draws an instant "wow" from the audience followed by a slower "aha."
He started dancing in fifth grade in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and decided in his second year of middle school to become a director. It took three years to win over a family so opposed that his mother once threatened to leave home. Still, he prefers to be called a dancer.
He credits his steady growth to practice and a mindset borrowed from figure skater Kim Yuna, whose interviews he followed closely.
"I knew from a young age that I had talent," he said. "But I watched many people senior to me with talent fade because they didn't keep polishing it."
Choreographer Back Koo-young speaks during an interview at CJ ENM Center in Mapo District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Mnet
Back considers this marathon finished, but notes that runners rarely race only once. The next goal is already set, as his prize includes directing the opening stage of the 2026 MAMA Awards.
"I have nothing yet. It's becoming a real problem," he admitted, adding that building a story takes him far longer than the choreography itself.
Before that, he will join the show's nationwide tour, which will kick off Nov. 21 in Seoul and travel around the country through Dec. 19.
Asked whether he would take on another competition show, he simply said no, patting the trophy beside him.
"Rather than big dreams like staging the Olympic ceremonies, I'd rather fulfill whatever goal is right in front of me," he said. "If I keep doing that well, I believe I'll become a good director, and more stages will come naturally."