35 years, one voice: How rock musician Bae Chul-soo became Korea's most beloved radio legend
The voice enters the room before the man does. It's calm but commanding, a familiar tone that has drifted through Korean homes, offices and car radios for over three decades. When Bae Chul-soo, the iconic host of Korea's most beloved daily radio show, "Bae Chul-soo's Music Camp," walked into his studio at MBC's headquarters for an exclusive interview with The Korea Times May 30, he did not need to introduce himself — his voice already had. At 71, Bae's presence was surprisingly sharp and vibrant — like a vintage vinyl record that hasn’t lost its fidelity. "Music is most of who I am," he said, reflecting on a life of music, from rock concerts to live radio broadcasts during the interview. "I've spent my whole life listening to it, loving it, singing along. In the late 1970s, I was in a band, playing and creating music. Then in 1990, I started introducing music as a disc jockey. My life is practically all music. It's hard to talk about myself without it." He paused, then, with a gentle smile, added: "There's a song by John Miles called 'Music.' The lyrics go, 'Music was my first love,
