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| Singer Lim Young-woong / Courtesy of Kissing Heart |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Amid the roaring K-pop boom, singer Lim Young-woong has proven the power of trot music, with his "My Starry Love" music video becoming the most popular music video on YouTube in Korea this year.
Lim's clip, which was released on March 9, has exceeded 43 million views as of Thursday. Although the "Butter" music video by K-pop juggernaut BTS has racked up more than 630 million hits in total, it ranked second, presumably because most of its clicks have come from users outside Korea.
"The music video of 'My Starry Love' ― which was composed by veteran trot singer Seol Woon-do ― has been basking in persistent popularity since its release," YouTube said in a statement Thursday.
Lim is the winner of TV Chosun's mega-hit audition show, "Mr. Trot" (2020).
Third place went to K-pop diva IU's "Celebrity" music video that came out in January. So far, the clip has surpassed 100 million hits. Another BTS music video, "Permission to Dance," clinched the No. 4 spot.
YouTube also revealed that Dingo Music's video for the month of March, featuring the live performances of IU, was the most viewed clip on the platform in Korea this year. The video has clocked up more than 30 million views as of Thursday.
The most sought-after YouTube creator of 2021 was singer/TV personality Kim Jong-kook, who opened his channel, "GYM JONG KOOK," in June. By providing practical workout tips through his videos, Kim has garnered more than 2.3 million subscribers shortly after launching his channel. The most popular video on his channel, which features actress Song Ji-hyo, who appears on the SBS variety show "Running Man" with Kim, has exceeded 15 million views as of Thursday.
