Seo Taiji facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seo Taiji
서태지
Seo Taiji on October 20, 2014
Born	Jeong Hyeon-cheol (1972-02-21) February 21, 1972 (age 53) Seoul, South Korea
Occupation	Singer-songwriter musician record producer
Years active	1989–1996 1998–present
Spouse(s)	Lee Ji-ah ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2006)​ Lee Eun-sung ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Pop nu metal alternative rock rap rock hip hop new jack swing
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass guitar
Labels	Seo Taiji Company Bando Eumban
Korean name
Hangul	정현철
Hanja	鄭鉉哲
Revised Romanization	Jeong Hyeoncheol
McCune–Reischauer	Chŏng Hyŏnch'ŏl
Stage name
Hangul	서태지
Hanja	徐太志
Revised Romanization	Seo Taeji
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏ T'aeji

Jeong Hyeon-cheol (Hangul: 정현철; born February 21, 1972), known as Seo Taiji (Hangul: 서태지), is a famous South Korean singer, musician, and producer. He left high school to follow his dream in music. He became one of the most important cultural figures in South Korea. Many people even call him "the President of Culture."

After playing in a heavy metal band called Sinawe, Taiji started Seo Taiji and Boys in 1991. This group quickly became very popular. Their unique music, dance, fashion, and style really connected with young people. They brought in sounds from Western music and greatly helped shape Korean pop music in the 1990s.

Seo Taiji's songs often talked about issues important to young people. These included the tough education system in Korea and the frustrations of youth facing a difficult future. When the government tried to censor his music, young people protested. This led to the end of censorship for Korean pop music lyrics. His career opened the door for more freedom of expression in K-pop. Even though he said he would retire in 1996, Taiji released his first solo album two years later and continued his successful career.

Seo Taiji's Music Journey

Starting with Sinawe

From a young age, Jeong Hyeon-cheol loved music. When he was 14, he played in several rock bands. At 17, he joined the heavy metal band Sinawe as a bass guitarist. This is when he started using the stage name "Seo Taiji." He decided to leave school because he felt it wouldn't help him become a musician.

Seo Taiji and Boys: Making K-Pop History

Seo Taiji and Boys was a very important South Korean boy band. The group also included Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno. Taiji was the leader and wrote most of the songs. He became known for mixing many different music styles.

The band faced some disagreements over their songs and lyrics. However, they became the first truly successful modern band in South Korea's music industry. Their music changed what was popular in Korea, moving away from the older "trot" style.

Solo Music Journey

1998: Seo Tai Ji

Two years after Seo Taiji and Boys broke up, Taiji started his solo career. He wanted to go back to his rock music roots. In 1998, he released an album with music videos without any public appearances in South Korea. Some people were surprised he came out of retirement. But his first solo album, Seo Tai Ji, sold over a million copies. This happened even without any promotion in Korea. His first solo work included heavy metal and nu metal songs, but the main style was still alternative rock. Fans often call this his 5th album, counting his work with Seo Taiji and Boys.

2000–2004: Ultramania and 7th Issue

Seo Taiji in a 2000 promotional image

In 2000, Seo Taiji returned to South Korea after four years away. When he arrived at Kimpo International Airport in Seoul, thousands of fans and media were there to see him.

He released the album Ultramania, which featured nu metal and Hardcore punk music. His solo success affected other South Korean boy bands, causing their popularity to decrease. His songs "Internet War" and "Ultramania" were huge hits that year. In 2001, he started the first ETPFEST music festival. After this, the parents and brother of hide from X Japan gave Taiji hide's yellow guitar. This was to celebrate ETPFEST's success and the first tribute to hide at a Korean rock festival.

Seo Taiji kept his nu metal sound for his third solo album, 7th Issue. This album was recorded in a way that made it sound like one long song. Still, it became popular with many different listeners. Fans called 7th Issue "punk rock" because of its catchy rock tunes. He also added Drum and Bass sounds to some songs, showing his skills in electronic music. J from Luna Sea played bass on this album. His song "Live Wire" was a big hit. The song "Robot" talks about his youth and struggles. "F.M.Business" criticized the commercial music business and how artists can be used by greedy record labels.

His album sales dropped to half a million because of online downloading. However, it was still the best-selling record in South Korea in 2004. Taiji proved he was still a top musician for over ten years. After being active until 2005, he disappeared from the public eye again.

2008–2009: 8th Atomos

Seo Taiji returned to South Korea after a long break. He released his new single "Moai." This was the first part of his "mystery project," which had three parts. The next single, "Bermuda Triangle," was released digitally. The third part, "Atomos Part Secret," came out on March 10. He also had a promotion called "Missing Taiji," where false rumors spread that he was missing. He then returned for his "Wormhole" concert.

In "Moai," Taiji created a new experimental style he called "nature pound." "Moai" was inspired by the mysterious statues on Easter Island, which he had loved since he was a child. He performed at the 2008 ETPFEST, which he organized for his comeback. Other bands like The Used and Marilyn Manson also performed.

Seo Taiji also created "The Great Seotaiji Symphony" with Tolga Kashif and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. They performed his old and new songs in a new way, mixing rock and classical music. The main concert was at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Some people complained about the sound quality in certain parts of the stadium. To fix this, another concert was held in December at an indoor venue, Jamsil Gymnasium, with better sound systems.

Seo's second single, "Atomos Part Secret," was released on March 10, 2009. This was the same date the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) arrived at Mars in 2006. Taiji also held a concert for his second single on March 14 and 15. Tickets for the concert, called "Wormhole," sold out in just 20 minutes.

Seo's 15th anniversary album included most of his past songs, re-recorded and improved. Only 15,000 copies were made, each with a special serial number. Seo Taiji bought numbers 1-15 himself. He kept number 1, gave numbers 2 and 3 to his old friends Lee Juno and Yang Hyun Suk, and the rest to other close friends. Since not all fans could buy the limited edition, he decided to re-release all his albums with the new versions. On April 3, the first two Seo Taiji and Boys albums were re-released. Taiji plans to re-release all seven of his albums, from "Nan Arayo!" to "7th Issue." On May 25, the 3rd and 4th Seo Taiji and Boys albums were re-released.

On June 13, Seo started a tour called "The Möbius." The first concert was in Seoul, Korea. The tour ended, but a repeat performance was given two months later. ETPFEST 2009 also took place with guest groups like NIN, Limp Bizkit, and Keane.

2014–Present: Quiet Night and 25th Anniversary

Seo Taiji on the day Quiet Night was released

In 2013, Seo Taiji announced he was working on a new album. The first song from this album, "Sogyeokdong," came out in October 2014. This song was released in two parts: the first part, with IU, came out on October 2. The second part was released on October 10. The full album, Quiet Night, was released on October 20.

In April 2017, it was announced that Seo Taiji was bringing together modern K-Pop groups to cover his old songs. This was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut with Seo Taiji and Boys. The first group announced was BTS. Other groups included Urban Zakapa and Younha. The first song from this project was a cover of "Come Back Home" by BTS. It was released with a music video on July 5, 2017. The next song, a cover of "Moai" by Urban Zakapa, came out on July 11.

Life Outside Music

On April 21, 2011, news broke that Seo Taiji had been secretly married to actress Lee Ji-ah from 1997 to 2006. Their marriage was kept private because both Seo and Lee liked to keep their personal lives hidden. They first met in 1993. After Seo temporarily retired in 1996, they married in 1997 and lived in the U.S. They separated when Seo returned to Korea in 2000.

Seo married actress Lee Eun-sung on June 26, 2013. The wedding was a small ceremony at his home in Seoul, with only family present. They met in 2008 when Lee appeared in his music video for "Bermuda Triangle." They started dating in late 2009. Their first child, a daughter, was born on August 27, 2014.

His Band Members

Even though Taiji is a "solo" artist now, these musicians often play with him. They join him for tours, recordings, and music videos. Some are also part of other bands.

• Top (Ahn Seong-hoon) – lead guitar
• Rock (Choi Chang-rok) – rhythm guitar
• Sang Uk (Monkey) – bass
• Heff "The Machine" Holter – drums
• Kim Seok-jung (Hangul: 김석중) – keyboards/programming/samples/arrangement for Seo's 8th album
• Kang Joon-hyung (Hangul: 강준형) – bass for Seo's 8th and 9th albums. He also works with the band "A'ccel in a story."
• Choi Hyun-jin (Hangul: 최현진) – drums for Seo's 8th and 9th albums. He also works with the band "Vassline."
• Doc Skim (Hangul: 닥스킴) – keyboards for Seo's 9th album

His Albums and Songs

Studio Albums

Live Albums

• Seotaiji Band Live Album 2000/2001 (2001)
• 6th Album Re-recording & ETPFEST Live (2003)
• Seotaiji Live Tour Zero '04 (2005)
• The Great Seotaiji Symphony (2009)
• 2009 Seotaiji Band Live Tour [The Möbius] (2010)

Singles and EPs

• Feel the Soul (2001, Single) (Japan-exclusive)
• 8th Atomos Part Moai (2008, EP)
• 8th Atomos Part Secret (2009, EP)

DVDs

• Seo Taiji Live Tour '2000–2001: The Taiji Speaks (2001)
• Seo Taiji Live Tour Zero '04 DVD + Art Book (2004)
• 2004 Seo Taiji Record of the 7th (2005)
• The Shedding Bird: Seo Taiji Company DVD + Art Book (2005)
• The Great 2008 Seotaiji Symphony with Tolga Kashif & Royal Philharmonic (2010)
• Seotaiji Live Tour: The Möbius (2011)
• ETP Festival 08 09 Seo Taiji (2013)

Blu-rays

• The Great 2008 Seotaiji Symphony with Tolga Kashif & Royal Philharmonic (2010)
• Atomos: The Film (2011)
• Seotaiji Live Tour: The Möbius (2011)
• Seo Taiji Record of The 8th 398 (2012)

Box Sets

• [&] Seotaiji 15th Anniversary Album Box Set (2007)

Awards and Achievements

See also

In Spanish: Seo Taiji para niños