Fin.K.L
Encyclopedia
Fin.K.L was a Korea
n pop
girl group
that debuted in 1998.Their name stands for Fin Killing Liberty, and was intended to mean that the group stood against "the oppression of all freedom" (fin means "ending" in French
). The group's name was selected by a poll of young people by the record company before the group's inception. This is the reason for the lack of clear meaning in Fin.K.L's English name, for the Korean name (핑클) was selected first. Fin.K.L was one of the most popular girl groups in Korean pop, along with S.E.S.. Fin.K.L won numerous music awards until its unofficial end in 2002, when all of the members pursued solo careers in different areas of entertainment. Although they regrouped for a digital single in 2005, each member of the group has left DSP Entertainment, signed with different companies, and pursued different entertainment careers individually. Fin.K.L. remains to be in existence but it has not been active as a group since 2005.
"Hero
". Ock told her friend Lee Jin
about this group and encouraged her to join; Lee was selected after singing Eco's "" (Blessed Me) for her audition. The next member to be selected was Sung Yu Ri
, who was discovered while on a school field trip. As for the fourth member, Annie Lee (who formed Tashannie with Yoon Mi Rae) was accepted, but decided to depart after a few months. Lee Hyori
, who was found while in a mall taking sticker pictures with friends, was brought into the group.
was to have groups sing cute, catchy music, as evidenced by the success of SM Entertainment
groups S.E.S. and H.O.T.
. In contrast, Fin.K.L's initial strength was in R&B ballads led by Ock Joo Hyun's vocals; this was shown by their first single, the title song from the album. Fin.K.L's next hit "" ("To My Boyfriend") was a more typical pop song and followed popular conventions at the time. (Yuki Hsu
, a Taiwanese singer, sang a remake version of "To My Boyfriend" not long after the song's success in Korea.) They capped off their first album activities with a third single, "Ruby", which was a ballad about a lost love, and giving that love up for the good of everyone involved. The group also created a music video for a fourth single (which was eventually just left as a video and not promoted).
(나미) in 1989. No music videos were made in support of the album's release. The album sold in excess of 340,000 copies.
Because of its release date, Fin.K.L created a "winter" theme for their performances and dressed in wintry outfits to promote "White". To complete the theme, they often had fake snow falling during their "White" performances; however, this created a problem in that the snow was quite slippery, causing members and back-up dancers to slip and even occasionally fall. Due to the limited release of the album, Fin.K.L has a shorter promotion schedule. However, both of these 1999 albums helped Fin K.L win a "대상" (Daesang, the Korean equivalent of a Grammy) at the end of the year.
. Sales at the end of 2001 totaled 259,259 copies.
They have continued to work in the entertainment industry and stay in the public eye. Sung Yuri has continued acting, starting with the drama 나쁜 여자들 (Bad Girls) and receiving positive attention for 천년지애("A Love for a Thousand Years"). Sung Yuri also played the lead roles in the dramas Prince's First Love and Platoon. She was also in the drama series, One Fine day and Snow Queen, she received high praise and won awards for both performances in 2006. Sung Yu Ri also starred as Heo Yi Nok in the drama Hong Gil Dong co-starring Kang Ji Hwan and won a Best Couple award. Lee Jin has also worked in television, hosting various shows and even joining a popular comedy show for a season. Both Sung Yuri and Lee Jin won "Best Actress" in their respective categories (drama and comedy) at the end-of-year awards in 2002. Lee Jin has also debuted in the Korean film industry and has tried to distance herself from her Fin.K.L image.
After her significant weightloss, Ock Joo Hyun became very popular in 2004. Crediting it to hard exercise and yoga, she has now become a poster child for yoga in Korea, even launching her own yoga studio. Her third album came out in 2007. Lee Hyori, though, has been the standout solo member, releasing her first solo album in 2003 which catapulted her to the top of the charts and won her many advertising contracts. However, she encountered controversy on her second album's lead song "Get Ya", because it had elements that were very similar to Britney Spears
's "Do Somethin'
". Although she moved on to her second single "Shall We Dance", promotional activities were quickly stopped. Her 2007 single Toc Toc Toc, released in March 2007, reached #1 on the Music Industry Association of Korea's monthly charts.
In the fall of 2006, all the members of Fin.K.L have left DSPent and have signed on with different companies. Although there is continued speculation on the status of the group, Fin.K.L has not officially broken up as a group.
FinKL reunited and performed together on December 19, 2008 during a concert by Lee Hyori. In September 2010, Ock Joo-Hyun became the host of the KBS Cool FM music program Gayo Plaza (가요광장). Her program began airing on September 20, 2010, and her first guests were Lee Hyori, Lee Jin, and Sung Yuri as members of FinKL.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
that debuted in 1998.Their name stands for Fin Killing Liberty, and was intended to mean that the group stood against "the oppression of all freedom" (fin means "ending" in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
). The group's name was selected by a poll of young people by the record company before the group's inception. This is the reason for the lack of clear meaning in Fin.K.L's English name, for the Korean name (핑클) was selected first. Fin.K.L was one of the most popular girl groups in Korean pop, along with S.E.S.. Fin.K.L won numerous music awards until its unofficial end in 2002, when all of the members pursued solo careers in different areas of entertainment. Although they regrouped for a digital single in 2005, each member of the group has left DSP Entertainment, signed with different companies, and pursued different entertainment careers individually. Fin.K.L. remains to be in existence but it has not been active as a group since 2005.
Members
- Lee HyoriLee HyoriLee Hyori is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of the successful pop girl group Fin.K.L, but has since become a solo artist. In 2003 she released her debut solo album Stylish which won many "Daesangs"...
(이효리; 李孝利) - Ock Joo Hyun (옥주현; 玉珠鉉)
- Lee JinLee JinLee Jin is a South Korean actress. First a member of the Korean pop group Fin.K.L, along with Lee Hyori, Ock Joo Hyun, and Sung Yuri, she is currently acting in dramas and movies.-Career:...
(이진; 李眞) - Sung Yu RiSung Yu RiSung Yu Ri is a South Korean singer and actress, the youngest member of currently inactive K-pop group Fin.K.L.Sung first appeared in the miniseries "Bad Girls" which earned her the "Best New Actress" award. She followed it up with the popular series "Thousand Years Of Love" in which she...
(성유리; 成宥利)
Creation
The first member to be discovered for Fin.K.L was its lead singer, Ock Joo Hyun. She was discovered through a radio singing contest, which she won by singing Mariah Carey'sMariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
"Hero
Hero (Mariah Carey song)
"Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on October 19, 1993 by Columbia Records as the second single from Carey's third studio album, Music Box . Originally intended for Gloria Estefan, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff...
". Ock told her friend Lee Jin
Lee Jin
Lee Jin is a South Korean actress. First a member of the Korean pop group Fin.K.L, along with Lee Hyori, Ock Joo Hyun, and Sung Yuri, she is currently acting in dramas and movies.-Career:...
about this group and encouraged her to join; Lee was selected after singing Eco's "" (Blessed Me) for her audition. The next member to be selected was Sung Yu Ri
Sung Yu Ri
Sung Yu Ri is a South Korean singer and actress, the youngest member of currently inactive K-pop group Fin.K.L.Sung first appeared in the miniseries "Bad Girls" which earned her the "Best New Actress" award. She followed it up with the popular series "Thousand Years Of Love" in which she...
, who was discovered while on a school field trip. As for the fourth member, Annie Lee (who formed Tashannie with Yoon Mi Rae) was accepted, but decided to depart after a few months. Lee Hyori
Lee Hyori
Lee Hyori is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of the successful pop girl group Fin.K.L, but has since become a solo artist. In 2003 she released her debut solo album Stylish which won many "Daesangs"...
, who was found while in a mall taking sticker pictures with friends, was brought into the group.
1st album: Blue Rain (1998)
Fin. K.L debuted in 1998 with its first album Blue Rain. The trend of late 90's K-popK-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
was to have groups sing cute, catchy music, as evidenced by the success of SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment
S.M. Entertainment is an independent Korean record label, talent agency, producer, and publisher of pop music, founded by Lee Soo-man in South Korea...
groups S.E.S. and H.O.T.
H.O.T.
H.O.T. was a popular five-member South Korean boy band in the mid to late 1990s. Their name is an acronym, standing for "High-five Of Teenagers". They were formed by SM Entertainment in 1996 and disbanded in 2001.H.O.T...
. In contrast, Fin.K.L's initial strength was in R&B ballads led by Ock Joo Hyun's vocals; this was shown by their first single, the title song from the album. Fin.K.L's next hit "" ("To My Boyfriend") was a more typical pop song and followed popular conventions at the time. (Yuki Hsu
Yuki Hsu
Yuki Hsu is a Taiwanese pop singer whose career peaked in the late 1990s. She is perhaps best remembered for the single "Fen Fei" . Between 1998 and 2001 she scored a series of hits in Taiwan, though she never achieved much fame outside of Asia...
, a Taiwanese singer, sang a remake version of "To My Boyfriend" not long after the song's success in Korea.) They capped off their first album activities with a third single, "Ruby", which was a ballad about a lost love, and giving that love up for the good of everyone involved. The group also created a music video for a fourth single (which was eventually just left as a video and not promoted).
2nd album: White (1999)
Fin.K.L released a follow-up album on May 13, 1999, with White. Two hit songs from this album were "영원한 사랑" ("Forever Love") and "자존심" ("Pride"). Their second album had less of a focus on ballads, although the slow R&B song "Waiting For You" was performed occasionally. Also, Fin.K.L began limiting their music videos to one or two per album; a video was never made for "Waiting For You". Like their first, this album was very successful, selling almost 700,000 copies.2.5th album: S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (1999)
Fin.K.L released a "decimalized" or "half" album (which usually signifies either a limited or special release, such as a cover album or a themed record). Their first, their 2.5, was released on November 24, 1999, and their two most famous songs from this album were "나의 왕자님께 ("To My Prince")", a ballad, and "White", a seasonal pop song. S.P.E.C.I.A.L. also contained a remake version of "인디언 인형처럼" ("Like An Indian Doll"), a popular song sung by NamiNami
-Surname:* Ahmed al-Nami , Saudi hijacker of United Airlines Flight 93* Arsi Nami , Iranian singer* Kazutsugi Nami, Japanese businessman* Mohammad Nami, Saudi footballer-Fictional characters:...
(나미) in 1989. No music videos were made in support of the album's release. The album sold in excess of 340,000 copies.
Because of its release date, Fin.K.L created a "winter" theme for their performances and dressed in wintry outfits to promote "White". To complete the theme, they often had fake snow falling during their "White" performances; however, this created a problem in that the snow was quite slippery, causing members and back-up dancers to slip and even occasionally fall. Due to the limited release of the album, Fin.K.L has a shorter promotion schedule. However, both of these 1999 albums helped Fin K.L win a "대상" (Daesang, the Korean equivalent of a Grammy) at the end of the year.
3rd album: Now (2000)
Fin.K.L's third album Now, released on October 6, 2000, emphasized the physical maturity of Fin.K.L members. Unlike the previous catchy tunes and cute outfits, Fin.K.L members were dressed in semi-formal attire for performances for the hit single "Now" (the album's title song). "Feel Your Love", their follow-up single, had their members in school uniforms that signified transformation to womanhood. Only "Now" was promoted with a music video and a busy performance schedule; the second single was relatively ignored. The album sold over 400,000 copies.3.5th album: Melodies & Memories (2001)
Fin.K.L released their second "half" album on April 13, 2001, 6 months after their last album. Melodies & Memories was a special album consisting of remakes of Korean hits from the 80s and 90s. Instead of targeting their main fanbase of teenage listeners, this album appealed to adults in their 20s and 30s by arousing nostalgia. Singles from this album include Ye-rin Lee's "늘 지금처럼 (Come On Baby Tonight)", and Hye Eun-Yi's 1981 single "당신은 모르실거야" ("You Wouldn't Know"). Like their third album, Memories & Melodies only had one music video promoting the album (the one for "당신은 모르실거야"). However, much effort went into this video, as it recreated scenes from four popular movies for each of the members, including scenes from Pretty WomanPretty Woman
Pretty Woman is a 1990 romantic comedy film set in Los Angeles, California. Written by J.F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall, this motion picture features Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and also Hector Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. Roberts played the only...
. Sales at the end of 2001 totaled 259,259 copies.
4th album: Forever (2002)
Their last album was released in the spring of 2002. The first single, "영원" ("Forever"), was a depressing ballad about waiting forever for a lost love. This was accompanied by a video depicting four tragic stories mainly about the loss of innocence: Sung Yuri became a prostitute, Ock Joo Hyun was a sick housewife, Lee Jin became a moody artist who eventually killed herself, and Lee Hyori was a boxer who lost a finger. This song became very popular, although it was not as heavily promoted as their other lead singles. Their second single, "Don't Go Away", was chosen by the fans via the group's website, because they felt that Fin.K.L did not have an upbeat single for a while. However, this single was performed for only a short time and was abruptly dropped. By the end of 2002, the album sold 261,518 copies.The end?
Fin.K.L decided to go their separate ways, although not officially breaking up. Lee Hyori and Ock Joo Hyun have since released solo albums, while Lee Jin and Sung Yuri have acted in dramas and hosted various shows. At the end of 2005, the group made a comeback and released a digital single titled Fine Killing Liberty that had 4 songs (including the title track) and a music video. However, due to lack of promotion (as the group did not perform on the various music shows), the single failed to chart. Instead of ignoring the single, though, they have since released a special Fin.K.L Forever set that had two DVDs (one with their music videos and the other with various performances) and a photobook that also had the Fine Killing Liberty single in CD form.They have continued to work in the entertainment industry and stay in the public eye. Sung Yuri has continued acting, starting with the drama 나쁜 여자들 (Bad Girls) and receiving positive attention for 천년지애("A Love for a Thousand Years"). Sung Yuri also played the lead roles in the dramas Prince's First Love and Platoon. She was also in the drama series, One Fine day and Snow Queen, she received high praise and won awards for both performances in 2006. Sung Yu Ri also starred as Heo Yi Nok in the drama Hong Gil Dong co-starring Kang Ji Hwan and won a Best Couple award. Lee Jin has also worked in television, hosting various shows and even joining a popular comedy show for a season. Both Sung Yuri and Lee Jin won "Best Actress" in their respective categories (drama and comedy) at the end-of-year awards in 2002. Lee Jin has also debuted in the Korean film industry and has tried to distance herself from her Fin.K.L image.
After her significant weightloss, Ock Joo Hyun became very popular in 2004. Crediting it to hard exercise and yoga, she has now become a poster child for yoga in Korea, even launching her own yoga studio. Her third album came out in 2007. Lee Hyori, though, has been the standout solo member, releasing her first solo album in 2003 which catapulted her to the top of the charts and won her many advertising contracts. However, she encountered controversy on her second album's lead song "Get Ya", because it had elements that were very similar to Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
's "Do Somethin'
Do Somethin'
"Do Somethin" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her first greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative. It was released on February 14, 2005 by Jive Records as the second single from the album worldwide except North America...
". Although she moved on to her second single "Shall We Dance", promotional activities were quickly stopped. Her 2007 single Toc Toc Toc, released in March 2007, reached #1 on the Music Industry Association of Korea's monthly charts.
In the fall of 2006, all the members of Fin.K.L have left DSPent and have signed on with different companies. Although there is continued speculation on the status of the group, Fin.K.L has not officially broken up as a group.
FinKL reunited and performed together on December 19, 2008 during a concert by Lee Hyori. In September 2010, Ock Joo-Hyun became the host of the KBS Cool FM music program Gayo Plaza (가요광장). Her program began airing on September 20, 2010, and her first guests were Lee Hyori, Lee Jin, and Sung Yuri as members of FinKL.
Korean Discography
| Album # | Album information | Tracklisting | Peak positions |
Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Blue Rain
|
|
1 | 400,000+ |
| 2nd | White
|
|
1 | 700,000+ |
| 2.5th | S.P.E.C.I.A.L.(White Remake)
|
|
1 | 350,000+ |
| 3rd | Now
|
|
1 | 450,000+ |
| 3.5th | Melodies & Memories
|
|
1 | 300,000+ |
| 4th | Forever
|
|
1 | 300,000+ |
| Digtal Single | Return Of Queens
|
|
- | - |
See also
- SS501
- KaraKara (band)Kara is a popular South Korean girl group signed with DSP Media . The band name Kara comes from the Greek Word "chara" Kara (Hangul: 카라, Japanese: カラ, often stylized as KARA) is a popular South Korean girl group signed with DSP Media (DSP). The band name Kara comes from the Greek Word "chara" Kara...
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of Koreans
- K-pop
- Contemporary culture of South KoreaContemporary culture of South KoreaThe contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...
- Korean musicKorean musicTraditional Korean music includes both the folk, vocal, religious and ritual music styles of the Korean people. Korean music, along with arts, painting, and sculpture has been practiced since prehistoric times....
- Daesung EntertainmentDaesung EntertainmentDSP Media, formerly known as DSP Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment company, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It's successes included girl group Fin.K.L, who won a prestigious "Daesang", or "Best Artist Award", in 1999 and boy band Sechs Kies...