Jeon In-kwon: "40 Years of Many Trials for Deulgukhwa... No Frost Has Settled on Our Music"

40th Anniversary Concert 'Last Echo' on the 20th-21st... Two New Songs Including 'Congratulations' to be Unveiled

"Deulgukhwa Changed the Landscape of Korean Music... Three Members Left, But We Never Knew How to Give Up"

"My Musical Teachers Are 3,000 LPs... I Love Music So Much, Even at Seventy"

Jeon In-kwon practicing for the band Deulgukhwa's 40th anniversary concert (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Ryu Hyo-rim = Singer Jeon In-kwon is practicing in a rehearsal studio in Mapo-gu, Seoul, ahead of the band Deulgukhwa's 40th anniversary concert. 2025.9.12 ryousanta@yna.co.kr 

"I've been through many trials over the past 40 years. When I face trials, naturally the members of Deulgukhwa go through them with me. Even if I've been frosted, no frost has settled on Deulgukhwa's music."

Jeon In-kwon (71), the frontman of the band Deulgukhwa, said this while picking up a spoonful of naengmyeon at a restaurant in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Having just finished about two hours of band rehearsal, he seemed hungry, as if he had exerted all his energy.

Jeon In-kwon took out milk from his bag, poured it into a cup instead of water, and slowly continued his meal. He said that drinking nutritious milk intermittently is one of his unique ways of maintaining his health.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Deulgukhwa's first album, which was ranked No. 1 on the list of the 100 Best Korean Popular Music Albums. He was in the midst of practicing for the 'Deulgukhwa Jeon In-kwon 40th Anniversary Concert - Last Echo' to commemorate this event, which will be held at Yonsei University's Grand Auditorium in Seoul on the 20th and 21st.

With their debut album in 1985, Deulgukhwa rewrote the history of Korean popular music by hitting every song on the album, including 'March,' 'That's My World,' 'Everyday With You,' and 'Train to the World,' right from their debut.

Deulgukhwa, formed by Jeon In-kwon, Choi Sung-won (bass), Heo Seong-wook (keyboard), Jo Deok-hwan (guitar), and Joo Chan-kwon (who was a session member on the first album but became a formal member from the second album), enjoyed explosive popularity centered around live performances and heralded the golden age of Korean rock music in the 1980s. Frontman and vocalist Jeon In-kwon also released major hit songs as a solo artist, such as 'After Loving You' and 'Round and Round and Round.'

Jeon In-kwon expressed his feelings, saying, "40 years is an incredibly long time, and during that period, three of our members (Joo Chan-kwon, Jo Deok-hwan, and Heo Seong-wook) have passed away to heaven." He added, "However, we, Deulgukhwa, never gave up."

He showed his determination for musical activities, stating, "After reaching the summit, there is only the way down. But those who give up there simply end. The reason this concert is named 'Last Echo' is that 'last' means 'another beginning.'"

"There's still a lot to practice. I'm seventy-two years old, and I love music so much. I will perform as long as I am alive."

Jeon In-kwon Band (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Ryu Hyo-rim = Members of the Jeon In-kwon Band pose for a photo before an interview with Yonhap News at a rehearsal studio in Mapo-gu, Seoul. 2025.9.12 ryousanta@yna.co.kr 

With his silver-haired long hair and trademark black sunglasses, he filled his slowly spoken words with pride for Deulgukhwa and affection for music.

Jeon In-kwon stated, "Deulgukhwa changed the landscape of Korean music. Before us, performances were mainly 'recitals' (concerts where one person performs solo), but we changed them to be concert-centered. In the 1980s, the public said that Deulgukhwa's music was sophisticated like foreign music, but it was our music because we could hear Korean words. That was the greatest compliment," he recalled.

The vitality of Deulgukhwa and Jeon In-kwon's music did not stop solely in the 1980s.

'Everyday With You,' featured on Deulgukhwa's first album, became immensely popular 30 years after its release in 2015 when it was included in the drama 'Reply 1988.' While another first album song, 'March,' echoed in the squares demanding democratization in the harsh 1980s, his 2004 solo song 'Don't Worry, My Dear' was sung at the Gwanghwamun candlelight vigils in 2016-2017.

He mentioned that the late Lee Sun-kyun, Uhm Jung-hwa, and film director Kwak Kyung-taek were fans of Deulgukhwa and said, "Deulgukhwa's music is good to listen to at any time. I particularly like 'Please'," adding, "The songs were human and pure, so anyone could enjoy them."

However, Jeon In-kwon's musical journey has been a stop-and-go process, marked by the band's disbandment and his personal struggles.

After their third album 'Us' (1995), Deulgukhwa announced their reunion in 2012 after a 17-year hiatus, raising fans' expectations. However, the following year, in 2013, member Joo Chan-kwon suddenly passed away, and the band came to a halt again, leaving behind the album 'Deulgukhwa.'

Jeon In-kwon said, "I had many regrets (about not being able to consistently engage in music activities). But I feel like I married music at some point," and calmly added, "I just love music very much."

He found solace by visiting vast seas like Mallipo when times were tough and listening to music. He cited the many pop masterpieces he owns as his 'musical teachers.'

Jeon In-kwon practicing for the band Deulgukhwa's 40th anniversary concert (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Ryu Hyo-rim = Singer Jeon In-kwon is practicing in a rehearsal studio in Mapo-gu, Seoul, ahead of the band Deulgukhwa's 40th anniversary concert. 2025.9.12 ryousanta@yna.co.kr 

"I learned and was influenced by music from the 3,000 LPs I own," he said. "If I had to pick someone special, it would be Robert Plant, the vocalist of Led Zeppelin. His vocals are the best. He has a voice that no one else can possess."

When told that Jeon In-kwon's vocal, which is rough and bold yet delivers a profound resonance to the heart, is also unique, he responded indifferently, "Oh, really? I don't really know."

However, Jeon In-kwon's advice for 'the secret to making music for a long time' was, "Just love music at any moment. If you love it, you get immersed. That's what happened to me."

He will be taking the stage with the members of the Jeon In-kwon Band: Shin Seok-cheol (drums), Kim Jung-wook (bass), Jo Seung-yeon (keyboard), Lee Seo-jong (acoustic guitar), and Jung Hyun-cheol (electric guitar).

Along with existing representative songs, he will present two unreleased new songs: 'Congratulations,' carrying the message 'You are a strong and precious person,' and 'My Mother Goes to the Market,' a lamentation written in remembrance of his mother. 'Congratulations' can also be heard as encouragement to himself as he celebrates Deulgukhwa's 40th anniversary. He nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right."

Jeon In-kwon said, "Successful popular music comes when I tell my own story, and when others like that story and message. It's amazing that others like my story; popular music is truly good music."