Lim Young-woong Crowned Top Singer for 2024 Among Those Aged 40 and Over

In a recent survey conducted by Korean Gallup, Lim Young-woong has been named the top singer of 2024 among individuals aged 40 and above, amidst ongoing controversies surrounding his remarks during the current state of emergency in South Korea. The survey, which took place in July, September-October, and November, gathered responses from 5,281 participants aged 13 and older across the nation (excluding Jeju). Among respondents aged 30 and below, NewJeans secured the top spot with 25.5% support, while Lim Young-woong garnered 33.9% of votes from those aged 40 and above.

This marks Lim Young-woong's fifth consecutive year at the top for the 40 and over category. Since his debut in 2016, he rose to fame after winning the TV Chosun audition program 'Mr. Trot' in 2020, where he showcased his powerful vocal performances. He has since become a prominent figure in concerts, television, and advertising. This year, he released a new song titled 'On-gi' and saw the release of the concert film 'Lim Young-woong | I’m Hero: The Stadium'.

Following Lim Young-woong in the rankings for the 40 and over category is Lee Chan-won, who received 12.2% of the votes. Lee gained popularity as a contestant on 'Mr. Trot', finishing in third place with his hit song 'Jin Tto Baegi', and has since debuted as a full-fledged singer. This year, he released his self-composed album 'Bright: Chan' and has been active in various entertainment programs such as 'Immortal Songs', 'High-End Salt Bae', and 'Newly Released Restaurant'.

The third place went to Jang Yoon-jung (11.8%), followed by Young-tak (10.0%), Na Hoon-a (8.1%), Jin Sung (7.8%), IU (6.4%), Song Ga-in (5.8%), Jang Min-ho (4.6%), and Park Seo-jin (4.2%) rounding out the top ten.

Other notable artists receiving over 1.5% of votes but not making the top ten include Jeong Dong-won (3.5%), Kim Yeon-ja (3.3%), NewJeans (3.2%), Jeon Yu-jin (3.1%), Lee Seung-chul (2.7%), Cho Yong-pil (2.6%), Lee Moon-sae (2.3%), Sung Si-kyung (2.2%), Nam Jin (2.1%), Yang Ji-eun, BTS (방탄소년단), Lee Mu-jin (1.9% each), Rosé (1.8%), Ahn Seong-hoon (1.6%), and Park Ji-hyun (1.5%), totaling 15 artists/groups.

In the under-30 category, Rosé from BLACKPINK made headlines with her collaboration track 'APT.' with Bruno Mars, while Park Seo-jin, known as the 'God of Janggu', made his debut in the 40 and over category. Both Lim Young-woong and IU appeared in the top ten for both age groups, with many of the favored artists in the 40 and over category being participants from 'Mr. Trot'.

When analyzing preferred genres by age group, those under 30 lean towards K-pop, while those over 50 favor trot music, and the 40s demographic shows a mix of various genres. Although some artists did not make the overall top ten, they ranked within specific age groups, including SEVENTEEN and BIBI (teenagers), AKMU (20s), Sung Si-kyung (40s), Lee Moon-sae and Jeon Yu-jin (50s), and Kim Yeon-ja (60+).