Hwang Min-woo
| Hwang Min-Woo | |
|---|---|
 Hwang in December 2012 | |
| Born |
Hwang Min-Woo October 17, 2005 South Korea |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Occupation | Actor, dancer, singer |
| Years active | 2010- |
Hwang Min-woo (October 17, 2005) is a South Korean child actor, singer and dancer. He is best known for his appearance in the video for the 2012 international hit single "Gangnam Style".
Career
National fame
In 2010, he rose to fame and caught the attention of the Vietnamese-South Korean media with his dance moves during the South Korean TV series Star King.[1] He also appeared on the reality television show Korea's Got Talent, where he was praised by the judges for his stage presence and dance skills.[2]
International recognition
After my stage performance, 10 huge American
bodyguards came to protect me as people
were about to run me over. I thought to myself:
Am I the president?
Hwang's performance on Korea's Got Talent was witnessed by the South Korean music artist PSY, who subsequently called him up to appear in the music video of "Gangnam Style".[4]
As a result of the worldwide popularity of "Gangnam Style", Hwang has gained an international cult following and also caught the attention of foreign broadcasting networks such as CNN[4] and ABC News, with the latter reporting that "he's now dancing in domestic awards ceremonies as a special guest, going live on national television news and even shooting commercials for companies such as LG", and that his "mounting popularity" has put him on concerts overseas in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Los Angeles."[3] According to Soompi, he has become one of the "hottest" celebrities in K-Pop (Korean-Pop).[5]
In February 2013, Hwang arrived in Singapore to promote the LG Optimus G smartphone. During an interview with reporters, he expressed his desire to step away from "Gangnam Style" and disclosed the title of his upcoming single, "Showtime".[6]
Personal life
Hwang's father is South Korean and his mother is Vietnamese.[7] In 2012, Hwang Min-Woo was selected as one of the 10 recipients of South Korea's 1st "Multicultural Youth Awards" launched by the Korea Times to recognize contributions made by people who have enhanced the cultural diversity of South Korea.[8] However, due to the prevalence of racism in South Korea, his family has had to take legal action against those who have bullied him over his ancestral heritage.[9]
During an interview with the news agency Reuters, Hwang Min-Woo revealed that he aspires to become a "global star" and surpass PSY's popularity in the future.[10]
References
- ↑ "Little Shindong on Star King!". Allkpop. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- ↑ "Who's the dancing kid in PSY's "Gangnam Style" MV?". Allkpop. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- 1 2 LEE, SUNGEUN. "'Little Psy,' 7, Grabs 'Gangnam Style' Spotlight". ABC News. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- 1 2 Cha, Frances. "Interview: PSY on 'Gangnam Style,' posers and that hysterical little boy". CNN. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- ↑ ""Gangnam Style" Makes "Little Psy" Hwang Min Woo Top Event Guest". Soompi. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- ↑ "Never mind Gangnam Style, Little Psy is ready to step out of Big Psy's shadow". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ↑ "Local Newspaper Organizes 1st Korea Multicultural Youth Awards". Arirang News. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ "10 students receive multicultural youth award". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
The award recipients included "Little Psy" Hwang Min-woo, whose popularity soared after appearing in South Korean pop sensation Psy's "Gangnam Style" music video, and Nigerian Vanessa Ossy.
- ↑ Kang, Tae-jun (August 20, 2013). "Korea's Multicultural Growing Pains". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ↑ Powell, Alicia. "Little Psy sets his sights high". Reuters. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
