Lim Young-woong outshines BTS for parents'gift

For Koreans seeking an alternative to carnation bouquets on Parents' Day, Lim Young-woong concert tickets could be the perfect gift, a survey found, though securing them would be extremely challenging.

A recent survey by Focusmedia Korea, a local media content provider, revealed that among different concert options surveyed, Lim's was the most sought-after as a gift for parents.

The poll garnered responses from 2,212 apartment residents aged 25 to 59, with him taking the top spot with 48 percent of the vote.

The 33-year-old trot singer is often likened to BTS of older listeners in S. Korea, commanding dedicated fans who are united under the name of the "Young-woong Era." The singer’s given name is a homonym of “hero” in Korean.

Trot is a Korean music genre that is popular among older generations. Lim rose to stardom after appearing in the trot audition program "Mr. Trot" in 2020.

In the survey, Lim was followed by veteran singer Na Hoon-a at 20 percent. Na, 77, is also a trot singer and recently announced his retirement tour this year.

Concerts of both Lim and Na are notoriously difficult to get, due to their popularity.

Lim's upcoming "I'm Hero - The Stadium" concert on May 25 and 26 is already sold out. Na's farewell tour, which began on April 27 in Incheon, has seen its first 13 concert dates across Korea sell out entirely.

Bang Si-hyuk, the founder and chairman of Hybe, the company behind BTS, acknowledged Lim's popularity in Korea during a debate forum hosted by the Kwanhun Club, an association of senior journalists in March.

"In Korea, BTS cannot beat Lim Young-woong," he said.

A viral social media post also humorously captured the situation: "Daughters trained through their favorite K-pop band concert ticket purchase experiences are now fiercely competing for Lim's concert tickets for their parents. It seems these tickets are even harder to snag than those for any young K-pop group."

Meanwhile, trot singers Jang Yoon-jung (10 percent), Song Ga-in (7 percent), and Lee Chan-won (5 percent) rounded out the top five in the survey.