Get to Know The Multi-Talented Yu Hui-Yeol!
From a songwriter to radio DJ and host of major Korean TV programs. Learn more about the multi-talent artist, Yu Hui-yeol, a South Korean songwriter, singer, producer and popular radio DJ. In this article, Byeol Korea will explain all about Yu Hui-yeol. So, stay tuned!
Yu Hui-yeol’s Full Profile
Real name: Yu Hui Yeol / 유희열 / 토이
Alternative name: You Hee Yeol / Yu Hee Yeol / Toy
Nationality: South Korea South Korea
Gender: Male
Date of birth: April 19, 1972 (48 years old)
Status: active
Beginning: 1992
Genres / Profession: Radio Host, Composer, K-Pop, Lyricist, TV Presenter
Label / Agency: Antenna Music
Old band: I am Korea (Piano) (2015)
Facts About Yu Hui-Yeol
• Yu Hui-yeol graduated from the prestigious Seoul National University’s College of Music with a major in composition.
• He won the grand prize at the 4th Yoo Jae Ha Music Contest in 1992.
• He started the project band Toy in 1994
• He also has served as producer for many other K-pop musicians, including Lee Seung Hwan, Yoon Jong Shin, Lee Sore and Lee Moon Se.
• In addition to his musical endeavors, Yu Hui Yeol has hosted the major K-pop live music show “Yu Huiyeol’s Sketchbook” since 2009
• He appeared in PSY’s “Daddy” Music Video
• He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live Korea in September 2013
Yu Hui-Yeol Debut with Band TOY
The band “Toy” started as a duo of Yu Hui-yeol and Yoon Jeong-oh and was named after their two initials “y”, as in ‘Two + Y = Toy’. However, not long after releasing Toy’s debut album, Yoon Jeong-oh left the band to study overseas and Yu Hui-yeol joined the navy for his mandatory military service. Yu Hui-yeol has been the sole member of the Toy since 1996.
After he was discharged from military service, Hui-yeol released Toy’s second studio album Yooheeyeol. The title song “Remember I Was Next To You” (Korean: 내가 너의 곁에 잠시 살았다는 걸; Naega Neoui Gyeote Jamshi Sarattaneun Geol), sung by Kim Yeon-woo, and became a big hit and the album was a commercial success.
In 1997, Toy released the third studio album Present. The band also started a record label named Toy Music (currently Antenna Music). After a six-year hiatus from Fermata (2001), the band released their sixth studio album Thank You with the title song “A Passionate Goodbye” (Korean: 뜨거운 안녕; Tteugeoun Annyeong) featuring vocals by E Z Hyoung).
Yu Hui-Yeol Founder of Antenna Music
Antenna Music. The label, which was founded with the original name of Toy Music in 1997 by Yu Hui-yeol, attracted the attention of many music lovers in South Korea as an indie label who has a position in the mainstream realm. One proof can be seen in the participation of Yu Hui-yeol as the only judge from the indie music agency in the talent search event ‘K-pop Star’.
Yu Hui-yeol first founded the indie record label Toy Music in 1997. In the following decade, the label published several albums by artists including Lucid Fall, Kim Yeon-woo, Dear Cloud, and Yu Hui-yeol himself.
In 2007, the label’s name was changed to Antenna Music. The modem electronic band Peppertones signed under Antenna Music in 2008, followed by pianist Jung Jae-hyung following completion of his degree from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, and singer-songwriter Park Sae-byul.
From the latest news, the label has several soloists consists of Lucid Fall, Jung Jae-hyung, Park Sae-byul, Sam Kim, Kwon Jin-ah, Jung Seung-hwan, Lee Jin-ah, and Lee Soo-jung. Yu Hui-yeol is also known as a nice CEO because he tends to have this not-so-serious approachment with his artists. In the company, he created such a warm and family-like working environment. We can see his interactions between his artists on the video above. So funny!
