Can you believe it’s been over a decade since PSY (박재상) released his global hit “Gangnam Style”? The rapper was at the peak of his career and the song gave birth to countless memes, parodies and remixes online. One of the most memorable scenes from the music video was the opening sequence that showed the idol relaxing at a park with a ‘mini version’ of himself dancing next to him.
Well, that boy dressed as PSY in the video is all grown up! Hwang Min-woo (황 민 우) turned 19 years old this year and has apparently been active in the entertainment industry since the “Gangnam Style” era so let’s learn a little more about him. Here are 6 facts about the rising young star:
1. He debuted as a singer a year after “Gangnam Style”
Hwang Min-woo certainly has a lot of potential to become a superstar as big as PSY. Just a year after his global recognition as the adorable little dancer in the viral music video, the singer made his official debut with his single “Show + Time” at only 8 years old!
2. He is known as ‘Little PSY’ on Instagram and YouTube
It’s obvious that the 19-year-old is still thankful to the famous rapper for giving him the spotlight. He could’ve easily made an effort to dissociate himself from the “Gentleman” hitmaker and chose a different name but clearly the Instagram handle @/littlepsy_hmw and YouTube channel @/OfficialLittlePSYHMW have been serving him well.
3. He paid homage to PSY in his music video “OPPA”
Last year, Hwang Min-woo released his song “OPPA” along with the music video. What fans didn’t expect was that the music video had some references to PSY’s “Gangnam Style” video. There are several similar scenes like the park scene, the ‘mini dancer’ scene (played by the idol’s younger brother) and the final dance number that is very reminiscent of the one in PSY’s global hit video.
4. He was bullied for being biracial
The young singer was born to a Korean father and a Vietnamese mother. Growing up as a biracial child in South Korea, he was often bullied because of his ancestral heritage. Thankfully, his parents did not sit back and watch their son suffer as they’ve taken legal actions against those who abused him for being mixed-race.
Thankfully, being biracial wasn’t all bad as back in 2012, he was one of the 10 recipients of the “Multicultural Youth Awards” by Korea Times Magazine. The award recognise contributions made by people who have enhanced the cultural diversity of South Korea.
5. He was a model for LG Electronics
During his “Gangnam Style” days, the young idol used to model for LG Electronics. He made his first appearance for the brand at their pop-up cafe in Singapore back in 2013 where he showed off his sick moves. Apart from the tech giant’s launch of their then-flagship smartphone, the LG Optimus G, Min-woo was definitely the star of the show that day.
6. He went to the same school as BTS‘s Jungkook, EXO‘s Kai, and ATEEZ‘s Yunho
Scrolling through his Instagram or TikTok channel, you will see some posts where the singer is sporting a very iconic yellow school uniform. The uniform is known by many to be from the School of Performing Arts Seoul (SOPA). As mentioned, many other idols graduated from that school including members from BTS, EXO, AND ATEEZ.
Sources: AsiaOne, Koreaboo, Namuwiki
