Deeply rooted in the musical tradition of trot, a genre of Korean popular music, Lim Young-woong (June 16, 1991) is a South Korean singer who jumped to fame in 2020 after winning the reality show Mr. Trot. Born and raised in the city of Pocheon, Lim Young-woong won several awards at local singing competitions before signing with Mulgogi Music and making his official debut in 2016 with the single “Hate You.” He followed up in 2017 with the single “What’s So Important?,” and then returned in 2018 with the track “Elevator.” In December of that year, Lim Young-woon released a collaborative album with singer Park Seo-jin titled Newness of Trot, which brought him a certain degree of recognition. His big breakthrough moment arrived in 2020, when he outperformed nearly 17,000 applicants to become the winner of the reality show Mr. Trot. “Trust in Me,” his first single after winning the show, peaked at Number 11 on the Gaon Digital Chart and earned him awards at the Melon Music Awards and Genie Music Awards in the categories of Best Trot and Best Trot Track, respectively. “Hero” (2020) a collaboration with SsangYong Motor, hit Number 7 in South Korea and was followed by “My Starry Love” (2021), Lim Young-woong’s first single to reach the top of the Gaon charts. In August 29, 2025, Lim released his second studio album, IM HERO 2.
