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The Korea Times

By Dong Sun-hwa
David Yong burst onto the K-pop scene on July 5 this year with his hip-hop flavoured debut track In My Pocket, which features high-profile Korean rapper Kid Milli.
Although there are plenty of non-Korean singers in the K-pop universe, Yong – a Singaporean – is unlike any other.
The 34-year-old, who worked as a trainee lawyer until 2014, is the chief executive of Singapore-based company Evergreen Group Holdings and runs more than 15 businesses in sectors ranging from timber to finance.

The news of the businessman’s singing debut took many people by surprise – they did not expect that he would branch out into a totally new field.
However, it has been Yong’s long-time dream to find a way to bridge the gap between K-pop and Southeast Asia, to promote Korean content and to bring talented Southeast Asian musicians onto the Korean music scene.
K-Pop Confidential author on showing ‘how fun and important K-pop is’
The CEO believes he can further explore the K-pop world by becoming a singer himself and he hopes he can use his experience to expand his K-pop business.
“I think being an influencer CEO is like being a top leader who inspires the next generation,” says Yong.
“This allows me to share my experience with young people in Southeast Asia and [show] how we should not confine ourselves to only one boundary. We should open up our minds to try different things in life without limiting ourselves to just one role.
“Today, a doctor is not just a doctor and a lawyer is not just a lawyer. Things have evolved in this way and we should all become multiplayers.”

Yong had to deal with a number of hurdles in his quest to become a singer – for example, when he was gearing up for his debut a few months ago, his biggest barrier was language.
“Most producers and artists only communicate in Korean,” he recalls. “When I first came here, it was pretty difficult to learn Korean fast enough to be able to communicate efficiently and properly with my producers. So I had to cram everything in a short period of time ― maybe about two to four months.
“It was quite intense to train and learn the language and culture of Korea at the same time.”

Yong is represented by RBW, a South Korean record label behind big-name K-pop acts such as girl group Mamamoo. His company Evergreen also signed a memorandum of understanding with RBW earlier this year.
“I and RBW first started off by discussing possible partnerships that we could do to target the Southeast Asian music market, as both of us were very keen on exporting Korean content,” Yong says.
“As we talked about different business projects, RBW found that I had the potential to become an influencer CEO, instead of just handling the business. So I got to showcase my own music after signing a contract with RBW.”


Yong adds that Kid Milli and Jeon Ji-yoon – a former member of now-defunct K-pop girl group 4Minute who appears in the music video for In My Pocket – helped him a lot.
The In My Pocket music video has, as of November 8, had more than 10 million views on YouTube.
“Both Kid Milli and Jeon were really kind,” Yong says. “In the case of Jeon, who has many years of singing experience, [she] helped me with some training, too. She guided me and taught me a lot of different techniques that I have to be aware of as a K-pop singer.”

At the moment, Yong has a lot of things on his plate.
“Next year, I will start a lot of entertainment-related projects,” he says. “I am planning to hold a K-pop music festival concert in Southeast Asia and open a pop-up for K-pop training in Singapore.
“I am also looking forward to doing more collaborations with established K-pop artists and putting out a new release in 2023.”
Read the full story at The Korea Times


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He made his K-pop debut at 34. Meet Singaporean businessman David Yong, a CEO and singer with 10 million views on YouTube

Singaporean David Yong is not just a successful businessman – at the age of 34 he is a K-pop singer and “influencer CEO”. He talks about taking a crash course in Korean and getting some pop star help. Photo: Instagram/@dynimm

Yong, 34, burst onto the K-pop scene on July 5 this year with his hip-hop flavoured debut track In My Pocket. Photo: Instagram/@dynimm

Yong runs more than 15 businesses. Photo: Instagram/@dynimm

Yong with K-pop group Bling Bling. Photo: Instagram/@dynimm

Yong with K-pop group Kep1er. Photo: Instagram/@dynimm

Are online K-pop concerts and fan interactions here to stay? Experts disagree

Fans of K-pop boy band BTS watch a live streaming online concert. Virtual concerts and streaming services became the norm during the pandemic – but which digital content changes will stay when Covid restrictions fully lift? Photo: Getty Images

Covid measures in South Korea limited people from going to cinemas, leading to a rise in the use of OTT streaming platforms. Photo: Getty Images

As coronavirus restrictions ease, the South Korean media industry has been trying to return to the way things were done pre-Covid. Photo: Getty Images

Groups like Blackpink have held online concerts and fan events during the pandemic. Photo: FilmMagic

The key to adopting new technology in K-pop will be about how well it can capture the artists’ performances, such as BTS. Photo: Tribune News Service

So good they could be Blackpink – meet the women of cover dance crew Chocomint HK,   whose ‘K-pop in public’ videos have gone viral on YouTube

Chocomint HK are a Hong Kong-based cover dance crew who are taking part in “K-pop in public”, a popular trend on social media platforms such as YouTube. Photo: Chocomint HK

Chocomint HK is made up of six friends – most of them university students with an “incredible” love of K-pop. Photo: Chocomint HK

For the members of Chocomint HK, being part of a dance crew is more than just imitating K-pop acts; it is about friendship. Photo: Chocomint HK

K-pop group Dreamcatcher on rock defining their sound, finally winning a music show and what they do to protect the planet

Girl group Dreamcatcher at Le Trianon in 2018 in Paris, France. The band stand out in the K-pop world for adding rock elements to their songs. Photo: Redferns

Dreamcatcher at the 27th Dream Concert in 2021 in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Getty Images

(From left) Sua, Siyeon, and Handong at Le Trianon in 2018 in Paris, France. Photo: Redferns

Sua performs at KPop.Flex Frankfurt 2022 in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo: Getty Images

New K-pop releases in November from AleXa, Kara and YooA – what to expect from girl group and solo acts

AleXa is among the K-pop stars releasing new content in November. Photo: AFP

Kara, one of K-pop’s second-generation girl groups from the late 2000s to the early 2010s, is dropping a new album. Photo: RBW

AleXa (centre) burst onto the K-pop scene with the digital single Bomb. Her new release, Back in Vogue, comes out in November. Photo: Imazins via Getty Images

YooA of Oh My Girl is following up her 2020 solo mini album, Bon Voyage, with a new release. Photo: Imazins via Getty Images

First K-pop, now K-food: Seoul in South Korea’s push to highlight its culinary culture beyond kimchi and kimbap is finding fans

Sea perch, potato at Restaurant Jueun in Seoul, which serves fine-dining traditional Korean cuisine. Photo: Restaurant Jueun

Dishes from 7th Door in Seoul. Modern Korean cuisine has been gaining attention both in South Korea and globally. Photo: 7th Door

Rice, seaweed and caviar at 7th Door. Photo: 7th Door

Braised short ribs at Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Choi Jung-yoon is the head chef of the Sempio Korean Fermentation Culinary Research Centre. Photo: Sempio Culinary Research Centre

Park Sung-bae and Cho Eun-hee are co-executive chefs of Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Sinseonro with rice at Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Seafood and beef kimchi salad at Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Mussel sea cucumber at Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Korean braised short ribs at Restaurant Jueun. Photo: Restaurant Jueun

Braised rockfish at 7th Door. Photo: 7th Door

Chef Kim Dae-chun of 7th Door. Photo: 7th Door

Sea perch, potato at Restaurant Jueun. Photo: Restaurant Jueun

Duck, water parsley at Restaurant Jueun. Photo: Restaurant Jueun

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David Yong is the chief executive of Singapore-based company Evergreen Group Holdings and runs more than 15 businesses. Now he is also a K-pop singer
‘Today, a doctor is not just a doctor and a lawyer is not just a lawyer,’ he says of dabbling in the entertainment industry. ‘We should all become multiplayers’



Singaporean David Yong is not just a successful businessman – he is a K-pop singer and ‘influencer CEO’. He talks about taking a crash course in Korean and getting some pop star help.


Korea Times