Kim Hojoong Hits 6th Melon Gold Club Milestone

Singer Kim Hojoong has achieved a cumulative 5 billion streams on Melon, South Korea's largest music streaming service, becoming the sixth artist to be inducted into the 'Gold Club'. The Gold Club, part of Melon's 'Hall of Fame', is a title awarded to top artists who have recorded between 5 billion and 10 billion streams.

This achievement is particularly significant because it was accomplished not by relying on a single hit song, but through the consistent popularity of multiple representative tracks. It is considered a highly unusual feat for a solo artist, whose music is based on trot and classical genres, to reach such a milestone in a music market predominantly led by idol groups.

Kim Hojoong first gained attention in 2009 when he appeared on the show 'Star King' as the 'High School Pavarotti', and his story later served as the inspiration for the movie 'Paparotti'. He then rose to mainstream popularity by securing fourth place in the 2020 competition 'Mr. Trot', and has since built his own musical world by blending trot and classical singing. His full-length album 'Our' and his classical album 'The Classic Album' each sold over 500,000 copies, further proving his popularity.