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Kim Kwang Jin
Kim Kwang Jin (Korean: 김광진; born September 17, 1964) is a singer-songwriter who represents K-pop music of the 90s.

His first album ‘Virgin Flight’ is released from SM Entertainment in 1992. However, ‘Virgin Flight’ failed to draw any attention from the public. However, Kim finally proved his existence with the success of duo ‘The Classic” in 1994.

THE CLASSIC
Kim's single "Magic Castle" captivated people with its massive orchestral arrangements and magnificently rich sounds, which were previously unheard of in the Korean music industry at the time. It was a unique form of song that was a combination of classical harmonious elements and new lyrics, mixed with fairy tale and fantasy elements, as well as an unpredictable melody line.

After his lead single "Magic Castle" became a mega hit in the 90s, fans of all ages loved the song and recognized it as one of the most representative songs in South Korea. “Magic Castle” is even featured in Korean children’s textbooks due to its widespread popularity.

As soon as it was released, the single received an explosive response and reached the number one for six consecutive weeks on the Music Box charts in 1994, selling than 1 million copies without any TV appearance and promotions.

It is obvious that Kim’s song is one of the greatest songs of all times. This is evident the fact that many fellow singers have remade the song. For example, TVXQ, the top star of K-pop, and other fellow singers such as Im Young Woong, Seo Young-Eun, Sweet Sorrow, and Choi Jeong-Won have remade this song in Korea. In addition, the group The King's Singer s in England and Arugarei in Japan also remade the song. The King's Singers, Andre Gagnon, the Paris Boys Choir, and the violinist Kim Ji-Hyun played "Magic Castle" in various performances throughout Korea.

THE CLASSIC II
In addition to his music career, Kim also has distinguished achievements in the music video industry. After releasing his mega-hit "Magic Castle,” Kim went on to film music videos for two of his singles, "Lady in the Rainy Night" and "War and Love" from his second album titled the Classic II in the United States. These music videos raised the bar in terms of the quality of future South Korean music videos. The two music videos were created in New York under the close collaboration of Korean and American staff, setting the stage for modern Korean music.

Kim has already been accredited for making music videos in collaboration with American staff in the 1990s. His beautiful songs only become more powerful art when combined with video media.

Since The Classic III failed to draw attention from the public Kim stopped the The Classic temporarily, Kim started to produce his solo album from 1998.

The Letter
‘The Letter is the single track of Kwang Jin Kim III.

Using antiquated words in the lyrics, the song has deeply described the sorrow of farewell between lovers. Response of the song was slow at time of release, but ‘The Letter’ stands out one of most remade and covered songs in K-pop history through times..

Songwriting
Kwang Jin Kim is a singer-songwriter who has composed a plethora of hit songs sung by numerous K-pop singers, as well as for his own musical career.

Kim has written a lot of hit songs, including “A Vow of Love” sung by Han Dong Joon, “Dunk Shot” and “To Me” sung by Lee Seung Hwan, “Like the First Feeling” and “Remember Me” sung by Lee Sora, “We Don’t Know” sung by Park Hyo Shin, “Anywhere” sung by Sung Si Kyung, and recently, “Seeking for a Star” sung by IU. These are among the most popular singers in the Korean history of entertainment, all of them having been at the top of the list of popularity in Korea (equivalent to the most popular singers in the U.S. such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley).

In particular, the hit singles “To Me” by Lee Seung Hwan and “Remember Me” by Lee Sora reached number one on the Music Box charts.

Kim possesses true talent to create genuine and catchy melodies. His original melody has the power to be loved and appreciated by fans surpassing time and generations. His “A Vow of Love” sung by Han Dong Joon is still widely regarded and selected as a nuptial hymn, and “Like the First Feeling” sung by Lee Sora has been selected as one of the all-time most favorite songs of South Korean citizens.

“To Me” and “Dunk Shot” sung by Lee Seung Hwan reached the top of the Music Box charts and have been constantly remade by junior fellow musicians. The idol group NCT remade “Dunk Shot” and Lee Se-jun remade “To Me”. “Remember Me” sung by Lee Sora has been at the top of the charts and “Like the First Feeling” was also remade by junior music artists.

Superstar K Season 3
Kim is a respected mentor in the field of K-pop (abbreviation of “Korean pop”) in South Korea. He is a role model for many young musicians in terms of his musical quality, and has a superb reputation in the finance field as a fund manager.

Many artists who pursue music look up to Kim as their role model. This was evident in Top 11 of Superstar K Season 3 in 2011. The last 11 remaining contestants were given a mission that they chose and sing one song from the songs of five famous composers by the production team of Superstar K. Four out of the 11 competitors selected the songs of Kim. After the episode, the four songs sung by the competitors who chose Kim’s songs reached the top of musical charts. Chris, who was the only foreigner among the participants, also chose "True Heart" by Kim. In the end, it was clearly obvious that Kim’s music can globally appeal to musicians such as Chris. The songs chosen by contestants were "Letter" by Lee Jeong A, "True Heart" by Chris, "A Fox" by Two Months, and "Dream Girl" by Busker Busker. After the contest, "Dream Girl" by Busker Busker became the top hit South Korean song in the second half of 2011. People said “ Superstar K season 3 was almost a tribute show for Kwang Jin Kim”

The fact that aspiring young musicians love Kim’s songs and musically sensitive artists prefer to his music prove the exceptional quality of his music and the far reach of his prowess. In fact, his songs are constantly remade and redone as covers. According to the Korea Music Copyright Association, he has a total number of 154 songs registered and a total of 30 artists have remade his 12 songs. The number of viewers of his songs posted on YouTube is greatly surpassed by this.

Immortal Songs
Kim was featured on the KBS TV show, Immortal Songs: To Sing the Legend Season 2, a two-hour tribute to his music. The seven teams of junior artists reinterpreted and sang his most famous songs, which shed a new light on the popularity and appreciation of his music.

Recent Activities
Kim has participated an event of Fireside chat in the reunion of University of Michigan in 2023."'Reflecting back to the winter of 1986, I was facing that classic dilemma of staying in school or taking a different path. It was during this period that fate intervened, leading me to participate in the 'Business Follies' talent show at the B-school. On that memorable night, I chose to perform 'Just the Way You Are' by Billy Joel. To my astonishment, the audience responded with resounding enthusiasm, propelling me into a newfound prominence within the student body.'"As a baseball fan, Kim had dedicated his song to Eric Jokisch, a pitcher of Kiwoom Heros at his concert in June 2023. Kiwoom Heros used this music for background music in the video clip describing his departure.

In October 2023, Kim as a leader of THE CLASSIC has participated Grand Mint Festival for the first time of his music career. After the festival, The Classic is selected one of best 3 performance among the all participant. Grand Mint Festival has provided a documentary concerning his meaningful participation as one of representative group in K-pop history.