[Korean Oldies · Genre-Free] Songs from Korea you’ll want to listen to now—nostalgic Korean tracks

POPS writer/editorKEI
Since discovering music during my school days, I’ve mainly listened to Japanese and Korean pop. I have experience writing articles for sites like Utaten. 2000s J-pop and 2010s K-pop were especially the soundtrack of my youth. With the mindset that “good is good,” I enjoy music across genres. Thanks to past work environments and their influence, I was exposed to lots of classic rock and kayōkyoku (Japanese popular songs), which may have broadened the scope of what I love. At RAG MUSIC, I currently focus on K-pop and J-pop. I strive to edit with a feel for the scene and an eye for hit potential.

Beginning with Korean popular music like trot and moving through the groundbreaking work of Seo Taiji and Boys—hailed by some as “the cultural president”—Korean pop opened up new horizons.

Thanks to pioneers like the idol groups H.O.T.

and S.E.S., we also saw an increase in freer, more open forms of expression.

In Japan, hit songs by groups such as Girls’ Generation, KARA, and Wonder Girls—who helped spark the K-pop movement—were once fondly shared on social media under the hashtag “#KoreanOldies.” In this article, we’ve chosen to spotlight timeless masterpieces and nostalgic hits that defined eras in Korean music, regardless of genre.

Let’s take our time and enjoy these Korean oldies—still fresh and wonderful even today!

[Korean Oldies · Genre-Free] Songs You Want to Listen to Now! Nostalgic Korean Tracks (51–60)

Cho Yong-pil

Come Back to Busan Port조용필

조용필 – 돌아와요 부산항에

Come Back to Busan Port조용필

Cho Yong-pil, the singer who in 1987 became the first Korean artist to appear on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

He is known as a national singer who masterfully performs a wide range of genres, from enka and rock to trot.

One of his signature songs is “Return to Busan Port,” which is also well known in Japan thanks to Jiro Atsumi’s cover.

Its lyrics and melody, which depict sentimental emotions, are deeply moving.

If you enjoy the kayōkyoku and folk songs popular in Japan at the time, be sure to give it a listen.

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In conclusion

Listening to this collection of classic Korean songs, you can’t help but feel a certain sense of comfort, and there’s also a kind of strength that stands the test of time.

Modern, dance-focused, sophisticated tracks are great, of course, but revisiting these old-style melodies made me appreciate how truly wonderful they are.

I’d be delighted if you found a new favorite among them.