Fin.K.L revives legacy of 1st-gen K-pop with its return

Fin.K.L is preparing to work together again in Seoul for the first time since its 2005 digital single Forever Fin.K.L, with new music and performances planned over the next two years ahead of its 30th anniversary in 2028. The four members — Lee Hyori, Ock Joo-hyun, Lee Jin and Sung Yu-ri — are returning under Gemstone E&M’s Fin.K.L RE:BLOOM project. The comeback is framed as a lasting return rather than a one-off reunion.

Fin.K.L debuted in May 1998 with Blue Rain and To My Boyfriend, and later released Ruby as its next single.

The group’s third album, Now, was released in October 2000 and became one of its signature songs after topping music chart shows.

Lee Hyori released her first solo album Stylish... on Aug. 14, 2003, and its track 10 Minutes became a major hit.

Ock Joo-hyun made her musical theater debut in 2005 in the Korean premiere of Aida and later played lead roles in Elisabeth and Rebecca.

Gemstone E&M plans to roll out a documentary, an exhibition, official merchandise and fan projects during the next two years under the slogan FIN.K.L RE:BLOOM.

Published Sep 30, 2026 12:00 pm KST

Girl group marked beginning of idol era in 1990s

From left are Fin.K.L members Lee Jin, Lee Hyori, Ock Joo-hyun and Sung Yu-ri. Korea Times file

Around the turn of the millennium, first generation K-pop girl group Fin.K.L went from a sweet, fairytale image created through songs like "To My Boyfriend" and "Eternal Love" to the hip-hop-driven "Now." Its four members then branched out into separate careers that kept them in the public eye long after the group stopped putting out records.

That trajectory is back in focus as the quartet — Lee Hyori, Ock Joo-hyun, Lee Jin and Sung Yu-ri — prepares to work together again for the first time since the 2005 digital single "Forever Fin.K.L."

Their agency, Gemstone E&M, has laid out roughly two years of new music and performances leading up to the group's 30th anniversary in 2028.

From Blue Rain to Now

Fin.K.L debuted in May 1998 with an album that included "Blue Rain" and "To My Boyfriend." The ballad "Ruby" followed as the next single, extending a run of early hits.

Launched by DSP Media, then known as Daesung Planning, Fin.K.L arrived a year after SM Entertainment's girl group S.E.S., and the two groups were widely seen as rivals, mirroring the competition between their agencies, which stood side by side as leading idol producers into the early 2000s.

In May 1999, the group released its second album, "White." Its title track, "Eternal Love," pushed the group's fairy concept even further, and its catchy melody and easy-to-follow choreography made it a sensation. The follow-up single, "Pride," drew a response nearly as strong.

In November 1999 came "S.P.E.C.I.A.L," a special album the members made for fans while preparing their third full-length release.

That third album, "Now," released in October 2000, marked a complete change in the group's image.

The title track was a hip-hop dance number that set aside the group's girlish look for a more mature style, and its choreography was far more demanding than earlier songs. "Now" topped music chart shows and became one of the group's signatures. Its music video featured Zo In-sung, then an up-and-coming actor.

The group released its fourth album in 2002, led by the track "Forever."

Across releases, Fin.K.L moved between innocent, youthful concepts and bolder, more confident styles, winning over both a mass audience and a dedicated fan base.

Music critic Kim Sung-soo noted that while boy groups such as H.O.T. and Sechs Kies opened the idol era, it was the girl groups, including Fin.K.L, S.E.S. and Baby V.O.X, that came to hold sway.

"From then on, girl groups and boy groups were launched like seasons, and this generation was also the first to get a generational label," Kim said. "A single group alone could not have shifted the tide. Having several groups to choose from, each satisfying different tastes, was enough on its own to grow the market."

Even at the group's peak, the members were fixtures on variety shows and took on individual work as radio DJs and TV hosts. Fin.K.L never formally announced a breakup — instead, the members turned their attention to solo work.

Lee Hyori released her first solo album, "Stylish...," on Aug. 14, 2003. The track, "10 Minutes," became a major hit and established her as a solo star. She went on to become a K-pop's icon with hits such as "U-Go-Girl" (2008), "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (2010), "Bad Girls" (2013) and "Miss Korea" (2013), which she wrote herself.

She also became a fixture on television. She led SBS' variety show "Family Outing" (2008 - 2010) alongside Yoo Jae-suk, and after marrying musician Lee Sang-soon in 2013, she opened the couple's Jeju home to guests in JTBC's reality show "Hyori's Homestay" (2017). She currently co-hosts the JTBC relationship reality show "Love War."

Ock, meanwhile, took her voice to the stage. The group's main vocalist made her musical theater debut in 2005 in the Korean premiere of "Aida," winning the newcomer award at the Korea Musical Awards. When the production returned in 2010, she was cast as its sole Aida — a departure from the common practice of having major stars alternate playing the role.

She went on to play the title role in the Korean premiere of "Elisabeth" in 2012. In 2013, she took on her first villain role as Mrs. Danvers in the Korean premiere of "Rebecca," winning best supporting actress at that year's The Musical Awards. Over two decades, she has risen to the top ranks of Korea's musical stage actors.

Sung landed the lead in the 2003 fantasy drama "Thousand Years of Love," playing a Baekje era ((18 B.C.-A.D. 660) princess who time travels to the present. She and Lee Jin went on to move between acting and broadcasting. Lee married in 2016 and moved to New York.

Ock Joo-hyun performs during "VOKAL," a concert marking the 10th anniversary of her musical theater debut, at BlueSquare Theater in Seoul in January 2016. Newsis

The members reunited in 2019, when they appeared together on JTBC's "Camping Club" for the first time in 14 years and released a new song tied to the show. Gemstone E&M has framed the current return as something different: a "lasting return to activities" under the Fin.K.L name rather than a one-off project.

Under the slogan "FIN.K.L RE:BLOOM," the agency plans to spend the next two years on new music and live performances. A documentary, an exhibition, official merchandise and fan projects will be rolled out in stages.

"We want to create a special moment for fans who have long waited for Fin.K.L, and an opportunity for a new generation to discover the group," said Jason Lee, CEO overseeing group management at Gemstone E&M.

From left, Fin.K.L members Ock Joo-hyun, Lee Hyori, Lee Jin and Sung Yu-ri pose in an elevator bearing the logo of Gemstone E&M, the agency overseeing the group's activities, in this photo posted Sept. 29. Captured from Lee Jin's Instagram

Kim traced the group's resonance to the time it emerged. Fin.K.L debuted as Korea felt the brunt of the Asian financial crisis, and was active through a period when society was trying to recover "but still carried many scars."

He said young people today share a familiarty with that mood. "Economic indicators are improving, but young people don't feel it," he said. "Fin.K.L sang songs that seemed to soothe that kind of anxiety, and if the revival of this group can tap into that, it will be meaningful."

For that reason, Kim said, the group's first task should be reaching people in their 20s and 30s. "If it stops at meeting old fans, it will end there," he said.

"Retro, the feeling of going back to the good old days, is regressive, so it isn't powerful," he added. "They shouldn't just sing their hit songs but come back with content that satisfies people in their 20s and 30s as well. Then it could succeed, perhaps surprisingly."

Fin.KL 即将重返首尔，这是自 2005 年发行数位单曲《Forever Fin.KL》以来，她们首次重聚。为了迎接 2028 年出道 30 周年，她们计划在未来两年推出全新音乐作品并进行演出。四位成员——李孝利、玉珠贤、李真和成宥利——将以 Gemstone E&M 旗下 Fin.KL RE:BLOOM 项目的形式回归。此次回归被视为一次长期的回归，而非一次性的重聚。

Fin.KL 于 1998 年 5 月以《Blue Rain》和《To My Boyfriend》出道，之后发行了《Ruby》作为其下一首单曲。

该组合的第三张专辑《Now》于 2000 年 10 月发行，并在音乐排行榜上名列前茅，成为其代表作之一。

李孝利于 2003 年 8 月 14 日发行了她的首张个人专辑《Stylish...》，其中的歌曲《10 Minutes》大获成功。

玉珠贤于 2005 年在音乐剧《阿依达》的韩国首演中首次亮相，之后在《伊丽莎白》和《丽贝卡》中担任主角。

Gemstone E&M 计划在未来两年内以 FIN.KL RE:BLOOM 为口号推出纪录片、展览、官方商品和粉丝项目。

发布于2026年9月30日韩国时间下午12:00

女子组合标志着20世纪90年代偶像时代的开始。

从左至右依次为Fin.KL成员李真、李孝利、玉珠贤和成宥利。（韩国时报资料图）

千禧年之交，第一代韩国流行女子组合Fin.KL凭借《致我的男友》和《永恒的爱》等歌曲，从甜美梦幻的形象转型为嘻哈风格的《Now》。之后，四位成员各自发展，即使组合停止发行唱片，她们依然活跃在公众视野中。

随着李孝利、玉珠贤、李真和成宥利这四位成员自 2005 年的数码单曲《Forever Fin.KL》之后首次再次合作，她们的发展轨迹再次成为关注焦点。

他们的经纪公司 Gemstone E&M 已经制定了大约两年的新音乐和演出计划，以迎接该组合在 2028 年成立 30 周年。

从《蓝色雨》到现在

Fin.KL于1998年5月发行了首张专辑，其中收录了《Blue Rain》和《To My Boyfriend》等歌曲。随后发行的单曲是抒情歌曲《Ruby》，延续了他们早期热门歌曲的势头。

Fin.KL 由 DSP Media（当时名为 Daesung Planning）推出，比 SM Entertainment 的女子组合 SES 晚一年出道。这两个组合被广泛视为竞争对手，反映了它们各自经纪公司之间的竞争，这两家公司并肩作战，成为 21 世纪初领先的偶像制作公司。

1999年5月，该组合发行了第二张专辑《White》。主打歌《Eternal Love》进一步强化了组合的仙女概念，其朗朗上口的旋律和简单易学的舞蹈使其风靡一时。后续单曲《Pride》也获得了同样热烈的反响。

1999 年 11 月，乐队成员们为粉丝们制作了一张名为《SPECIAL》的特别专辑，以此来筹备他们的第三张完整专辑。

第三张专辑《Now》于 2000 年 10 月发行，标志着该组合形象的彻底改变。

主打歌是一首嘻哈舞曲，一改组合以往的少女形象，展现出更加成熟的风格，编舞难度也远超以往歌曲。《Now》迅速登上各大音乐排行榜榜首，成为组合的代表作之一。其MV由当时崭露头角的演员赵寅成出演。

该乐队于 2002 年发行了第四张专辑，主打歌为《Forever》。

在各个作品中，Fin.KL 的风格在天真烂漫的青春气息和更加大胆自信的风格之间游刃有余，赢得了广大观众和忠实粉丝的喜爱。

音乐评论家金成洙指出，虽然像 HOT 和 Sechs Kies 这样的男子组合开启了偶像时代，但最终占据主导地位的是 Fin.KL、SES 和 Baby VOX 等女子组合。

“从那时起，女团和男团就像季节一样轮番推出，而这一代也是第一批被贴上‘世代’标签的群体，”金说。“单靠一个组合是无法改变潮流的。拥有多个组合可供选择，每个组合都能满足不同的口味，这本身就足以促进市场增长。”

即使在组合的巅峰时期，成员们也经常出现在各种综艺节目中，并各自从事电台DJ和电视主持人等个人工作。Fin.KL从未正式宣布解散——相反，成员们将重心转向了个人发展。

李孝利于2003年8月14日发行了她的首张个人专辑《Stylish...》。主打歌《10 Minutes》大获成功，奠定了她作为solo明星的地位。之后，她凭借《U-Go-Girl》（2008）、《飞天万能车》（2010）、《坏女孩》（2013）以及她自己创作的《韩国小姐》（2013）等热门歌曲，成为韩国流行音乐的标志性人物。

她也成为了电视荧屏上的常客。她曾与刘在石共同主持SBS综艺节目《家族诞生》（2008-2010），2013年与音乐人李尚顺结婚后，她还在JTBC真人秀节目《孝利家民宿》（2017）中向嘉宾开放了他们在济州岛的家。目前，她与人共同主持JTBC恋爱真人秀节目《恋爱战争》。

与此同时，玉将她的歌声带到了舞台上。这位组合的主唱于2005年在韩国首演的音乐剧《阿依达》中首次亮相，并荣获韩国音乐剧大奖最佳新人奖。2010年该剧再次上演时，她被选中一人分饰阿依达一角——这打破了以往由多位明星轮流出演该角色的惯例。

2012年，她在韩国首演的音乐剧《伊丽莎白》中担纲主演。2013年，她在韩国首演的音乐剧《丽贝卡》中首次挑战反派角色丹弗斯夫人，并凭借此角色荣获当年音乐剧大奖最佳女配角奖。二十多年来，她已跻身韩国音乐剧舞台剧演员的顶尖行列。

成秀玲在2003年的奇幻剧《千年之恋》中担任女主角，饰演一位穿越到现代的百济时代（公元前18年-公元660年）公主。之后，她和李镇开始在演艺和电视主持领域之间转换。李镇于2016年结婚，并移居纽约。

2016年1月，玉珠贤在首尔BlueSquare剧场举行的“VOKAL”演唱会上表演，这场演唱会是为了纪念她音乐剧出道十周年。

成员们于2019年重聚，时隔14年再次共同出演JTBC综艺节目《露营俱乐部》，并发行了与该节目相关的全新歌曲。Gemstone E&M将此次回归定义为与以往不同的“长期回归”，以Fin.KL的名义进行活动，而非一次性企划。

FIN.KL RE:BLOOM 是该机构的重头戏，他们计划在未来两年专注于新音乐和现场演出。纪录片、展览、官方周边商品和粉丝活动也将分阶段推出。

“我们希望为一直期待 Fin.KL 的粉丝们创造一个特别的时刻，也希望为新一代人提供一个了解这个组合的机会，” Gemstone E&M 负责该组合管理的首席执行官 Jason Lee 表示。

这张照片于9月29日发布，照片中Fin.KL成员玉珠贤、李孝利、李真和成宥利（从左至右）站在印有经纪公司Gemstone E&M标志的电梯里，Gemstone E&M是该组合的经纪公司。照片来自李真的Instagram账号。

金认为该组合的走红与其出道的时代背景密切相关。Fin.KL 出道时，韩国正遭受亚洲金融危机的重创，而他们的活跃时期正值社会试图复苏“但仍伤痕累累”之际。

他说，如今的年轻人对这种情绪并不陌生。“经济指标在改善，但年轻人却感受不到，”他说。“Fin.KL的歌曲似乎能抚慰这种焦虑，如果这个组合的复兴能够触动这种情绪，那就意义非凡了。”

因此，金表示，该组合的首要任务应该是接触20多岁和30多岁的人群。“如果仅仅止步于与老粉丝见面，那就到此为止了。”他说。

“复古，那种回到美好旧时光的感觉，其实是一种倒退，所以它并不强大，”他补充道。“他们不应该只是唱那些热门歌曲，而应该创作出能够满足二三十岁人群的作品。那样的话，或许就能成功，甚至会出人意料地成功。”