Cho Yong-pil is a South Korean singer-songwriter who is considered one of the most influential figures in South Korean popular music (K-pop). He debuted as a member of the rock band Atkins in 1968 and made his solo debut with the hit single "Come Back to Busan Port" in 1976. Cho has released 19 solo albums and has remained consistently popular during his 50-year career. Nicknamed the "King of Pop" of South Korea, his songs have ranked number one on South Korean music charts in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2010s. He was recognized with the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit for his enormous impact on the South Korean pop music scene. He was selected as Singer of the Year and his song "Bounce" was selected as Song of the Year in the surveys conducted by Gallup Korea in 2013.

K-pop, short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, rock, jazz, gospel, reggae, electronic dance, folk, country, disco, and classical on top of its traditional Korean music roots. The term "K-pop" became popular in the 2000s, especially in the international context. The Korean term for domestic pop music is gayo, which is still widely used within South Korea. While "K-pop" can refer to all popular music or pop music from South Korea, it is colloquially often used in a narrower sense for any Korean music and artists associated with the entertainment and idol industry in the country, regardless of the genre.