The star’s moving back story – “losing his father at a young age, growing up with the care of his grandmother, barely making a living, then winning a television show” – coupled with his “perfect” vocals make him a surefire public hit, Seo said.
Although he’s largely unknown internationally, his fame has spread to the isolated North, where music from the South is banned, but activists routinely send USB sticks full of his songs by balloons across the border. Defectors have reported he’s popular.
ELDERLY FANS
At a recent concert in Seoul, tens of thousands of fans, all dressed in sky blue and waving glowing electronic wands, wept as Lim appeared on stage.
His fans are mostly elderly, and for many, this is their first celebrity obsession.
Baek Soon-ok, 87, had never watched a YouTube video of a celebrity or attended a concert before she discovered Lim.
“He’s such a kind person, good to his mother, and most of all, a great singer,” she said, wearing a sky-blue T-shirt with Lim’s face.
“I never imagined I would like an artist as much as him,” she added.
In Lim’s hometown of Pocheon city, a sky-blue cafe named Woong’s Tree doubles as a shrine to the singer.
