[E-Daily Reporter KIM HYUNSIK ] “K-Pop Hot Talk” is a weekly column that highlights memorable quotes gathered while covering the K-pop scene. <Editor’s Note>

◇“I take great pride in having created a song that’s a perfect fit for the winner.”
Composer Jo Young-soo made this remark during a recent interview with E-Daily, expressing his special affection for singer Im Young-woong’s song “Just Trust Me Now.”
Jo Young-soo is widely recognized as one of the music industry’s leading hitmakers. He has contributed to over 750 songs registered with the Korean Music Copyright Association. When asked during the interview to name the three representative songs he is most attached to, Jo Young-soo mentioned Im Young-woong’s “Just Trust Me Now” (2020), SG Wannabe’s “La La La” (2008), and Lee Seung-chul’s “There’s No One Like That” (2009). He says all three songs hold special significance because they not only reflect his unique musical style but have also been widely loved by the public.
“Just Trust Me” was released as the special prize song for Lim Young-woong, who claimed the top spot on TV Chosun’s trot competition show “Mr. Trot.”
Recalling that time, Jo Young-soo said, “Just as I did when I worked on Heo Gak’s ‘Always’—his ‘Superstar K 2’ victory bonus track—I wanted to create a song that was a 100% perfect fit for the winner.”
He continued, “Im Young-woong is not only excellent at traditional trot but also at ballads, and he has the charm of singing as if he were speaking.” He added, “I wondered what kind of song could showcase all those strengths, so I created a song that starts as a ballad and gradually builds in scale. It’s a song that utilizes every compositional technique I could muster within my capabilities.”

“Just Trust Me Now” continues to be loved by fans, so much so that it has been covered by numerous famous singers. Jo Young-soo remarked, “Although many famous vocalists have sung it, I haven’t seen anyone sing ‘Just Trust Me Now’ better than Lim Young-woong yet,” adding, “I don’t think it will be easy to find another singer who can perform this song as well as Lim Young-woong in the future.”
Jo Young-soo remarked, “I take great pride in having created a song that fits the winner perfectly,” adding, “Given that it has reached 1 billion streams on Melon, I believe it’s a meaningful song for both Lim Young-woong and his fans.” He then laughed, noting, “It’s also the song that currently brings me the most royalties.”
SG Wannabe’s “La La La” is a song they take great pride in because it achieved great results by attempting a musical transformation. Jo Young-soo explained, “Although SG Wannabe was already at the top, I thought we needed to change to receive even more love,” adding, “Rather than continuing to release similar sad songs, we decided to completely shift direction to broaden our fan base, so we created a bright, country-style song.”
It’s said that even the members were taken aback when they received a song that differed from their usual style. Jo Young-soo recalled, “I heard the members even asked, ‘Is it okay for us to sing a song like this?’” adding, “We took on the challenge with an ‘all or nothing’ mindset.”
As a result, “La La La” was loved by a wide range of age groups and established itself as one of SG Wannabe’s signature songs. Jo Young-soo expressed pride, saying, “It was a risky venture to change direction, but our strategy to broaden our fan base paid off.”

When discussing “There’s No One Like That,” he highly praised Lee Seung-chul’s exceptional expressiveness. Jo Young-soo said, “All the songs I worked on with Senior Lee Seung-chul were very well-received,” adding, “He’s someone whose emotional depth only grows as time goes by.”
He continued, “The songs I’ve written are typical Korean ballads, but Senior Lee Seung-chul took them to the next level with his voice alone,” adding, “He always surpassed the standard I, as a composer, thought was sufficient. I felt a sense of pride and gratitude every time we recorded.”
Having collaborated with various singers and earned the public’s affection in this way, Cho Young-soo has recently embarked on a new challenge by launching the virtual singer WON. WON released her debut song, “Mama Song,” on the 8th and began her promotional activities. Cho Young-soo plans to introduce three additional virtual singers in the future to form a four-member vocal group.
Jo Young-soo stated, “As a composer, my ultimate goal is to create a song that reaches No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart,” adding, “I want to pursue that dream through virtual singers.”
He also intends to continue taking on outside projects. He recently joined the panel of judges for TV Chosun’s “Mr. Trot 4,” which has just begun filming. Jo Young-soo said, “While I’m taking on the overseas market through the virtual singer project, I’m always open to writing songs for any singer who wants to work with me,” adding, “I want to be remembered as a composer who can handle all genres of music, from trot to ballads to pop.”