been in real pain, because he looked like he was about to cry. When I suggested that we back out because he was so sick, Min-woo held his father’s hand and pleaded to stay on for the show. It was hard to watch him on stage, dancing and cheerfully talking to the presenters while doing his best to hide his sniffling so that nobody noticed. Despite discomfort, he performed Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean,’ SHINee’s ‘RingDingDong,’ and Super Junior’s ‘Bonamana,’ even better than he did at home. After seeing how he dealt with everything that day, my husband and I made up our minds to support him if that was what he wanted to do. It was obvious that he had talent.” Thanks to his TV appearance, Min-woo earned the nickname “Chairman Hwang from Gwangju” from the “Star!King” staff, who were impressed by the charisma that belied his young age. For both Min-woo and his mother, daily life was turned upside down. On the streets, people started to approach them, asking for autographs and to pose together for photos. Event organizers also contacted them to have Min-woo appear on various occasions, including performances at numerous welfare facilities for children and the elderly, university festivals, and the popular Hampyeong Butterfly Festival. The following year, Min-woo was selected as the winner of the “Star!King” biannual competition, among top weekly contestants, held at the exhibition center of the Yeosu Expo 2012.
A cut from Psy’s hit music video “Gangnam Style,” which put Hwang Min-woo in the media spotlight and earned him the nickname “Little Psy.”
© YG entertainment
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Life as ‘Little Psy’s Mom’ Min-woo’s success on “Star!King” led to another important opportunity — to appear on Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video. Min-woo, who sat next to his mother during the interview, reminisced about the video, speaking with a typical Jeolla regional accent. “Making the music video with Uncle Psy was just amazing. I danced the same bit about six times but I didn’t feel tired at all. After the shoot, Uncle Psy gave me the thumbs-up, saying, ‘You’re awesome!’ I was in heaven. I rooted for his success. At first, all I hoped for was to top the music ranking programs in Korea…I was so happy for Uncle Psy [for his global success], as if it were happening to me.” After the release of the “Gangnam Style” video, Min-woo’s nickname changed from “Chairman Hwang from Gwangju” to “Little Psy.” At school, even during class hours, children swarmed to his classroom to get a look at him and take a picture. Min-woo’s teacher had to cover the windows with paper to maintain an orderly classroom atmosphere. During breaks, Min-woo was busy signing autographs and posing for pictures with other students. Sadly, the sudden rise to stardom was also accompanied by misunderstanding and prejudice about his mother’s background. While Korean society is moving toward an increasingly multicultural future, especially with the rise in international marriages, many still cling to the notion of Korea being a homo genous nation. Little Psy’s different family background made him a target for all manner of gossip. “At first, since he has talent, we just wanted to do everything we could to support Min-woo. But after some time, kids started to tease him for having a mother from Vietnam. I felt so bad for him, and began to regret allowing him to appear on TV. If he had continued to live as an ordinary child, this part of his family life would not have been revealed to the public,” says Vu. “The most rewarding thing about my life in Korea is that my son is growing up as a healthy, good-natured child. I married a Korean man and I am proud of myself as a Korean, but I am equally proud of my Vietnamese roots. However, many Koreans are still unfamiliar with the idea of multicultural families, and Min-woo’s popularity has Ko re a n Cu l tu re & A rts