Jo Seong-hyeon (; born July 5, 1983), known professionally as Eru (), is an American-born South Korean singer and actor based in South Korea. His

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Eru has the meaning that he would accomplish his dreams as a musician. Its also a name that is made from Lee (李) which is the surname of his mother and lu (鏤), which means to inscribe his name on something. He is known as "

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

's Prince," given his popularity in that country.

Early life and education

Eru was born Jo Seong-hyeon on July 5, 1983, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to South Korean parents. He is the second and youngest son of one of the most popular veteran South Korean

trot The trot is a two-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is som ...

singers,

Tae Jin-ah Jo Bang-heon (; born February 16, 1953), better known by his stage name, Tae Jin-ah (), is a South Korean trot singer and entertainer. He debuted in 1973 with the song, "My Heart Express Train," and rose to fame soon after with the song, "Memo ...

.The Korea Time
Soaring Higher than an Eagle, Eru
Retrieved March 15, 2008. Eru lived in New York until he was 7 years old,Sports Hankook

Retrieved March 15, 2008. then his family moved to South Korea, where he attended numerous international schools including Seoul American High School. In 2003, Eru attended the prestigious

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

(

Piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

Department) in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. Eru entered the K-Pop scene himself during a break from Berklee. In late December 2007, Eru released a statement revealing his intentions of fulfilling his military service duties in the latter half of 2008, since he became a Korean citizen 2 years ago. On May 1, 2008, Eru entered the boot camp to start his

mandatory military service Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

at Nonsan Military Training Center. Eru stayed there for four weeks to receive basic training and was subsequently assigned to public service duty. He completed his duty within two years, and returned home on May 27, 2010. In addition to his singing activities, he was attending

Dankook University Dankook University (commonly referred to as Dankook), abbreviated as DKU, is a private research university in Yongin and Cheonan, South Korea. The university was established in 1947. It was the first university established after the National Lib ...

Career

Pre-debut

Eru wanted to be a producer so he composed many songs. But after a while, he decided that he did not want other people to sing his songs. He wanted to sing them himself. He thought that the person who composes the songs understands them better. That's when he decided to become a singer. Eru went through two years of training before making his debut as a singer in 2005. Eru's debut album included works from musicians such as Joo Young-hoon, Lee Hyun-jung (the composer of Big Mama's "Break Away"), and vocal trainer No Young Joo, who trained

BoA Boa, BoA, or BOA may refer to: Snakes * Any member of the Boidae, a family of medium to large, non-venomous, constricting snakes ** Any member of the Boinae, a subfamily of boid snakes *** Any member of ''Boa'' (genus), a group of boid snakes * ...

Fly to the Sky Fly to the Sky () is a South Korean R&B duo consisting of Brian Joo and Hwanhee. Initially marketed as Korean idol, K-pop idols, the duo later developed a more mature image and became one of the most popular R&B groups in South Korea. The duo ha ...

and

Lee Soo-young Lee Soo-young (; born Lee Ji-yeon, on April 12, 1979) is a South Korean ballad singer. She debuted in 1999 with the hit album, ''I Believe'', and quickly gained popularity due to her strong singing skills. During the mid-2000s, Lee was one of S ...

. A 100-member string orchestra also participated in his debut album.KBS World
Eru
. Retrieved March 14, 2008.

Debut

Eru debuted with released his first single from his 1st album was "다시 태어나도" (''""If I Was Reborn""'') on September 5, 2005. Eru released his 2nd album ''Level II'' on September 16, 2006. The first single from his 2nd album, "까만안경" (''"Black Glasses"'') which features singer

Daylight Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunlig ...

, gained significant popularity among young people and topped on- and offline charts. The song would later be showered with numerous awards, including Jukeon's song of the month (October 2006) and SBS's Bonsang Award. After the huge success of "까만안경", Eru released his second single "흰눈" (''"White Snow"''), which he wrote himself.Arirang T
Eru-White Snow
Retrieved March 15, 2008. "흰눈" was also successful, reaching #1 on various online charts and winning several awards, including

Cyworld Cyworld () is a South Korean social network service. Cyworld was originally part of SK communication, and became an independent company in 2014. Members cultivate relationships by forming ''Ilchon'' (, Hanja: ) or "friendships" with each other ...

's Song of the Month (January 2007). The music video for "흰눈" was shot in

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

, Japan and featured Eru and entertainer

Lee Hyun-ji Lee Hyun-ji (; born January 19, 1987) is a former singer from South Korea. She began her career as a member of the electronica group Banana Girl before debuting as a solo artist in 2008 with the album, ''Kiss Me Kiss Me''. She has since retired f ...

. Aside from his own music videos, Eru appeared in female singer Magolpi's debut music video "Flight Girl", where his role was as a composer, along with six other Korean artists, including

Yoochun Park Yoo-chun (born June 4, 1986), formerly known as Micky Yoochun and better known by the mononym Yoochun, is a Korean-American singer-songwriter and actor. He is a former member of the South Korean boy bands JYJ and TVXQ. He has starred in d ...

TVXQ TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!; , ), known as Tohoshinki in Japan, is a South Korean pop duo formed by SM Entertainment, composed of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. Originally a five-member boy band which also consisted of members Kim Jae-joong, Hero ...

Kangin Kim Young-woon (born January 17, 1985), better known by his stage name Kangin (lit. meaning: "strong benevolence"), is a South Korean former singer, actor, television host, and radio personality. He is best known as a former member of Super ...

Heechul Kim Hee-chul (; born July 10, 1983), better known mononymously as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter, and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and has further participated in its subgroup Su ...

and

Shindong Shin Dong-hee (; born September 28, 1985), known professionally as Shindong (lit. meaning: "prodigy"), is a South Korean rapper, singer, dancer, host, radio personality, and video director. He is best known as a member of Super Junior and its s ...

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band. The group is composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. Han Geng, Kibum, and ...

, Park Joon-hyung of

g.o.d g.o.d (; acronym for Groove Over Dose) is a South Korean boy band formed by IHQ (company), SidusHQ. Debuting in 1999, the group became one of the most popular boy bands of the early 2000s in South Korea. The members had gone on to solo careers ...

, and

Kim Jang-hoon Kim Jang-hoon (; born 14 August 1963) is a South Korean singer, known for his rock ballads. Early life and education Kim dropped out of school and worked as a DJ at cafes. In 1991, he released his debut album. Cho Dongik mainly wrote and arra ...

. Eru released his 3rd album ''Eru Returns'' on September 19, 2007, and it became the #1 album during October 2007, selling 42,228 copies in South Korea. The lead single from this album, "둘이라서" (''"Because We Are Two"''), enjoyed enormous popularity, winning SBS's Bonsang Award. The music video for this song featured celebrities

Ahn Sung-ki Ahn Sung-ki (; born January 1, 1952) is a South Korean actor. One of the country's most respected actors, he has appeared in more than 130 films during his career of over 60 years. He received Bog-wan Order of Cultural Merit in 2005 Culture Day. ...

Bong Tae-gyu Bong Tae-gyu (; born May 19, 1981) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Television shows Hosting Radio shows Music video appearances Stage Theatre Awards and nominations References External li ...

and

Park Joong-hoon Park Joong-hoon (born March 22, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Early life and family Park was born and raised in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. He was classmates with retired basketball legend Hur Jae at Yongsan High School and attended ...

. Eru also released "겨울나기" (''"Wintering"'') and "마네킹" ("''Mannequin''")" as singles from ''Eru Returns''. The star-studded music video cast for "겨울나기" included Eru, actresses Lee So-yeon and

Kim Ja-ok Kim Ja-ok (; October 11, 1951 – November 16, 2014) was a South Korean actress. Kim was born in Busan in 1951. Kim dropped out of Hanyang University majoring in Film. Kim started her acting career after admitted to a public recruit by MBC T ...

, actor

Park Sang-myun Park Sang-myun (; born January 27, 1968) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his comic roles, notably in '' My Wife Is a Gangster'' (2001). Career Park Sang-myun graduated in 1987 with a Theater degree from Seoul Institute of the Art ...

, trot singers

and

Song Dae-kwan Song Dae-kwan (, June 2, 1946 – February 7, 2025) was a South Korean trot singer. He often appeared on the KBS 1TV '' Golden Oldies''. Early life and education Song was born in 1946 in what was then Jeolla Province, now North Jeolla Provinc ...

, comedians

Lee Kyung-kyu Lee Kyung-kyu (born September 21, 1960) is a South Korean actor, comedian, MC, film producer, and screenwriter. He was the highest paid entertainer on the KBS network in 2010, with earnings of . Lee patented his instant noodle recipe ''Kkokk ...

and

Ji Sang-ryeol Ji Sang-ryeol (born December 26, 1970) is a South Korean actor, comedian, and host. Ji has made numerous appearances in dramas and TV Shows. He is well known for his blunt yet humorous personality in TV Shows such as '' X-Man'' and being of the ...

, singer Kim Heung-gook, and others. His first solo concert took place on February 16, 2008, in South Korea. Eru released a music video titled "White Tears," his single for his fourth album. His fourth album was released on August 23, 2010. In 2013, he collaborated with Indonesian comedian Sule in a multi-lingual music video titled "Saranghaeyo". In 2017, Eru had a supporting role in the

drama series In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular su ...

'' You Are Too Much'', where his character Park Hyun-Sung had increased screen time in later episodes, and he also sung the end credits song "Sad Love".

Scandal

In September 2010, Eru was accused by ex-girlfriend Choi Hee-jin, a song lyricist, that Eru's father, Tae Jin-ah, forced her to get an abortion after she became pregnant, and tried to give her US$2,000 that she claimed she didn't accept. She aired her claims on her

account. Choi was later arrested for online slander and blackmail of Tae Jin-ah and Eru.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

*2006: KBS Drama

The Vineyard Man ''The Vineyard Man'' () is a 2006 South Korean television series adapted from Kim Rang's bestselling book. Synopsis The story revolves around the life of Lee Ji-hyun (Yoon Eun-hye), a city girl who wants to show the world that beneath her seemi ...

OST *2007: KBS Drama

Capital Scandal ''Capital Scandal'' (; lit. "Scandal in Gyeongseong") is a 2007 South Korean television series starring Kang Ji-hwan, Han Ji-min, Ryu Jin, and Han Go-eun. It aired on KBS2 from June 6 to August 2, 2007 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for ...

OST *2008: SBS Drama

First Wives' Club ''First Wives' Club'' () is a 2007 South Korean drama series starring Kim Hye-sun, Kim Hae-sook, Oh Hyun-kyung, Ahn Nae-sang, Lee Joon-hyuk and Son Hyun-joo. The weekend drama aired on SBS from September 29, 2007 to October 5, 2008 on Sat ...

OST *2009: KBS Drama

My Too Perfect Sons ''My Too Perfect Sons'' (; lit. ''The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House'') is a 2009 South Korean television series starring Son Hyun-joo, Lee Pil-mo, Han Sang-jin, Ji Chang-wook, Park Sun-young, Yoo Sun, Yoo Ha-na, Kang Eun-bi, Byun Hee-bong, Baek Il-s ...

OST *2010: KBS Drama

Bread, Love and Dreams ''Bread, Love and Dreams'' () is a 1953 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. At the 4th Berlin International Film Festival it won the Silver Bear award. In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Her ...

OST *2011: KBS Drama I Believe in Love OST *2011: SBS Drama My Love By My Side OST *2011: SBS Drama Living in Style OST *2012: MBC Drama Rascal Sons OST *2013: KBS Drama

Secret Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controver ...

OST *2014: SBS Drama

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

OST *2016: MBC Drama

Blow Breeze ''Blow Breeze'' () is a 2016 South Korean weekend drama. It stars Son Ho-jun, Lim Ji-yeon, Han Joo-wan, Oh Ji-eun, Hwang Bo-ra, and Jang Se-hyun, and was aired on MBC on Saturdays and Sundays at 20:40 for 50 episodes from August 27, 2016. Pl ...

OST *2017: MBC Drama You Are Too Much OST *2020: TV Chosun Drama Kingmaker: The Change of Destiny OST *2021: MBC Drama A Good Supper OST

Filmography

Television series

Awards

References

External links

* * at The Awesome Entertainment {{DEFAULTSORT:Eru Living people 1983 births People who renounced United States citizenship Berklee College of Music alumni Dankook University alumni K-pop singers Korean-language singers of the United States Singers from New York (state) Seoul American High School alumni South Korean composers South Korean male pop singers South Korean rhythm and blues singers South Korean male pianists 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century South Korean male singers 21st-century South Korean pianists