Born in South Korea, Oh moved to China when he was five months old with his parents, both of whom are teachers. His family lived in Jilin City, Shenyang, and settled in Beijing. In 2012, Oh defied his parents' wishes for him to study in the States and moved to Seoul, South Korea with no financial support to pursue music. He was enrolled in art studies at Hongik University, but swiftly dropped out. In an effort to convince his parents to allow him to pursue music, Oh auditioned for South Korea's three biggest music agencies, S.M. Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment during summer vacation when he was fifteen. Though all three companies immediately wanted to sign him, he declined their offers due to differences in musical style. He speaks Korean, Mandarin Chinese, and English.
Career
Music
Hyukoh
Oh created Hyukoh originally as a one-man band but in 2014, he formed the current four-piece band under the same name with bassist Im Dong-geon, guitarist Lim Hyun-jae and drummer Lee In-woo. Oh worked with Lee in the past, and was introduced to Lee through Lim, with whom he had attended high school, and to Im through a mutual acquaintance. The band has released two EPs, 20 and 22, and one full-length studio album, 23. Oh is credited with the songwriting on all three albums, which are named after the band members' ages. While the band achieved success in the Korean indie music scene with the release of their EPs, they gained mainstream popularity after participating in the South Korean television program Infinite Challenge. Following the release of 23, the band embarked on their first world tour. Currently the band is signed to DooRooDooRoo Artist Company.
Solo Ventures
Collaborations
Oh has collaborated with a variety of South Korean artists across multiple genres, including hip hop groupEpik High, singer-songwriter IU, rapper-producer Code Kunst and indie singer Car, the garden. In 2015, Oh and producer Primary collaborated on a four-track EP titled Lucky You!. In January 2018, Oh ventured into the house and techno genre through a collaboration with indie artist Cifika, entitled MOMOM.
Original Soundtrack
In 2015, Oh released a cover of Lee Moon-se's A Little Girl for the soundtrack of the SouthKorean drama seriesReply 1988.
Fashion
Oh's distinct and "nonconformist" fashion sensibility has set him apart from others in mainstream K-pop and granted him notoriety in the global fashion community. He has been featured in several fashion and lifestyle publications, including Vogue and Elle. After modeling for NikeLab in China in late 2016, he was also featured on the cover of the country's inaugural issue of Dazed magazine. He later became a campaign ambassador for Converse One Star. Oh's interest in fashion was influenced early on by punk and skate styles and the aesthetics of Japanese designers.
