welcome to another blog entry nobody asked for!

today we will be looking into clon!!!!!!!!!! (~▽~＠)♪♪♪

but first! let’s time-travel to an era when k-pop was recorded on cassettes, dance moves were learned from broadcast reruns, and the word “viral” meant something you caught at the clinic. today’s story? clon—a duo so resilient, they survived career wipeouts, tragic accidents, and the unforgiving ‘90s. buckle up, because this isn’t just a nostalgia trip. it’s a love letter to the underdogs who taught k-pop how to fight.  

 pre-clon: the backup dancer days (yes, really)  

before the neon tracksuits and synth explosions, kim won-suk and kang won-rae were just two guys grinding in the shadows. in 1990, they debuted as part of hyun jin young and wawa—a group whose name sounds like a rejected cartoon duo. their role? backup dancers and occasional hype men for hyun jin young, a singer known for his rock-ballad swagger. imagine: won-suk and won-rae rocking mullets, nodding in the background while hyun belted high notes. humble beginnings? more like humbling beginnings.  

but fate had plans. enter kim chang-hwan, a music mogul who’d later be called the “godfather of k-pop dance.” in 1996, he scooped up won-suk and won-rae, rebranded them as clon (short for “clone,” because twins + sci-fi flair), and shoved them under his label dreambeat. this wasn’t just a debut—it was a mission. dreambeat was notorious for smuggling western beats into korea, and clon? they were the trojan horse.  

1996: the bomb drops (aka are you ready?)  

• their debut album are you ready? wasn’t just a hit—it was a cultural reset. selling 1.5 million copies in pre-internet korea? that’s like bts selling 10 million albums today. the lead track kung ddari sha bah rah (꿍따리 샤바라) was a Frankenstein bop: traditional korean kkwakgu rhythms slapped onto eurodance synths, with lyrics about… well, nobody knows. but it didn’t matter. the nation became obsessed.  
• mv breakdown: picture this. clon in matching red tracksuits, dancing in front of a green screen projecting stock footage of parades, fireworks, and random dolphins. backup dancers dressed as farmers (??) twirl ribbons. won-suk does a mic stand spin. won-rae raps like he’s late for the last bus. it’s chaotic, cheap, and perfect.  
• their follow-up single funky tonight was even wilder—a saxophone solo, yodeling ad-libs, and a keytar riff that sounds like it’s escaping a burning arcade. this wasn’t music; it was a party!

 the accident: when the music stopped  

in november 2000, clon were prepping their third album. then, disaster: kang won-rae was in a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. 

the duo vanished overnight. the industry? it moved on. rookie groups like god and shinhwa took the spotlight, and clon became a footnote—a “remember them?” trivia question.  

but won-rae’s wife, kim song, refused to let tragedy win. she became his full-time caregiver, pushing him through grueling rehab.

“you’ll sing again,” she insisted. and in 2005—five years later—clon dropped their fifth album, victory.  

 2005: the victory no one saw coming  

• the title track nae sarang song-i (my love “song”) was a raw, trembling ballad dedicated to kim song. won-rae’s vocals wavered with pain and hope, while won-suk’s rap verses hit like a gut punch: “even if my legs give out, my voice won’t.”  
• mv breakdown: black-and-white close-ups of won-rae in his wheelchair, interspersed with home videos of him walking pre-accident. won-suk crouches beside him, gripping his hand during the final chorus. it’s not just a music video—it’s a diary entry.  
• the album flopped commercially. but for fans, it was a triumph. clon hadn’t just returned; they’d redefined what a “comeback” could mean.  

 the 2017 plot twist: grandpa’s back (and they got ailee)  

after victory, clon faded again… until 2017. twelve years later, they resurrected with bamdeelalila, a retro banger featuring ailee—yes, the high-note queen herself. the mv? neon-soaked, with clon in leather jackets, dancing alongside backup crews half their age. then came everybody, a funk-pop earworm starring lee woo-jin (of produce 101 s2) as their backup dancer. the kicker? woo-jin was under the same agency. legacy meets new-gen, baby.  

deep cuts for the real ones (koi’s album shrine)  

1. are you ready? (1996)  

   - the debut that started it all. kung ddari sha bah rah (꿍따리 샤바라) is a cultural reset—a song so catchy, even your halmeoni knows the dance. the mv? two dudes in red tracksuits vibing in front of a green screen playing stock footage of parades. iconic.  

   - funky tonight: peak “uncle at a wedding” energy. sax solos, yodeling(?!) ad-libs, and a keytar. need i say more.  

2. new world (1999)  

   - their sophomore album went full mad scientist. doll sounds like if daft punk produced a trot song, and i love you is a power ballad with harmonica breaks. the album cover? the twins cosplaying as cyborgs. a+ for effort.  

3. one more time (2003)  

   - the post-accident album. first love is a tearjerker with won-suk’s raspy vocals layered over won-myung’s rap. the mv? literally filmed in a hospital room. they didn’t have to go that hard, but they did.  

mvs that aged like fine 막걸리  

- kung ddari sha bah rah (1996): 240p glory. the twins dance with backup performers dressed as… farmers? astronauts? unclear. it’s like someone fed a sega genesis into a karaoke machine.   

- first love (2003): black-and-white close-ups of won-suk singing from his wheelchair, interspersed with flashbacks of the twins running through fields. cue the tissues ㅜㅜ.  

빙빙빙 (Bing Bing Bing) (1997): reminds me of MIB, lol. catchy song!! ^0^

clon’s ghost in the k-pop machine  

they never got their “legend” status, but their fingerprints are everywhere:  

- super junior’s don’t don (2007) samples kung ddari sha bah rah—yes, that’s clon’s DNA in your suju b-side.  

- the retro synthwave trend? clon were doing that in ’96 with funky tonight.  

how to stan clon in 2025 (a beginner’s guide)  

1. watch: the kung ddari mv. embrace the 144p quality. marvel at the green screen chaos.  

2. listen: bamdeelalila (2017). proof that grandpas can out-slay your faves.  

3. weep: watch their 2005 live performance of nae sarang song-i. won-rae’s voice cracks. the crowd screams. you’ll need a tissue.  

final boss level: why clon matters  

they weren’t perfect. their outfits were questionable, their mvs were budget, and their comebacks were… sporadic. but clon embodied k-pop’s scrappy soul—before companies polished it into a billion-dollar machine. they danced like no one was watching (even when everyone was). they turned tragedy into art. they kept going.  

so here’s to clon: the twins who cloned their way into our hearts, then vanished, then came back, then vanished again. k-pop’s phoenixes. the original underdogs.  

now go listen to kung ddari sha bah rah and thank them. ㅜㅜ

more information about them?

click here --> namu.wiki