Reason Behind Koo Jun-yup’s Signature Shaved Head: “Because of Father”

On the February 3 broadcast of KBS2’s Celeb Secret, the program focused on the remarkable love story of Koo Jun-yup and his late wife Barbie Hsu, a couple who turned the nearly impossible reunion with a first love into reality.

Koo Jun-yup’s group Clon took South Korea by storm in 1996, leaving a lasting mark on the music scene. Music critic Lim Jin-mo described Clon’s debut as more than a shock—calling it a revolution. He explained that while earlier acts such as Hyun Jin-young and Wawa, Seo Taiji and Boys, and Deux were heavily influenced by American hip-hop and pop, Clon combined Western influences with distinctly Korean elements, creating something entirely new.

Koo Jun-yup and fellow Clon member Kang Won-rae both came from Hyun Jin-young and Wawa and made a name for themselves in a club in Itaewon, a hub for top dancers in Korea, before signing with an agency and officially debuting in 1996.

At the time, Koo Jun-yup’s decision to shave his head drew significant attention. According to the program, the reason was his concern about severe hair loss. His father suffered from significant baldness, and knowing that hair loss can be hereditary, Koo Jun-yup chose to shave his head early on rather than worry about thinning hair later in life.

Meanwhile, on the first anniversary of late wife Barbie Hsu’s passing, Koo Jun-yup unveiled a memorial sculpture he designed himself, as family and close friends gathered in Taiwan for an emotional ceremony.

Sources: Naver