YEOKJUHAENG(역주행) : How WOODZ’s Song Hit No.1 While in the Army
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Korea Has a Word for Songs That Come Back
In 2022, Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" returned to the charts after 37 years when it appeared in the Netflix series "Stranger Things." In 2020, Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" went viral again 43 years after its release because a man posted a video of himself skateboarding to it. Korea has a specific word for this kind of chart resurgence: YEOKJUHAENG (역주행). It means "going in reverse," and it refers to a song that rises on the charts long after its original release. One of the most well-known YEOKJUHAENG cases in recent Korean music history involves a singer named WOODZ and a song called "Drowning."
A Song That Disappeared on Day Two
On April 26, 2023, WOODZ released "Drowning" as part of his fifth mini album "OO-LI." WOODZ, whose real name is Cho Seung-yeon, wrote the lyrics himself. The song is about the sadness that stays after a breakup. On its first day, "Drowning" entered the Melon daily chart at number 936. The next day, it dropped off the chart entirely. For the next year and a half, the song was largely unknown outside of WOODZ's existing fanbase.
What Is GUNBAEKGI?
In Korea, all able-bodied men are required by law to complete approximately 18 to 21 months of mandatory military service. This applies to K-pop artists, actors, and celebrities without exception. Korean fans call this period GUNBAEKGI (군백기), a term that combines the words for "military" and "blank period." During GUNBAEKGI, artists go completely silent. No new music, no performances, no public appearances. For most artists, it is a career pause that fans simply wait out.
One Performance in a Military Uniform
WOODZ enlisted in the Korean Army in January 2024 and was assigned to a military band unit. In October 2024, he appeared on KBS 2TV's "Immortal Songs" for a special Armed Forces Day broadcast. He walked onto the stage in full military uniform with short hair and no styling. He performed "Drowning" live. WOODZ later revealed that he was not in good condition that day. His unit followed a 6 AM wake-up and 10 PM lights-out schedule, and his rehearsal time had cut into his sleep. His throat was tight. He performed with visible strain on his face and pushed through the high notes regardless. The TV broadcast edited the performance out. But the YouTube pre-release clip stayed up.
What Happened to the Charts
The YouTube clip reached 1 million views in two weeks. "Drowning" re-entered the Melon daily chart at number 951 and climbed every day from there. On October 14, 2024, it entered the Melon TOP 100 for the first time, at number 100. On May 7, 2025, more than two years after its original release, "Drowning" reached number one on the Melon TOP 100. On May 11, 2025, it won first place on SBS Inkigayo, one of Korea's major weekly music shows. It was WOODZ's first ever chart win on a Korean music broadcast. The YouTube performance video accumulated over 19 million views. At the end of 2025, Melon named "Drowning" the number one song on its annual domestic chart. WOODZ was still serving in the military when most of this happened.
Why the Performance Connected
Viewers described the clip in straightforward terms. He was not trying to look good. He was a soldier in uniform, visibly tired, singing a song about heartbreak with full effort. Many people said they had not paid attention to WOODZ before. "Drowning" also has an extremely high vocal range, with notes that most singers cannot reach. Watching someone attempt that level of difficulty while sleep-deprived and in uniform gave the performance a raw quality that connected across age groups and genders. Korean men who had completed their own military service said it resonated with them specifically. Many women said they discovered WOODZ for the first time through that clip.
How YEOKJUHAENG Works
In a YEOKJUHAENG, the artist does not release new music. The audience does the work by streaming, sharing, and pushing the song up the charts organically. When Kate Bush's song came back in 2022, it was because a TV production team placed it in a scene. When Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" came back in 2020, it was because a stranger posted a video. In both cases, the artists did nothing to cause it. WOODZ's case followed the same chart mechanics, but the trigger was different. He performed the song himself, in uniform, under conditions he could not control. That performance was the starting point.
After the Military
WOODZ was discharged on July 21, 2025. He performed at Summer Sonic 2025 in Japan. His global stream count surpassed 1 billion. In early 2026, he announced his first full-length album and a world tour that included stops in Asia, Australia, and Europe. It was his first time performing in Australia. His fanbase had expanded significantly while he was away.
Why YEOKJUHAENG Matters in Korea
Korea's music streaming culture is unusually chart-focused. Fans track daily rankings on platforms like Melon, Bugs, and Genie and discuss movements in online communities. When an unexpected song starts rising, people notice and talk about it in real time. YEOKJUHAENG is not just a chart stat in Korea. It is a storyline that fans follow together, and that shared attention is part of what drives the numbers higher. Without a culture that tracks charts this closely, a quiet rise would go unnoticed.