Forestella

Forestella did not start as a conventional K-pop group. They were four strangers – a musical theater actor, a chemical engineer, a classical opera singer, and an undergraduate voice student – who competed separately on JTBC’s Phantom Singer 2 in 2017, a competition designed specifically to assemble a crossover vocal quartet from Korea’s finest singers.

Cho Mingyu, the group’s strategist and eventual leader, earned his nickname by methodically selecting teammates whose voices would blend with his own. He chose Ko Woorim for his extraordinary bass depth, then Bae Doohoon for tonal variety. Kang Hyungho, a rock band vocalist turned chemical engineer, joined during the random group stage. Together, the four named themselves Forestella – combining “forest” (nature, comfort) and “stella” (Latin/Italian for star) – and won the competition, earning an exclusive contract with Arts & Artists.

Their debut album, Evolution (March 14, 2018), was praised for its ambitious scope – blending classical arias, pop ballads, and experimental genre fusions. They toured nine Korean cities and embarked on joint concerts with Phantom Singer Season 1 winners, Forte di Quattro. Their breakthrough moment came in early 2019 when a KBS broadcast of their Immortal Songs cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” went viral internationally, spawning hundreds of reaction videos and introducing the group to global fans.

Their second album Mystique (May 2019) became a certified platinum album, one of only three classical releases in Korea to clear the gold certification that year. Norwegian duo Secret Garden took notice and collaborated with Forestella on a Korean remake of “Beautiful.” After renewing their group contract in September 2019, the members pursued individual projects while continuing as a group – Bae returned to musical theater, Cho and Kang released solo music, and Ko focused on vocal studies.

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed live activity in 2020, but the group released a series of digital singles – “Nella Fantasia,” “Together,” “Words from the Wind,” and “Ties” – that were later compiled into their third studio album, The Forestella (April 2021). They also became the #1 ticket-selling act in Korea’s classical and opera category for H1 2021, according to KOPIS statistics, even amid ongoing restrictions.

In August 2021, Forestella departed from Arts & Artists and signed with Beat Interactive, which manages idol groups like ACE. This move marked a pivot toward fuller K-pop presentation – including music show appearances, year-end festival stages, and seasons greetings content. Their fandom name, Soopbyeol (숲별), was officially announced on September 7, 2021.

Under Beat Interactive, the group released their first mini-album The Beginning: World Tree (May 2022) and completed their first North America tour in January 2023, performing in New York, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. Their second EP, Unfinished (November 2023), followed a solo mini-tour and a period where Ko Woorim served mandatory military service (November 2023 – May 2025), during which Forestella operated as a trio.

Ko Woorim’s return in May 2025 reunited the full group, and in 2026, Forestella released their long-awaited fourth studio album, THE LEGACY, cementing their place as Korea’s defining crossover act of the modern era. The album debuted at #17 on the Korean charts and sold over 14,000 copies domestically. The group also launched The Legacy : Symphony concert tour in 2026.