Lim Young Woong 10th debut anniversary, "Thank you" to fans... Holding a cake, reminiscing growth

Lim Young Woong celebrated the 10th anniversary of their debut together with their fan club, Hero Era. On August 8th, Lim Young Woong’s official social media posted a message saying, ″Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of artist Lim Young Woong’s debut & 10 years with Hero Era ♥ Always stay healthy and happy! Good luck,″ along with a photo of Lim Young Woong holding a cake. The cake had candles shaped like the number 10, and the phrases ″happy hero day″ and ″Always HERO 2026. 08. 08″ were written on it. Lim Young Woong shared their thoughts on reaching the 10th anniversary through their fan cafe. They said, ″Ten years ago today, I was actually someone who found the word ’debut’ quite awkward. No grand stages, no flashy promotions, no TV broadcasts—just releasing one or two songs and producing a few CDs. That was how I started.″ They added, ″I thought I wasn’t ready enough to call myself a prepared singer, and I believed that the word ’debut’ was something confidently used by those who were much more firmly prepared than I was. So that day was just an ordinary day without much meaning to me.″ Lim Young Woong also said, ″My first stage wasn’t the kind where the singers I admired performed. To be honest, it was a small broadcast that hardly anyone would know. Still, it was a very grateful moment. I didn’t have much, but I had one thing: the phrase ’I will become the best singer someday.’ That one sentence kept lifting me up from deep inside my heart. I think I fought with myself every day with that one spell.″ Lim Young Woong explained, ″There were people who gave up after 10 years trying to promote one song in what colleagues called the minor underground, people traveling nationwide without pay, and people running hundreds or thousands of singing classes to make themselves known. I walked little by little every day, watching the backs of seniors who were walking ahead of me somewhere in between.″ They said, ″Thankfully, everyone I met saw me in a good light, and with the tremendous affection and effort of my CEO, I was able to move forward very slowly, really very slowly. I started to become known after meeting ’Morning Yard,’ but it was still a time when many people didn’t know me. At that time, there were about 20 fans who supported me as if they were on my side. The cafe had about two or three hundred members, but I remember that those who always supported me were about a dozen to twenty people.″ Lim Young Woong also expressed gratitude for the fans’ support. ″No matter where I went, there were people who arrived two hours early to hang banners, who blew up about 100 balloons with their own breath and handed them out, and who shouted my name hoarsely when no one else knew it yet. Every time we met, they treated me like a star despite me still being far from it, quietly filling my empty heart. I will never forget that gratitude for the rest of my life.″ They continued, ″Even now, I suddenly remember those times. Your hands sweating under the hot sun, blowing balloons on the cold floor until your hands went numb. I am only now beginning to realize that each and every breath was actually the foundation that brought me here ♥ And in 2020, I met Mr. Trot and became who I am today. Looking back, I was always lacking, but you made me the best.″ Lim Young Woong said, ″To all of you reading this letter now, I want to say this for sure. Thank you so much for not only recognizing me but choosing me. I know there are many good songs and wonderful singers in the world. Among those countless names, you chose to call my name, wait for my stage, and wonder about my day. I feel every day how much courage and love that heart holds.″ They added, ″To those who listen to my songs at the end of a busy day, those who shout my name hoarsely at concerts, and even to you who have read this far today—each and every one of you is a miracle, a blessing, and a hero to me. The spell I said 10 years ago, ’I will become the best someday,’ now that I think about it, wasn’t my vow but a promise you made to me. I will remain a person who sings by your side for a long, long time. Thank you sincerely.″ Finally, Lim Young Woong said, ″May it be long and beautiful without sadness. May you be healthy every day without pain. May you be healthier and happier today than yesterday. I love you, Hero Era.″