The band PEPPERTONES appeared in the ‘Space Sympathy’ album series.

Peppertones (Shin Jae-pyeong, Lee Jang-won) appeared on the EBS 1TV ‘Space Sympathy’ masterpiece series that aired on the 15th, and had time to look back on the group‘s journey up to the 20th anniversary of their debut.

The masterpiece series is a special documentary that focuses on the albums selected by ‘Space Sympathy’, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, as the ‘100 Masterpieces of Korean Popular Music of the 2000s’. Peppertones’ 4th full-length album ‘Beginner’s Luck‘ was selected as a masterpiece, and they will be the first runners in 2025.

Peppertones is a band formed by Shin Jae-pyeong and Lee Jang-won, who were gifted engineering students, and celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut in 2024. ’Music that is like a spicy pepper that is a seasoning for everyday life‘, they have established themselves as a ’New Therapy Band‘, presenting songs with warm sincerity that heal people‘s hearts.

In particular, ’Beginner’s Luck’ is meaningful to both members. This is because it is an album in which the members directly chose changes in many aspects, such as the gender of the vocalist and the arrangement of the music. Contrary to concerns that ‘Peppertones‘ music might sound unfamiliar’, this album was much loved by the public, rising to the ranks of classic albums.



Shin Jae-pyeong said, “I am proud when I look at our discography. I think that the albums that I made with all my effort at a certain time in my life are named with the coolest names I could think of at that time and remain. Later on, when I become old and am asked ‘What did you do to live?’, I think I will be able to say ‘Listen to Peppertones songs.’

Lee Jang-won also expressed his affection for Peppertones. Lee Jang-won said, “I think it is a source of pride for us that we have a concept called Peppertones that we created with our thoughts and our will. If 20 years ago we said Peppertones was ‘Our two great childhood games’, now it feels like we have built a house together. Now, we will take good care of it so that it becomes a cultural asset.”

The two continued, “We have always been friends, but we feel even stronger and more grateful. It gives me the will to continue to move forward with strength.”Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. You have worked hard for 20 years. Let’s live long and healthy and continue to build up for 10 years,“ they said, sharing their sincerity towards each other.

On this day, Peppertones shared the behind-the-scenes stories of the songs on their album ‘Beginner’s Luck‘ and even performed a live stage themselves. They delivered Peppertones‘ unique, vibrant energy with a parade of hit songs including ’Good Luck‘ with the cheering squad, ’Love and Peace‘, ’Viking‘, and ’A Day in the 21st Century‘. They also performed ’At the End of the Season‘ from their EP ’Open Run‘, and the title song ’Riders‘ from Peppertones’ most recently released 20th anniversary debut album ’Twenty Plenty‘ can be enjoyed on the YouTube channel Space Gonggam.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com reporter yyynnn@donga.com