In the K-pop industry, chart positions are critical. Fans rally behind their favourite artists, eager to see them outperform their competitors when new albums are released. Their support helps propel these artists to the top of the charts, aiming to secure prestigious music awards.

To stay updated about how the new releases are doing in the charts in real-time, many visit Guysome, a web archive that tracks the rankings of songs across various platforms. While it is a well-known site in the music industry, attracting thousands of daily visitors and sometimes even referenced in news reports discussing K-pop chart positions, the archive is run by just one developer on a non-profit basis.

4i MAG recently caught up with Jo Seong-un, the individual responsible for keeping Guysome running since its foundation. Discover his passion for computer programming and K-pop and how data is reshaping the K-pop industry’s landscape.

Tell us more about yourself

Hello, my name is Jo Seong-un, and I am the developer and administrator of Guysome. Outside of Guysome, I work as a server developer and am currently in my second year in the role.

How does your life look on a daily basis?

My daily life isn’t much different from that of other office workers. I start my work from home in the morning and then head to the office around 1 or 2 p.m. to finish the rest of my tasks. In the evening, I return home, take care of any remaining daily duties, and if there’s nothing else to do, I simply spend my time on hobbies.

Please give us a brief introduction to your archive, Guysome.

Guysome is a website that archives various music charts from South Korea. Its main feature is archiving chart data, which expires after a certain period, allowing users to explore past data. Users can also track the performance trends of specific songs through features such as browsing individual chart data or comparing the chart positions of multiple songs.

How did you come up with creating an archive like Guysome?

I created Guysome during my second year at university in 2018. At the time, I was an avid listener of mainstream music, which naturally sparked my interest in music charts. Between 2017 and 2018, there was an issue with K-pop entertainment agencies bulk-buying albums to artificially inflate their artists’ chart positions. This made me realise that there was a demand for past chart data.

Since then, I have been collecting a wide range of chart data. In hopes of providing people with accurate evidence to discuss issues like bulk buying, I decided to launch a website to archive such data. Over time, the website’s use has become more versatile, with its content now serving as an important reference in South Korea’s mainstream music industry.

Have you always liked K-pop?

Yes, that’s right. I still enjoy listening to K-pop, as well as other genres of music. K-pop has been something I’ve loved since I was young, and it was this passion that eventually led me to create Guysome.

Did you major in computer programming?

I did study computer programming at Inha University. However, I first encountered the subject during my primary school years and decided to major in it because I found it fascinating that I could create anything I imagined using just a computer. I am now building my career as a computer programmer as well.

Was there any challenge you had while running Guysome?

Guysome is a website I run as a hobby, taking on development and administration responsibilities by myself. At times, I feel overwhelmed by the large number of users and companies in and outside the country. Data-related issues can also arise, as I am occupied with my full-time job during the day. Additionally, the increasing volume of data has led to rising costs.

What was the most meaningful experience you had while running Guysome?

I find it most rewarding when I see users gaining significant insights through my website. From industry experts to fan communities, I’ve observed that a wide range of users are producing valuable insights based on the data collected on my site.

Who are the visitors of Guysome?

Most of the users appear to be from the music industry. Officials from entertainment agencies and marketing companies often refer to my website for reference. Both domestic and international fan communities also visit Guysome to check the chart positions of their favourite artists’ songs.

Do you see an increase in the number of daily visitors as we approach the end of the year?

I don’t notice any significant changes in traffic volume during specific months. However, the volume does skyrocket when a popular idol group releases a new album.

Do you generate any profit from Guysome?

Guysome mainly relies on Google AdSense for revenue. However, the deficit has been growing lately, so I added an outlink for donations, though there has been almost no response.

I’ve received many offers from companies interested in buying my website and the data I’ve collected. Since I have no intention of selling, I’ve been avoiding these requests. There are also companies offering to help my website run sustainably, and I’ve been in discussions with them to explore potential ways we can collaborate in business.

As far as I’m aware, Guysome currently provides a limited amount of data on the website and allows full access only through the site’s Discord community. How did this happen?

Recently, Guysome faced a significant shortage in data collection. It would have been ideal if I had noticed the issue earlier, but due to other commitments, I wasn’t able to. I also realised that no one had informed me about the data collection problem, even though they were aware of it. Since the main purpose of Guysome is to share data with everyone, I felt it would be better to create a community to communicate this more effectively.

As a result, Guysome now has its own dedicated Discord server, where users can exchange opinions, submit ideas, and report issues. Once they join the server, users can gain full access to the data, just as they did before, by logging in through Discord. I plan to maintain this policy, with those without a Discord login having limited access to the data.

Who inspires you the most as a computer programmer?

I draw a great deal of inspiration from people who identify and innovate around issues that many have become too accustomed to. I’m mostly inspired when I listen to speeches from start-up founders.

What is your goal for 2025?

As I am still a junior developer, my primary goal is to continue growing in my role. I also want to find a better direction for Guysome, improving it by discovering more sustainable ways to operate the website and fostering a stronger community among users.

Is there anything else you’d like to share before we close?

Thank you so much for reaching out to me for this interview. I would like to thank everyone who are showing interest in Guysome. Thank you very much!