Kangta (강타)

Ahn Chil-hyun, also known as Kangta ( was discovered by SM Entertainmentat Lotte World, the world's largest indoor theme park, in Seoul. He made his debut as a back-up dancer for Korean singer Yoo Young-jin, where he met fellow dancer and future H.O.T. bandmate, Moon Hee-jun. Kangta was the first person to be selected by Lee Soo-man, head of SM Entertainment, to become a member of a new music group called High-five Of Teenagers (H.O.T.) in 1996. After the group disbanded in 2001 Kangta was asked to stay with the company as a solo artist and became the first member of H.O.T. to release a solo album. His first album, "Polaris", became a smash hit and was quickly followed by his second album "Pinetree" in 2002.