Baby Shark Star Park Geon-roung Is Now Making His K-Pop Debut

Park Geon-roung, the boy who appeared in Pinkfong's viral Baby Shark Dance video in 2016, is making his K-pop debut at 17 under the stage name Baby Shark Boy. His first single, "Wave," featuring Joohoney of Monsta X, is set for release on August 20 in South Korea, sampling the original Baby Shark track while marking a deliberate step into his own musical identity.

Park was seven years old when he appeared in the 2016 video, clad in shark-patterned pajamas as he lip-synced and danced alongside the now-iconic tune. The video went on to become the first YouTube video to cross 10 billion views, according to Guinness World Records, and by February 2021 had racked up more views than the entire population of Earth. It has since crossed 17 billion views, remaining the most-watched video on YouTube.

The official Baby Shark social media account shared a teaser for "Wave" with the caption, "Baby Shark Boy: A Comeback After 10 Years. The heartwarming growth of the little boy from a video a decade ago — From a supporting role to the lead, the honest story of Baby Shark Boy, poised to transform from a single ripple into a massive wave." The teaser also offered a first look at the accompanying music video, showing a snippet of the original Baby Shark track before transitioning into Park's own performance.

Speaking about the debut, Park said, "Ten years ago I was dancing next to Baby Shark. Now, I wanted to share my own voice and a story I wrote myself." He added, "I've always been grateful that people still remember a video I appeared in as a kid. I'm happy to start something new with the people who've remembered me all this time, and I want to keep showing how I grow from here."

Pinkfong, the South Korean company behind the original video, is directly involved with the Baby Shark Boy project. In a statement to the Korea Herald, a representative for the company said the project centers on Park "telling his own story," adding, "Baby Shark Boy grew up alongside Baby Shark and built a special connection with fans around the world. This isn't just about bringing back the boy from the video. It's about him telling his own story, and we want to carry that new beginning forward authentically."

The pairing with Joohoney adds an established K-pop name to Park's launch, a common strategy used to help introduce new artists to existing fan ecosystems within the industry. For a generation of children (and their parents) who grew up with Baby Shark on constant repeat, Park's transition marks an unusual but fitting full-circle moment: the same video that once defined childhood viewing habits worldwide is now serving as the launching pad for one of its stars to grow up on record, in real time.