Yiruma
Lee Ru-ma (Korean: 이루마; born 15 February 1978), better known by the stage name Yiruma (stylized from Lee Ru-ma), is a South Korean pianist and composer.
Yiruma

Trainholic · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 1978. · Seoul.
- Nationality
- South Korea.
- Occupation
- composer, pianist and musician.
- Fields
- new age music.
- Education
- King's College London and Purcell School for Young Musicians.
- Languages
- Korean.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Lee Ru-ma (Korean: 이루마; born 15 February 1978), better known by the stage name Yiruma (stylized from Lee Ru-ma), is a South Korean pianist and composer.
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Note VALÉORINE
Yiruma (born 1978) is a South Korean composer, musician and pianist. The composer was born in Seoul. Yiruma is also known as 이루마.
Yiruma studied at King's College London and Purcell School for Young Musicians. The composer worked for Sony Music.
Genres include new age music. Languages used include Korean.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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- resolved
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Authority files
gnd · 140891277 · wikidata · Q299395 · wikipedia · Yiruma
In this article
Early life
Early life
Yiruma was born in Seoul. At five years old, he began learning the piano and moved to the United Kingdom, where he attended the Purcell School for Young Musicians and graduated from King's College London.
Career
Career
After graduation, Yiruma returned to South Korea and released his debut album, Love Scene, in 2001. His breakthrough came when the track "When Love Falls" was used as the theme for Choi Ji-woo's character in the hugely popular drama Winter Sonata. The surge of interest in his music led to him holding his first solo concert in April 2002. He gained wider public recognition for composing the soundtrack of the animation Doggy Poo and performing the piano versions of the soundtracks from the popular 2006 drama Spring Waltz. After completing his military service, he made his comeback with a nationwide tour spanning twenty different cities and featured Kim Bum-soo and Lee Hyun-woo as guest singers. On 1 January 2009, he became a DJ for KBS 1FM Yiruma's Music from All Around the World. Yiruma's 2011 compilation album The Best: Reminiscent, 10th Anniversary debuted at number three in the Billboard classical charts in July 2020 and reached number one just two weeks later; Billboard's classical charts had done away with its rules of only counting albums sold in the United States and recognizing albums released in the last eighteen months. His music has seen a resurgence in popularity due to the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. Several videos of his compositions posted on YouTube and other social media platforms have garnered millions of views, including "River Flows in You". From 2010 to 2011, Yiruma began presenting the MBC music program Wednesday Art Stage (수요예술무대) alongside singer Bobby Kim. The duo initially raised eyebrows due to their vastly different musical backgrounds and genres and the fact that they had no hosting or presenting experience but their candidness won audiences over. He and Kim returned when the program was revived in 2013 and rebranded as TV Art Stage (TV 예술무대). They were joined by actress and former newsreader Kim Sung-kyung. In 2010, Yiruma filed a civil suit against his then-label Stomp Music to terminate his exclusive contract due to unfair payment percentages, with the judge mediating an agreement that the company should pay 30% of the profits to him. He filed a second lawsuit in 2018 as the company had failed to fulfill the condition. However, Stomp Music appealed the initial trial and the case was brought to the Supreme Court. In April 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and ordered the company to pay Yiruma his overdue share of the profits, which had amounted to 2.6 billion won (US$2,200,000) by then.
Personal life
Personal life
Yiruma previously held British citizenship, which he voluntarily renounced in order to enlist for mandatory military service. He enlisted in the Republic of Korea Navy in July 2006 and was assigned to public relations duties. He was discharged in August 2008. In April 2007, while on leave, Yiruma married his girlfriend Son Hye-im, the older sister of actress and former Miss Korea contestant Son Tae-young. In 2008, they had a daughter.
Live albums
Live albums
Yiruma: Live at HOAM Art Hall (2005)

2017년 자신의 라디오 '골든 디스크'의 공개방송에서 이야기하는 이루마
Trainholic
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1978
Yiruma was born on 15 February 1978.
Film soundtracks
Oasis and Yiruma (2002) Doggy Poo OST (2002)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q299395: Yiruma
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Yiruma”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 140891277, Yiruma, Pianist.
Unverified · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Purcell School for Young Musicians. Alumni.
- 2.Shaw Roberts, Maddy. Yiruma's River Flows in You: from its meaning to its starring role in the Twilight saga. Classic FM. 27 February 2019.
- 3.The Dong-A Ilbo. 3 May 2002.
- 4.JoongAng Ilbo. 11 March 2004.
- 5.The Hankyoreh. Yonhap News Agency. 13 March 2006.
- 6.ay_link. KBS1 93.1FM new radio DJ, Yiruma. Jazzholic. 2 January 2009.
- 7.Lee, Minhyeong. How Yiruma Made It to the Top of the Classical Albums Chart For 17 Weeks. Billboard. 7 July 2020.
- 8.[e글중심] "K-뉴에이지의 시작?" … 이루마 빌보드 클래식 부문 1위. JoongAng Ilbo. 22 May 2020.
- 9.The Chosun Ilbo. 1 October 2010.
- 10.The Dong-A Ilbo. 27 January 2011.
- 11.The Chosun Ilbo. 18 March 2013.
- 12.[SC초점]'손태영 형부' 이루마, '재산 7조 루머'인데 승소로 '음원 수익금' 26억도 받게 돼. The Chosun Ilbo. 7 April 2024.
- 13.Yonhap News Agency. 7 April 2024.
- 14.Korean Broadcasting System. 26 January 2006.
- 15.JoongAng Ilbo. Yonhap News Agency. 27 January 2006.
- 16.Korean Broadcasting System. 27 December 2006.
- 17.Kang, Young-soo. The Chosun Ilbo. 27 May 2007.
- 18.Kang, Jeong-hoon. The Dong-A Ilbo. 23 August 2008.
- 19.JoongAng Ilbo. Newsis. 18 April 2007.
- 20.Kim, Jun-seok. The Chosun Ilbo. 12 December 2013.
- 21.Lee, Seul-bi. The Dong-A Ilbo. 26 November 2011.
- 22.Korea Music Content Association. Album Chart "이루마" Search. Gaon Music Chart.
- 23.Yiruma Chart History. Billboard.
- 24.Recording Industry Association of Korea. 2007 상반기 결산 판매량.
- 25.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 26.Recording Industry Association of Korea.
- 27.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 28.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 29.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 30.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 31.Discographie Yiruma. Austrian Charts.
- 32.Suchen nach "Yiruma". Offizielle Deutsche Charts.
- 33.Discographie Yiruma. Swiss Hitparade.
- 34.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 35.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 36.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 37.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
- 38.Recording Industry Association of Korea.
- 39.Digital Chart "이루마" Search. Gaon Music Chart.
- 40.Yiruma. Les Charts.
- 41.Yiruma - River Flows In You. British Phonographic Industry.
- 42.Gold-/Platin-Datenbank. Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- 43.Korea Music Content Association. Gaon Music Chart.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 140891277, Yiruma, Pianist.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Partially resolvedreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q299395: YirumaWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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