The band formed in August 1982 when
Jeon In-kwon (vocalist), Heo Seong-wook (piano), and Choi Seong-won (bassist) gathered to form a band. They held their first performance in November of that year at the
Sejong Center next to The Piccadilly Cinema in
Jongno. The band name 'Deulgukhwa' was derived from the name of the chewing gum Heo Seong-wook was chewing while he was thinking about the name of the band. After the addition of member Jo Deok-hwan, the band released their debut album,
March in September 1985. Despite the album not being played on radios, the album sold 800,000 copies with the band performing sold-out concerts in numerous small theaters. Following the departure of Jo Deok-hwan, the band released their second album
You and I as a six-piece with new members Choi Goo-hee and Son Jin-tae, and Joo Chang-won. After 5 years of formation, in 1989, they announced their disbandment, but in 1995, Jeon In-kwon re-formed the band with a lineup of new members. Following the death of founding member Heo Seong-wook in 1998, the band reunited for a tour which lasted until May 30, 1999. In 2012, the band announced they were officially reuniting for a comeback, performing several small concerts throughout 2012 and 2013. Shortly after, it was confirmed that the band would be disbanding as a result of his death. However, in 2014, he announced that the band had no plans to reunite. On November 14, 2016, founding guitarist Jo Deok-hwan died of cancer. In 2021, Deulgukhwa was given the achievement award at the
Korean Music Awards for their "contributions and influence on the history of Korean popular music." ==Members==