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Kim Seok-jin (Korean: 김석진; born December 4, 1992), known professionally as Jin (진), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and member of the South Korean boy band BTS. Jin has released three solo tracks with BTS: "Awake" in 2016, "Epiphany" in 2018, and "Moon" in 2020, all of which have charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. In 2019, Jin released his first independent song, the digital track "Tonight". He made his official debut as a solo artist in October 2022, with the release of the single "The Astronaut".
Jin | |
|---|---|
.png) Jin in July 2024 | |
| Born | Kim Seok-jin December 4, 1992 Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea |
| Alma mater | Konkuk University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Honours | _ribbon.PNG){kind=small} Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit (2018) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | Big Hit |
| Member of | BTS |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김석진 |
| Hanja | 金碩珍[1] |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Seokjin |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Sŏkchin |
| Signature | |
 | |
Apart from singing, Jin appeared as a host on multiple South Korean music programs from 2016 to 2018. In 2018, he was awarded the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit by the President of South Korea along with his bandmates for his contributions to Korean culture.
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Kim Seok-jin was born on December 4, 1992, in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.[2] His family consists of his mother, father, and elder brother.[1] He is of the Gwangsan Kim clan.[3] In 2007, he traveled to Australia for a study camp in order to learn English.[4]
Jin originally wanted to be a journalist but decided to pursue acting after watching Kim Nam-gil in Queen Seondeok.[5] While in junior high school, he was scouted by South Korean K-pop agency SM Entertainment off the street, but rejected the offer at the time.[6] Initially intending to be an actor, Jin attended Konkuk University and graduated with a degree in Film Studies on February 22, 2017.[1] He later enrolled in graduate school at Hanyang Cyber University to pursue studies in areas other than music.[7]
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2013–present: BTS
Jin was scouted by Big Hit Entertainment for his looks while walking down the street[8]—he was studying acting at the time and had no background in music[9]—and subsequently auditioned as an actor for the company before becoming an idol trainee.[10] On June 13, 2013, he made his debut as one of the four vocalists in BTS.[11] Under the band's name, Jin has performed three solo songs: "Awake", "Epiphany", and "Moon". "Awake", which he co-produced, was released in 2016, as part of BTS' second Korean studio album Wings.[9] The song peaked at number 31 on the Gaon Digital Chart and number six on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart in the United States.[12][13] He shared a Christmas version of "Awake" for free on SoundCloud that December.[14]
"Epiphany" was released as a trailer for BTS' then upcoming compilation album, Love Yourself: Answer, on August 9, 2018. Described as a "building pop-rock melody" by Billboard, the song's lyrics discussed self-acceptance and self-love.[15] The full version of the song was eventually released as a track on Answer,[16] peaking at number 30 on the Gaon Digital Chart and number four on the US World Digital Song Sales chart.[17][18] In October, Jin was awarded the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit by South Korean president Moon Jae-in alongside his bandmates.[19]
"Moon" was released in 2020, as part of BTS' fourth Korean studio album Map of the Soul: 7. Variety writer Jae-Ha Kim described the track as a power pop song addressed to the band's fans.[20] "Moon" peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart and number two on the World Digital Song Sales chart.[21][22]
In July 2021, Jin was appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture by President Moon Jae-in, alongside his bandmates, to help "lead the global agenda for future generations" and "expand South Korea's diplomatic efforts and global standing" in the international community.[23]
2015–present: Solo activities
In 2016, Jin collaborated with bandmate V on the single "It's Definitely You", released as part of the Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth original soundtrack,[24][25] and later received a co-nomination for Best OST at the 2017 Melon Music Awards.[26] In June 2018, Jin featured on an alternate version of "So Far Away", a song from bandmate Suga's debut mixtape Agust D (2016), alongside bandmate Jungkook, which was released during the band's fifth anniversary celebrations.[14] Jin's solo covers include "Mom" by Ra.D, "I Love You" by Mate, and "In Front Of The Post Office In Autumn", originally by Yoon Do-hyun in 1994.[27][28][29] They were released on SoundCloud on May 7, 2015,[30] December 3, 2015,[28] and June 7, 2018,[14] respectively. He has also made several appearances as a co-host for Korean music award shows, such as Music Bank and Inkigayo.[31]
On June 4, 2019, Jin released his first independent song "Tonight" via SoundCloud as part of BTS' sixth anniversary celebrations.[32] The acoustic ballad was composed by Jin and Big Hit record producers Slow Rabbit and Hiss Noise. Written by Jin and bandmate RM,[33] the song's lyrics are inspired by Jin's relationship with his pets.[34] The track was met with a generally positive reception, with praise for Jin's vocals and the song's calming atmosphere.[35]
Jin released his second independent song "Abyss" via SoundCloud and YouTube on December 3, 2020. An acoustic ballad inspired by his feelings of anxiety, doubt, and burnout, Jin co-wrote and co-composed the track with RM and record producers Bumzu and Pdogg. In a post to the official BTS blog, Jin spoke about his insecurities regarding music and how those darker emotions drove him to write and release the song.[36]
In October 2021, Jin sang the main theme for the TvN drama series Jirisan. Titled "Yours", the single's release was accompanied by a music video featuring footage from the show.[37][38] On December 4, Jin released the short trot-style song "Super Tuna" via SoundCloud as a gift to fans in celebration of his 29th birthday. It quickly went viral after an accompanying performance video was posted on the BTS YouTube channel that same day.[39] The video ranked first on YouTube's World Popular Music Video for eight consecutive days and trended in 56 countries, including Korea, Peru, and Singapore. A subsequent dance challenge arose on TikTok, with videos using the sound receiving over 141.8 million cumulative views in 10 days.[40]
Jin collaborated with Nexon in August 2022 as a special game developer for MapleStory. The project was chronicled in the form of a two-episode mini web series, Office Warrior Kim Seok Jin, published to MapleStory Korea's YouTube channel.[41] On October 21, "Tonight", "Abyss", and "Super Tuna" were made available on streaming services worldwide as official singles under Jin's name. All three songs subsequently simultaneously occupied the top three of the November 5 issue of the World Digital Song Sales chart, making Jin the third solo artist in the history of the chart to do so.[42][43] Jin released his debut solo single "The Astronaut", which he co-wrote with the British rock band Coldplay, on October 28.[44] He performed the song live with the band later that same day in Buenos Aires, Argentina during their Music of the Spheres World Tour; the show was broadcast live to cinemas worldwide in over 70 countries.[45] The single earned Jin his first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 51 and his third number one on the World chart.[43] The following month, South Korean food manufacturing company Ottogi announced Jin as the new advertising model for its Jin Ramen instant noodles brand; a commercial featuring Jin was released on November 11.[46][47]
Following his discharge from the military in June 2024, Jin hosted a fan event at Jamsil Arena in honor of BTS' 11th anniversary,[48] then served as a torchbearer for the South Korean delegation at the Summer Olympics in Paris.[49] He was later appointed the first global brand ambassador for the French jewellery and watch brand Fred,[50] with a global ambassadorship for Gucci following that.[51] In September, he became the first male global ambassador for Laneige and the face of its Cream Skin campaign.[52] An extended version of his 2021 single "Super Tuna" was released in October, along with a new music video.[53] Big Hit published news of Jin's debut solo album, Happy, shortly afterwards. Comprising six tracks, the album was released on November 15.[54] It was supported by two singles: "I'll Be There"—released October 25[55]—and "Running Wild"—released the same day as the album.[56] The latter earned Jin his second entry on the US Hot 100, at number 35.[57]
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Jin is a tenor and plays the guitar.[58][59] In the 2019 novel BTS: The Review, members of the Grammy panel praised Jin's stable breath control and strong falsetto, calling it a "silver voice".[60] Journalist Choi Song-hye of Aju News noted that BTS' singles such as "Spring Day" and "Fake Love" displayed Jin's vocal stability, while the B-side "Jamais Vu" showcased his emotional range.[6] Hong Hye-min of The Korea Times described Jin's voice as "tender, sorrowful, [and] free-spirited" and considered it to be the "standout element" on the solo ballad "Epiphany".[61] Critic Park Hee-a, discussing "Epiphany", stated that Jin "sings the most sentimental emotions" of the solo tracks on Love Yourself: Answer (2018). In a review of "Fake Love", Park said that Jin's belting "prove[d] [the song's] effectiveness".[62]
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Philanthropy
In December 2018, Jin donated food, blankets, and dishes for the Korean Animal Welfare Association to celebrate his birthday.[63] He also donated 321 kilograms of food to the Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), another Korean animal welfare non-profit organization.[64]
Since May 2018, Jin has been a monthly donor to UNICEF Korea, requesting that his donations be kept private at the time. They were eventually publicized following his induction into the UNICEF Honors Club in May 2019 for donating over ₩100 million (about US$84,000).[65]
Influence
In 2019, Jin was ranked as the overall 13th most popular idol and sixth among girls aged 13–19 in South Korea, via data collected by analytics company Gallup Korea.[66]
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As of 2018, Jin lives in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea.[67][68] Additionally, he and his older brother opened a Japanese-style restaurant in Seoul called Ossu Seiromushi in 2018.[69]
Health
In March 2022, Jin injured his left hand and underwent surgery to correct it, following which he abstained from certain performances during BTS' Permission to Dance on Stage concerts in Las Vegas, withdrew from some group events, and sang while seated for most of the band's performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[70][71]
Military service
On October 17, 2022, Big Hit announced that following the release of "The Astronaut" and the completion of its subsequent promotional activities at the end of that month, Jin would begin the enlistment process and carry out his mandatory military service.[72] The singer was previously granted an automatic postponement in 2021 until the end of 2022, following revisions made to the Military Service Act in December 2020. On November 4, 2022, Jin filed paperwork with the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) requesting a termination of the postponement in order to proceed with his conscription.[73][74] He enlisted as an active duty soldier on December 13 at the Yeoncheon army base in the North Gyeonggi Province.[75][76] Following the completion of his basic training with the 5th Infantry Division in January 2023,[75] Jin was appointed as an assistant training instructor with the same division.[77] He was formally discharged on June 12, 2024, becoming the first member of BTS to complete their military obligations.[78]
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Albums
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [88] |
AUS [89] |
CAN [90] |
HUN [91] |
JPN Hot [92] |
NZ Hot [93] |
UK [94] |
US [95] |
US World [96] |
WW [97] | |||||
| "It's Definitely You" (죽어도 너야) (with V) |
2016 | 34 | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | 8 | — |
|
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth Original Soundtrack | |
| "Tonight" (이 밤)[32] | 2019 | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | —[A] | 3 | — |
|
Non-album single | |
| "Abyss"[36] | 2020 | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | —[B] | 2 | — |
| ||
| "Yours" | 2021 | 30 | — | — | 9 | 66 | — | —[C] | —[D] | 1 | 90 |
|
Jirisan Original Soundtrack | |
| "Super Tuna" (슈퍼 참치)[39] | — | — | — | 11 | — | 12 | — | —[E] | 1 | 159 |
|
Non-album singles | ||
| "The Astronaut" | 2022 | 40 | 69 | 58 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 61 | 51 | 1 | 10 | |||
| "I'll Be There" | 2024 | 63 | — | — | — | 40 | 9 | 44 | —[G] | 1 | 25 |
|
Happy | |
| "Running Wild" | 69 | — | 68 | — | 24 | 6 | 25 | 53 | — | 5 | ||||
| "Falling" (featuring Taka) |
—[H] | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | ||||||||||||||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [88] |
KOR Hot [113] |
FRA Dig. [114] |
HUN [91] |
NZ Hot [93] |
SCO [115] |
UK Dig. [116] |
US World [96] |
WW [97] | ||||
| "Awake"[a] | 2016 | 31 | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | 6 | — |
|
Wings |
| "Epiphany"[a] | 2018 | 30 | 5 | 61 | 5 | — | 60 | 54 | 4 | — |
|
Love Yourself: Answer |
| "Moon"[a] | 2020 | 22 | 12 | — | 11 | — | 64 | 61 | 4 | — | — | Map of the Soul: 7 |
| "Another Level" | 2024 | 149 | — | — | — | 30 | — | — | 2 | — | Happy | |
| "Falling" (네게 닿을 때까지) | 150 | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | 1 | — | |||
| "Heart on the Window" (with Wendy) |
139 | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | 1 | 152 | |||
| "I Will Come to You" (그리움에) | 145 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | |||
| "Running Wild" (Holiday Remix) | —[I] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Running Wild (Remixes) | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | ||||||||||||
Other songs
| Title | Year | Format | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Adult Child" | 2013 | Digital download, streaming | with RM and Suga | [120] |
| "Awake" (Christmas ver.) | 2016 | Holiday remix of the original track from Wings (2016) | [14] | |
| "So Far Away" (Suga featuring Jin and Jungkook) | 2017 | re-release of the original track from Agust D (2016); Jin and Jungkook appear in place of Suran | [14] |
Writing credits
All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database, unless otherwise noted.[121]
| Song | Artist | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Outro: Circle Room Cypher" | BTS | 2 Cool 4 Skool | 2013 |
| "Boyz with Fun" | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 | 2015 | |
| "Outro: Love Is Not Over" | |||
| "Love Is Not Over" | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever | 2016 | |
| "Awake" | Wings | ||
| "Tonight" | Jin | Non-album release | 2019 |
| "Abyss" | 2020 | ||
| "In the Soop" | BTS | ||
| "Moon" | Map of the Soul: 7 | ||
| "Stay" | Be | ||
| "Skit" | |||
| "Super Tuna" | Jin | Non-album release | 2021 |
| "The Astronaut" | 2022 | ||
| "Another Level" | Happy[122] | 2024 | |
| "I'll Be There" | |||
| "Longing" | |||
| "Until It Reaches You" | |||
![Thumb](#/media/File:Jin_for_Dispatch_photoshoot_on_"Idol"_music_video_set,_19_July_2018_06.jpg)
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Description | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Epiphany" | 2018 | Yong-seok Choi (Lumpens) | comeback trailer for BTS' third Korean-language compilation album Love Yourself: Answer | [123] |
| "Super Tuna" | 2021 | Jin dances to the song on a beach accompanied by two backup dancers while animated, ocean-related graphics appear on-screen. The choreography features fishing and fish-like dance moves. The song's co-producer Bumzu appears in the video as one of the dancers. | [39] | |
| "The Astronaut" | 2022 | Jin portrays as an alien astronaut who accidentally crash-lands on Earth and must eventually choose between staying with his found family or returning to his home planet. | [124] | |
| "Super Tuna" (슈퍼 참치) Special Video | 2024 | Filmed in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province.[125] As in the original version, Jin is shown performing the song at a beach. He is accompanied by two dancers in some scenes, while in others he is seen relaxing on the sand, fishing, and playfully interacting with a tuna fish. He eventually proposes to it, asking it to bite his fishing rod. | [53][126] | |
| "I'll Be There" | ||||
| "Running Wild" |
- Jin also appeared in the short film "#7 Awake", released in 2016 in promotion of BTS' fourth studio album Wings.[127]
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Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Coldplay – Music of the Spheres: Live at River Plate | Himself | Concert film | [128] |
Television
| Year | Program | Role | Episode(s) | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Inkigayo | Host | 863 | with RM, Kei, and Mijoo | [129] |
| M Countdown | 497 | with Jimin | [130] | ||
| 2017 | with Jimin and J-Hope | [131] | |||
| Law of the Jungle in Kota Manado | Himself | 247–251 | [132] | ||
| KBS Song Festival | Host | — | with Sana, Chanyeol, Irene, Solar, Mingyu, Yerin, and Kang Daniel | [133] | |
| 2018 | Music Bank | 932 | with Solbin | [31] | |
| KBS Song Festival | — | with Dahyun and Chanyeol | [134] | ||
| 2024 | The Half-Star Hotel in Lost Island | Himself | TBA | Outdoor reality series featuring Ahn Jung-hwan | [135] |
Web shows
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s)/work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Artist Awards | 2023 | Popularity Award – Male Singer | Jin | Nominated | [138] |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards | 2022 | Best Theme Song or Title Theme | "Yours" | Nominated | [139] |
| Asian Pop Music Awards[b] | 2021 | Best Film and Television Song (Overseas) | Nominated | [141] | |
| Circle Chart Music Awards | 2023 | Album of the Year – 4th Quarter | The Astronaut | Nominated | [142] |
| Song of the Year – October | "The Astronaut" | Nominated | [143] | ||
| The Fact Music Awards | 2022 | Fan N Star Choice Award – Individual | Jin | Won | [144] |
| Most Voted Artist – Individual | Nominated | [145] | |||
| 2023 | Best Music (Winter) | "The Astronaut" | Nominated | [146] | |
| Fan N Star Choice Award – Individual | Jin | Nominated | [147] | ||
| Hanteo Music Awards | 2023 | Global Artist (Africa) | Won | [148] | |
| K-Star MVA[c] | 2023 | Best Artist – Men | Won | [150] | |
| Melon Music Awards | 2017 | Best OST | "It's Definitely You" | Nominated | [151] |
| Seoul Music Awards | 2023 | Bonsang Award | "The Astronaut" | Nominated | [152] |
| K-wave Award | Jin | Nominated | |||
| Popularity Award | Nominated | ||||
| 2023 | Fan Choice of the Year – April | Nominated | [153] |
- credited under BTS but is a solo performed by Jin[117]
- Hosted by the Hong Kong Asia Pacific International Group and Sunway Records, the Asian Pop Music Awards bases its winners on the "Asian Pop Music Chart" launched in September 2019.[140]
- A Japan-Korea joint project held by "IDOL CHAMP," a global support app for K-Pop idols, which awards the "Best Artist" who is most supported by global K-Pop fans and the "Next Star" who will carry the future of K-Pop.[149]
- "Tonight" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 42 on the US Digital Songs Sales chart.[99]
- "Abyss" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 39 on the US Digital Songs Sales chart.[99]
- "Yours" did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.[102]
- "Yours" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 12 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[103]
- "Super Tuna" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 19 on the US Digital Songs Sales chart.[99]
- Physical and digital pure sales combined[106]
- "I'll Be There" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number eight on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[110]
- "Falling" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 16 on the component Download Chart.[112]
- "Running Wild" (Holiday Remix) did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 190 on the component Download Chart.[119]
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