Jin (singer)

Kim Seok-jin (born December 4, 1992), known professionally as Jin, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and member of the South Korean boy band BTS.

Kim Seok-jin was born on December 4, 1992, in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

His family consists of his mother, father, and elder brother.

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.

He is of the Gwangsan Kim clan. In 2007, he traveled to Australia for a study camp in order to learn English.

Jin originally wanted to be a journalist but decided to pursue acting after watching Kim Nam-gil in Queen Seondeok.

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.

On June 13, 2013, he made his debut as one of the four vocalists in BTS.

Under the band's name, Jin has performed three solo songs: "Awake", "Epiphany", and "Moon".

They were released on SoundCloud on May 7, 2015, December 3, 2015, and June 7, 2018, respectively.

He has also made several appearances as a co-host for Korean music award shows, such as Music Bank and Inkigayo.

Jin has co-written and 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.

Apart from singing, Jin appeared as a host on multiple South Korean music programs from 2016 to 2018.

"Awake", which he co-produced, was released in 2016, as part of BTS' second Korean studio album Wings.

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.

He shared a Christmas version of "Awake" for free on SoundCloud that December.

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, and later received a co-nomination for Best OST at the 2017 Melon Music Awards.

Initially intending to be an actor, Jin attended Konkuk University and graduated with a degree in Film Studies on February 22, 2017.

He later enrolled in graduate school at Hanyang Cyber University to pursue studies in areas other than music.

Jin was scouted by Big Hit Entertainment for his looks while walking down the street —he was studying acting at the time and had no background in music —and subsequently auditioned as an actor for the company before becoming an idol trainee.

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.

"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.

The full version of the song was eventually released as a track on Answer, peaking at number 30 on the Gaon Digital Chart and number four on the US World Digital Song Sales chart.

In October, Jin was awarded the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit by South Korean president Moon Jae-in alongside his bandmates.

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.

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".

On June 4, 2019, Jin released his first independent song "Tonight" via SoundCloud as part of BTS' sixth anniversary celebrations.

The acoustic ballad was composed by Jin and Big Hit record producers Slow Rabbit and Hiss Noise.

Written by Jin and bandmate RM, the song's lyrics are inspired by Jin's relationship with his pets.

The track was met with a generally positive reception, with praise for Jin's vocals and the song's calming atmosphere.

"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.

"Moon" peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart and number two on the World Digital Song Sales chart.

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.

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.

In October 2021, Jin sang the main theme for the TvN drama series Jirisan.