Jin (BTS)

Biography of Jin (BTS)

Kim Seok-Jin (born December 4, 1992) is a South Korean singer, model, actor, and songwriter, best known as a member of the popular K-Pop group, BTS. He graduated from Konkuk University with a Theater major in 2017 and is currently continuing his artistic studies at Hanyang Cyber University. He was discovered on the street by one of the scouts of Big Hit Entertainment, who convinced him to audition for the company. He joined Big Hit as part of the BTS project in 2012 and debuted with RM, V, Suga, Jimin, J-Hope, and Jungkook in 2013 with the song “No More Dream,” the lead single from their debut album “2 Cool 4 Skool” (2013). Since then, he has achieved numerous successes with the group with hit songs such as “Dope,” “Run,” “Fire,” “Not Today,” “Blood Sweat & Tears,” “DNA,” and “Boy In Luv,” among others.

Family and Early Life

Jin was born into a well-off family supported by his father’s executive career. He had a normal childhood alongside his older brother, surrounded by his mother’s love. At the age of eleven, his brother introduced him to the world of hip-hop, sharing his musical taste with him. After finishing primary school, he attended Boseong High School, from which he graduated in 2010. While studying, at the age of fifteen, he was discovered by one of the scouts of SM Entertainment, who was impressed by his features, and invited him to audition for the company. However, Jin believed it was a scam, so he did not attend.

After finishing his studies and having an interest in performing arts, Jin enrolled in the Art program at Konkuk University to specialize in acting and theater. While he was on his way to enroll in the university, he was discovered by one of the scouts of Big Hit Entertainment, who convinced him to audition for the company. Despite having no previous experience in the music industry, Jin was accepted as a trainee of Big Hit in 2012, becoming part of the BTS project, alongside trainees Kim Nam-joon, Kim Tae-hyung, Jeon Jung-kook, Jung Ho-seok, Park Ji-min, and Min Yoon-gi. After a year of rehearsals and strict artistic training, Jin debuted as a member of Big Hit Entertainment’s first project, BTS.

Jin’s Musical Career with BTS

In 2013, Jin made his debut with BTS members with the lead single “No More Dream” from their first single “2 Cool 4 Skool” (2013). This was first presented on the music program M! Countdown, surprising audiences with their acrobatics and distinct hip-hop style. While they did not have much impact on the music scene at first, they managed to establish themselves as new players in the genre. That same year, they released their first EP “O!RUL8,2?” (2013), which included songs such as “We On,” “Coffee,” “BTS Cypher Pt.1,” and “Paldogangsan.”

The following year, the group began to gain recognition thanks to the variety show American Hustle Life (2014), recorded in Los Angeles. After the success of Skool Luv Affair (2014), an EP that featured Just One Day and Spine Breaker Outro: Propose, the group returned with the first part of The Most Beautiful Moment in Life in 2015. With this EP, the group gained recognition nationally and internationally, thanks to the songs: I Need U, Hold Me Tight, Converse High, and Dope. The Most Beautiful Moment in Life featured Jin’s collaboration on the songs: Boyz with Fun and Outro: Love Is Not Over.

In the same year, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life- Part 2 (2015) was released, an album that featured the hits: Run, Butterfly, House of Cards, and Silver Spoon. In 2016, BTS rose to fame with Wings, a fifteen-song album that featured solos from each member: Begin (Jungkook), Lie (Jimin), Stigma (V), First Love (Suga), Reflection (RM), MAMA (J-Hope) and Awake (Jin), as well as the hit Blood Sweat & Tears. The success of this album was surpassed by the group’s later works, such as the Love Yourself series, Her (2017), Answer (2018), Tear (2018) and Face Yourself (2018).

In 2019, Map of the Soul: Persona (2019) was released, the first album of the new era, continued by Map of the Soul: 7, which was released on February 21, 2020. In this album, Jin’s solo, Moon, and his collaboration with the vocal line (Jimin, V and Jungkook), 00:00 (Zero O’Clock) were included.

In addition to his work with the group, Jin has collaborated on the composition and performance of the Hwarang OST, “It’s Definitely You” with V. In June 2019, Jin released the song “This Night,” his second solo song after “Awake.”