Jimin

Park Ji-min was born on October 13, 1995, in Geumjeong District, Busan, South Korea, to a family that includes his mother, father, and a younger brother, Park Ji-hyun. Growing up in Busan, Jimin attended Hoedong Elementary School and Yonsan Middle School. As a kid, he discovered a love of movement early on — during middle school, he trained in popping and locking at a local dance academy called Just Dance Academy. That early spark for performance would set the entire course of his life.

Jimin’s talent for dance became undeniable when he enrolled at Busan High School of Arts, majoring in contemporary dance. He didn’t just attend — he topped the entire modern dance department, eventually transferring to Korea Arts High School (alongside future BTS member V). Friends and teachers from that era often describe him as disciplined far beyond his years; he reportedly served as class president for nine years running and was even valedictorian before debut.

In 2012, Jimin auditioned for Big Hit Entertainment (now Big Hit Music, under HYBE) and was accepted as a trainee. Unlike most of his future bandmates, Jimin trained for a relatively short period — only about six months — before joining the group, making him the last member to officially join BTS. He debuted with BTS on June 13, 2013, with the single “No More Dream” from the group’s first single album, 2 Cool 4 Skool.

Within BTS, Jimin became known as the group’s dance powerhouse — taking charge of stage formations and intricate choreography — while also carving out a vocal identity defined by his airy high notes and emotional delivery. His solo tracks released under the BTS umbrella, including “Lie” (2016), “Serendipity” (2017), and “Filter” (2020), became fan favorites, with “Serendipity” becoming the first BTS solo music video to hit 100 million YouTube views.

Jimin officially began his independent solo career with the digital single “Promise” in 2018, which broke a SoundCloud streaming record at the time. He later released “Christmas Love” (2020) and recorded the duet “With You” with Ha Sung-woon for a Korean drama soundtrack in 2022.

His true solo breakthrough arrived with his debut studio album FACE, released March 24, 2023. The album explored themes of identity and inner conflict, debuting at No. 1 in South Korea and Japan, and No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 — the highest charting position ever achieved by a Korean solo artist at the time. Its lead single “Like Crazy” made history as the first Korean solo song to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 65 years.

On December 12, 2023, Jimin enlisted for South Korea’s mandatory military service alongside fellow member Jungkook, using the buddy system. He completed basic training ranked first among trainees and was later promoted early, named a Special Class Warrior for his performance. While still enlisted, he released his second solo album, MUSE, on July 19, 2024 — a more lighthearted record centered on love and inspiration, featuring the hit single “Who.” Jimin was honorably discharged on June 11, 2025.

Since his discharge, Jimin has resumed both solo promotions and BTS group activities, with the full band expected to reunite fully for new releases as all seven members completed military service by mid-2025. Throughout his career, he has remained one of the most charted and most-streamed K-pop soloists globally, while continuing extensive philanthropic donations to education and disaster relief causes across South Korea.