Jin (진)

Early Life
Kim Seokjin was born on December 4, 1992, in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea (some sources note he was born in Anyang before his family moved to Gwacheon around age one). He grew up with an older brother, Kim Seok-joong. Unlike many idols, Jin did not dream of becoming a singer growing up — his early interests were not in music but in acting, as he admired performers on screen and initially envisioned a career in the entertainment industry as an actor.

He attended Konkuk University, majoring in Film and Visual Arts, and later pursued a graduate program at Hanyang Cyber University. During his university years, Jin was street-cast by BigHit Entertainment recruiters because of his striking visuals, having already turned down offers from other agencies because he was unsure about pursuing an idol career.

Trainee Days
Jin originally joined BigHit as an actor trainee, reflecting his ambition to work in film rather than music, and unlike most of his fellow trainees, he had no prior singing or dancing experience when he entered the company. He spent long hours mastering vocal technique from scratch, often comparing himself to members who had trained for years. As the oldest trainee, he quietly carried a sense of responsibility for the younger members even while struggling himself.

Debut and Rise with BTS
Jin officially debuted with BTS on June 13, 2013, through the single album 2 Cool 4 Skool. At the time, he was primarily introduced as the group’s “visual,” but he gradually earned recognition for his vocal abilities, developing a clean tone and emotional delivery that added real depth to BTS’s music. Tracks like “Awake” (2016), “Epiphany” (2018), and “Moon” (2020) became fan-favorite showcases of his voice and growth as a vocalist.

Military Service
As the eldest member, Jin was the first in BTS to fulfill South Korea’s mandatory military service, enlisting in December 2022. He was discharged in June 2024 — the first BTS member to complete service — after which he immediately resumed solo activities, including serving as a torch bearer in the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay.

Solo Career Era (2022–2025)
With BTS on hiatus, Jin launched a full solo career. He released “The Astronaut” in 2022, followed by his solo debut EP Happy (October 2024), which reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200. In May 2025, he released his second EP, Echo, exploring deeper, more personal themes through rock-influenced sounds. The album’s lead single “Don’t Say You Love Me” featured a music video starring Jin alongside actor Shin Se-kyung, filmed in Singapore, and Jin performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon before launching his first solo world tour.

BTS Reunion and 2026 Comeback
Jin wrote in a handwritten note to fans, “I greeted you all as a soloist in 2023 and 2024, but I can finally greet you as part of a team again.” Following the last members’ military discharge in June 2025, BTS reunited and began recording together. On March 20, 2026, BTS released Arirang, their first studio album in nearly six years, marking a triumphant, critically acclaimed return that debuted at number one in over 25 countries. The group is currently on the Arirang World Tour, running through March 2027.