Sungjae

Yook Sungjae, known simply as Sungjae, is a South Korean singer and actor who has spent over a decade winning hearts as the vocalist, “face of the group,” and maknae of the boy band BTOB. Born on May 2, 1995, in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, he grew up with an older sister and a family background in business before chasing his dream of becoming a singer, a dream sparked in elementary school after hearing a Kim Dong-ryul song on the street.

Sungjae actually auditioned for JYP Entertainment first and made it all the way to the final round before being eliminated. He then tried his luck with Cube Entertainment, passed the assessment, and trained for a couple of years before debuting with BTOB on March 21, 2012, as part of the group’s original seven-member lineup.

Beyond music, Sungjae quickly built a name for himself as an actor, debuting in the drama Reply 1994 in 2013 and rising to wider fame with Who Are You: School 2015. His breakout role came with the smash-hit fantasy drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017), and he has since starred in projects like Mystic Pop-up Bar and The Golden Spoon.

Within BTOB, Sungjae joined the group’s R&B-leaning sub-unit BTOB Blue in 2016, and he stepped up as the group’s temporary leader in 2019 while original leader Eunkwang completed his military service. Sungjae himself enlisted on May 11, 2020, and was discharged on November 14, 2021.

He branched out as a soloist with his debut EP Yook O’Clock on March 2, 2020. After BTOB’s contract with Cube Entertainment ended in November 2023, Sungjae signed with iWill Media in December of that year, continuing both his solo career — with releases like Exhibition: Look Closely, All About Blue, and Lie — and group activities with BTOB, while also making his Japanese solo debut with “One and Only Story” in November 2025.

Known for his warm vocal tone, playful variety-show charm, and genuine love for his fans, Sungjae remains one of BTOB’s most recognizable members both in Korea and internationally.