Jung Kook facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jung Kook
Jung Kook in May 2022
Born	Jeon Jung-kook (1997-09-01) September 1, 1997 (age 27) Busan, South Korea
Alma mater	Global Cyber University
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Works	Solo discography
Awards	Full list
Honours	Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit (2018)
Musical career
Genres	K-pop EDM
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2013–present
Labels	Big Hit
Korean name
Hangul	전정국
Hanja	田柾國
RR	Jeon Jeongguk
MR	Chŏn Chŏngguk
Signature

Jeon Jung-kook (Hangul: 전정국; born September 1, 1997), known as Jung Kook, is a singer and songwriter from South Korea. He became famous as a member and singer of the South Korean boy band BTS. He has sung three solo songs for BTS: "Begin" (2016), "Euphoria" (2018), and "My Time" (2020). These songs were popular on South Korea's music charts. He also sang "Stay Alive" for the webtoon 7Fates: Chakho, which is based on BTS.

In 2022, Jung Kook worked with American singer Charlie Puth on the song "Left and Right". This song reached number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Later that year, he became the first South Korean artist to release an official song for the FIFA World Cup soundtrack. The song was called "Dreamers". He performed it at the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

In 2023, Jung Kook released his first solo single, "Seven", featuring Latto. This song broke many records for charts and streaming. It was number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the Global 200, and the Global Excl. U.S. charts. This made him the first Korean solo artist to achieve this. It also became the fastest song ever to get 1 billion streams on Spotify. His next single, "3D", featuring Jack Harlow, reached number five on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. This made Jung Kook the first South Korean solo artist to have two songs in the top five on the UK chart.

Early Life and School

Jeon Jung-kook was born on September 1, 1997, in Busan, South Korea. He grew up with his parents and an older brother. He went to Baekyang Elementary and Middle School in Busan.

When he became a trainee to be an idol, he moved to Singu Middle School in Seoul. In 2011, Jung Kook tried out for the TV show Superstar K in Daegu. He was not chosen, but seven other entertainment companies offered him a chance to train with them. He chose Big Hit Entertainment after seeing RM, who is now the leader of BTS, perform.

To improve his dance skills, he went to Los Angeles in the summer of 2012 for dance training. In June 2012, he appeared in Jo Kwon's "I'm Da One" music video. He was also a backup dancer for Glam before he officially debuted. He finished high school at the School of Performing Arts Seoul in 2017. In March 2022, he earned his degree from Global Cyber University. He received the President's Award, which is the highest honor from the school.

Music Career

Becoming a Member of BTS

Jung Kook performing in July 2013

On June 12, 2013, Jung Kook officially started his career as a member of BTS. They released their first single, 2 Cool 4 Skool. As part of BTS, he has sung three solo songs.

His first solo song, "Begin", was on the 2016 album Wings. It tells his story of moving to Seoul at a young age to become an idol. It also shows his thanks to his bandmates for helping him. His second solo song, "Euphoria", was released in April 2018. It was an introduction to the third part of BTS' "Love Yourself" series. This song reached number five on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The full version was on BTS' Love Yourself: Answer album.

His third solo song, "My Time", was on the band's 2020 album Map of the Soul: 7. It is an R&B song about missing out on normal teenage experiences because of his career. It reached number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Euphoria" and "My Time" are the longest-charting solo songs by K-pop singers on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.

Jung Kook has also helped create two songs for BTS. He is listed as the main producer for "Love is Not Over" (from the 2015 EP The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1) and "Magic Shop" (from the 2018 album Love Yourself: Tear).

In October 2018, Jung Kook and his bandmates received the Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit. This award was given by the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in. In July 2021, he and his bandmates were named Special Presidential Envoys for Future Generations and Culture. This role helps South Korea's standing in the world.

Solo Work

Jung Kook performing "Boy In Luv" in 2018

In September 2015, Jung Kook took part in the "One Dream, One Korea" campaign. He sang with other Korean artists to remember the Korean War. The song was released on September 24. In 2016, Jung Kook was on the TV show Flower Crew. He also appeared on Celebrity Bromance. He competed on King of Mask Singer as "Fencing Man".

On November 6, 2018, Jung Kook sang a duet with American singer Charlie Puth. They performed Puth's song "We Don't Talk Anymore" at the MBC Plus X Genie Music Awards. On June 4, 2020, he released his self-produced song "Still With You" for free on SoundCloud. This was part of BTS' yearly anniversary celebration.

In February 2022, Jung Kook sang "Stay Alive" for 7Fates: Chakho, a new BTS-based webtoon. His bandmate Suga produced the song. "Stay Alive" was Jung Kook's first solo song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number 95. It also became the first Korean soundtrack song to appear on the UK Singles Chart. He released another self-produced song, "My You", on June 12, 2022. This was for BTS' ninth anniversary.

Later that month, he was featured on the song "Left and Right" by Charlie Puth. On November 20, Jung Kook released "Dreamers" before his performance at the opening ceremony for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. This song was part of the tournament's official soundtrack. He performed the song with Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi at Al Bayt Stadium. He is the first Korean artist to sing an official theme for the World Cup and perform at its opening ceremony.

Jung Kook became a new global ambassador for Calvin Klein in March 2023. "Still With You" and "My You" became available on streaming services worldwide on July 3, 2023. His first solo single, "Seven", featuring American rapper Latto, was released on July 14, 2023. It debuted at number one on the Hot 100, Global 200, and Global Excl. US charts. This made him the first Korean solo artist to top all three charts at the same time. The song also became the fastest in history to get 1 billion streams on Spotify.

Jung Kook performed at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York City on September 23, 2023. His second solo single, "3D", featuring Jack Harlow, was released on September 29, 2023. It reached number five on both the Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. This made Jung Kook the first Korean solo artist to have two top-five songs on the UK chart. In October 2023, he released the song "Too Much" with the Kid Laroi and Central Cee. "Too Much" reached number 10 in the UK. This made Jung Kook the first Korean solo artist to have three top-10 songs in UK chart history.

His first solo album, Golden, and a third single, "Standing Next to You", were released on November 3, 2023. Golden set new records for sales on its first day and first week. It sold over 2.1 million copies on its opening day and 2.4 million copies in its first week. It was the first album by a South Korean solo artist to sell over 2.5 million copies. In the US, it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. This made Jung Kook one of the highest-charting South Korean solo artists in Billboard history. He was also the first to sell over 200,000 copies in a week.

Big Hit released the single "Never Let Go" by Jung Kook on June 7, 2024. This was part of BTS' 11th anniversary celebrations. The Disney+ travel reality series Are You Sure?!, featuring Jung Kook and Jimin, started on August 8, 2024. A film documentary called I Am Still, about Jung Kook's solo journey with Golden, premiered in many places worldwide on September 18, 2024.

Artistry

Rolling Stone magazine described Jung Kook as having a "soulful tenor" voice. Kim Min-sook, a writer for the Korean music website Reputation, said his voice is "soft" and good for emotional songs. She also praised his ability to sing steadily even while dancing. Mary Siroky from Consequence noted that he has a "clear, dexterous voice built for pop music".

Music critic Kim Young-dae believes Jung Kook's singing is a strong point in BTS songs like "Danger" and "Euphoria". He said Jung Kook's voice is "especially notable" for its techniques and how it expresses feelings. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Jung Kook among the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. They called him "an extremely gifted singer" who "hits high notes with ease".

In January 2024, Jung Kook became a full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association.

Influences

Jung Kook has said that Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, and Usher are some of his musical inspirations.

Impact and Influence

In a 2019 survey by Gallup Korea, Jung Kook was the third most-loved celebrity in South Korea. He first appeared on this list in 2016. He was also the most-searched male K-pop idol on Google in the first half of 2019 and 2020. He was the most searched K-pop idol on YouTube in 2019 and 2020. On Tumblr, he was number one on the "Top K-Pop Stars" list for three years in a row.

On Twitter, his tweets were the most retweeted in South Korea in 2018. They were also the most retweeted globally in 2019 and second-most in 2020. Jung Kook also set records for the most live stream viewers on V Live. He had 3.7 million viewers in October 2018 and 22 million viewers in March 2021.

Media outlets have called Jung Kook the "Sold Out King". This is because items he uses often sell out quickly. These items include shoes, Downy fabric softener, wine, and books. Korean media also said Jung Kook started the "Modern Hanbok" fashion trend. This happened after he was seen wearing Hanbok, and other celebrities started wearing similar clothes.

In June 2021, a politician used photos of Jung Kook to promote legalizing tattoos in South Korea. People online did not like this, saying the politician was using Jung Kook's fame for politics. In the same year, the Mayor of Tagbilaran, Philippines, used images of Jung Kook to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

In 2024, Jung Kook was ranked 9th on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40. He was also on the Gold House A100 list, which recognizes top Asian Pacific leaders. He was named the biggest K-Pop musician in America by Billboard K-Pop Artist 100 list. In 2025, Jung Kook was added to the Madame Tussauds Hot 100 list as a global superstar.

Personal Life

Since 2018, Jung Kook has lived in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea, with his bandmates. In July 2019, he bought an apartment in Yongsan District, Seoul. He gave this apartment to his older brother in December 2020. As of July 2021, Jung Kook's net worth was estimated to be US$20 million.

Jung Kook's father is Christian and his mother is Buddhist. However, Jung Kook has said he does not follow any particular religious affiliation.

Health and Well-being

In 2017, Jung Kook collapsed during a BTS concert in Chile. During the band's Love Yourself World Tour in 2018, he hurt his heel. This injury stopped him from dancing. He still performed during the European part of the tour, but he sang while seated.

In November 2019, Jung Kook was in a car accident with a taxi. No one was seriously hurt, and they settled the matter peacefully.

Giving Back

Jung Kook donated 1|b|lk=on (about 1 million US dollars) to Seoul National University Children's Hospital in April 2023. This money helped pay for treatment for patients from low-income families.

Jung Kook donated another 1|b|lk=on through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association in March 2025. Half of this money was for emergency help for victims of the wildfires. The other half was for projects to help firefighters.

Jung Kook and Jimin in military discharge parade in 2025, after finishing mandatory military service for 18 months

Military Service

On November 22, 2023, Big Hit announced that Jung Kook, along with bandmates RM, Jimin, and V, had started the process to begin their mandatory military service. Jung Kook confirmed he would enlist in December. He began his military service on December 12, 2023, and was discharged on June 11, 2025.

Discography

• Golden (2023)

Filmography

Films

Television

• Jung Kook also appeared in the short film BTS Wings Short Film #1 Begin, released in September 2016. This film promoted BTS' fourth studio album Wings.

Directing

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Jeon Jung-kook para niños