Kim Jong-kook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kim Jong-kook
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Kim in Running Man Fan Meeting Asian Tour 2014
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| Born | April 25, 1976 Seoul, South Korea
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| Education | Dankook University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Agent |
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| Relatives | Soya (niece) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
김종국
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| Hanja |
金鍾國
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| RR | Gim Jongguk |
| MR | Kim Chongguk |
Kim Jong-kook (Hangul: 김종국; born April 25, 1976) is a famous South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor. He first became known as a member of the popular music group Turbo in 1995. Turbo sold millions of albums in South Korea and across Asia. After Turbo broke up in 2000, Kim Jong-kook started his solo music career. His first solo album, Renaissance, came out in December 2001.
As a solo artist, Kim Jong-kook has won many awards. These include three Golden Disk Awards and two Seoul Music Awards. He also won several awards from major Korean TV stations like KBS, SBS, and MBC. He even won an Mnet Asian Music Award and a Melon Music Award.
Besides music, Kim Jong-kook is also very popular as an entertainer. He has been on many variety shows like X-man and Family Outing. He became famous worldwide after joining the show Running Man.
Contents
Kim Jong-kook's Early Life and Education
Kim Jong-kook was born on April 25, 1976, in Yongsan, South Korea. He has an older brother who is a doctor. Kim Jong-kook went to Myeong Hak Elementary School and Shin Seong Middle High School. He studied music composition at Hansei University. Later, he earned a master's degree from Dankook University in Pop Culture Performing Arts.
Kim Jong-kook's Amazing Career Journey
Starting with Turbo (1995–2000)
Kim Jong-kook began his music journey in 1995 with the duo Turbo. They were known for their catchy songs and became very popular. After Turbo disbanded, Kim Jong-kook started singing on his own in 2001. He mostly focused on slow, emotional songs called ballads.
Becoming a Solo Star (2001–2005)
After Turbo, Kim Jong-kook faced some challenges as a solo artist. His first solo album didn't do very well. But he made a big comeback with his second album, Evolution, in 2004. The song "One Man" from this album became a huge hit. Around this time, he also joined the fun variety show X-Man, which made him even more popular.
In 2005, Kim Jong-kook released his third album, This Is Me. It sold over 300,000 copies and was one of the best-selling albums in Korea that year. The main song, "Lovable," was number one on many music charts. It was even featured in popular online games like Pump It Up and Audition Online. Kim Jong-kook won the top "Artist of the Year" award from all three major Korean TV stations: SBS, KBS, and MBC. This was a huge achievement!
Variety Shows and More Music (2006–2014)
Kim Jong-kook became the leader of the first Shootdori series, where kids formed soccer teams. He had to leave the show when he joined the military in March 2006. Before he left, he released his 4th album, Volume 4 - Kim Jong-kook's Fourth Letter. The music video for "Saying I Love You" featured actress Yoon Eun-hye. Even though he was in the military, the album sold over 100,000 copies and won "Album of the Year" at the Melon Music Awards.
He finished his military service in May 2008. His fifth album, Here I Am, came out in October 2008. He also returned to TV as a regular member of the reality-variety show Family Outing. This show became very popular in Korea and among fans of Korean culture worldwide.
His sixth album, The Eleventh Story, was released in January 2010. It included songs like "This is the Person" and "Don't Be Good to Me."
In 2010, Kim Jong-kook joined the cast of SBS's variety show Running Man. He won the "Best TV Star Award" at the SBS Entertainment Awards in 2011. Running Man made him famous all over Asia. He became one of the most searched Korean stars in Singapore and had sold-out fan meetings. He was also very popular in China, topping polls as a favorite Korean singer.
On November 1, 2012, he released his seventh album, Journey Home, after three years. His Running Man co-stars Haha and Gary helped with the album. Former Running Man member Song Joong-ki appeared in the music video for "Men Are All Like That." That same year, he started hosting the show Crisis Escape No. 1, which earned him the "Best Entertainer Award" at the 2013 KBS Entertainment Awards.
In 2014, he formed a music duo called Running Man Brothers with his Running Man co-star Haha. They went on a concert tour in the United States.
Acting, Turbo Reunion, and Big Awards (2015–Present)
In 2015, Kim Jong-kook started acting officially in the KBS drama The Producers. People praised his acting skills.
In December 2015, he reunited with his old Turbo band members, Kim Jung-nam and Mikey, for Turbo's 20th anniversary album. The album, Again, was released on December 21, 2015. The main song, "Again," which featured Yoo Jae-suk, quickly topped online music charts.
On August 23, 2016, he released his first Chinese single, "Hate That Happiness Came." It was produced by JJ Lin.
On December 19, 2020, Kim Jong-kook made history. He became the first male celebrity to win a Grand Prize (Daesang) in both Music and Entertainment. He received the Grand Prize at the 14th SBS Entertainment Awards for his work on Running Man and My Little Old Boy.
On June 17, 2021, Kim Jong-kook started his own fitness YouTube channel called "Gym Jong Kook." It gained 100,000 subscribers in just five minutes and reached 1 million subscribers within four days! He was also part of the My Little Old Boy cast that won the Grand Prize at the 15th SBS Entertainment Awards in 2021.
On April 28, 2023, Kim Jong-kook won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Male Entertainer. This award recognized his work on Running Man, My Little Old Boy, and Gym Jong Kook.
Kim Jong-kook's Personal Life
Kim Jong-kook can speak English in addition to his native Korean.
He is the uncle of singer Soya. Kim Jong-kook is also good friends with Jang Hyuk, Cha Tae-hyun, Hong Kyung-min, and Hong Kyung-in. They are known as the "Dragon Brothers" because they were all born in 1976, which was the year of the dragon.
In August 2010, Kim Jong-kook had surgery for a back issue. He had been feeling pain but didn't realize how serious it was while filming Running Man. In January 2015, he talked about his choice to work as a public service worker instead of an active-duty soldier during his mandatory military service. This decision was partly due to his back problems. In December 2019, his hernia surgery was shown on the show My Little Old Boy.
Kim Jong-kook's Music Albums
Studio Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |
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| KOR RIAK |
KOR Gaon |
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| Renaissance |
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— | ||
| Evolution |
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6 |
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| This Is Me |
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1 |
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| Fourth Letter (Hangul: 네 번째 편지) |
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21 |
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| Here I Am |
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| Eleventh Story |
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3 | ||
| Song (Hangul: 노래) (Remake album) |
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15 | ||
| Journey Home |
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3 |
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| "—" denotes release did not chart. | ||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR |
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| Korean | ||||
| "Because I'm a Man" (Hangul: 남자니까) | 2001 | Renaissance | ||
| "I Wish You Happiness" (Hangul: 행복하길) | ||||
| "Feeling" | 2004 | Evolution | ||
| "One Man" (Hangul: 한 남자) | ||||
| "Standstill" (Hangul: 제자리 걸음) | 2005 | This Is Me | ||
| "Loveable" (Hangul: 사랑스러워) | ||||
| "2005 White Love" (Hangul: 스키장에서) (feat. Mikey) |
non-album single | |||
| "Letter" (Hangul: 편지) | 2006 | Fourth Letter | ||
| "Saying I Love You" (Hangul: 사랑한다는 말) | ||||
| "Only Wind Only Wind" (Hangul: 바람만바람만) (with SG Wannabe) |
non-album single | |||
| "Today More Than Yesterday" (Hangul: 어제보다 오늘 더) | 2008 | Here I Am | ||
| "Thank You" (Hangul: 고맙다) | ||||
| "Happy Virus" (Hangul: 행복병) (feat. Mighty Mouth) |
2009 | Eleventh Story | ||
| "Give It to Me" (Hangul: 따줘) | non-album single | |||
| "This Is the Person" (Hangul: 이 사람이다) | 2010 | 7 | Eleventh Story | |
| "Come Back to Me Again" (Hangul: 다시 내게로 돌아와) (feat. Gary) |
31 | Song | ||
| "I Love You Everyday" (Hangul: 매일매일 사랑해) (with Soya) |
37 | non-album single | ||
| "All for U" (with Mikey) |
2011 | 37 |
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| "Men Are All Like That" (Hangul: 남자가 다 그렇지 뭐) | 2012 | 8 |
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Journey Home |
| "Reminisce" (Hangul: 회상) (feat. Joosuc) |
28 |
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non-album single | |
| "Raise Your Voice" (with Kim Jong-kook, Haha and Gummy) |
2019 | — | — | Running Man Fan Meeting: Project Running 9 |
| "I Like It" (with Running Man cast members) |
— | — | ||
| "Forget Me Not" (지우고 아플 사랑은..) | 2020 | — | — | non-album single |
| "Be My Lover" (Hangul: 바다 보러 갈래?) (with Kim Jong-kook X Ateez) |
2021 | — | — | |
| "I Luv U" (with KCM and Mirani) |
2022 | 96 | N/A | non-album single |
| "Spring Has Come" (봄이 왔나 봐) (with Yang Da-il) |
2024 | 125 | ||
| Mandarin | ||||
| "Hate That Happiness Came" (恨幸福來過) | 2016 | — | — | non-album single |
| "Listening to the Sound of Rain" (聽見下雨的聲音) | — | — | ||
| "Don't Need to Return My Love" (我的愛不用還) | 2017 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes release did not chart. | ||||
Soundtrack Songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album |
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| KOR |
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| "How Come You Don't Know" (Hangul: 모르나요) | 2013 | 8 |
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Good Doctor OST |
| "Trace of Tears" (Hangul: 눈물 자국) | 2014 | 74 |
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Love in Memory 2 OST |
| "Fool" (Hangul: 바보야) | 2016 | 89 |
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Sweet Stranger and Me OST |
| "Tear Thief" (Hangul: 눈물을 훔친다) | 2021 | 96 | The Forbidden Marriage OST | |
| "My Love" | 2022 | 200 | Soundtrack #1 OST |
Kim Jong-kook's Acting Roles
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
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| 2012 | Wonderful Radio | Taxi Passenger | Cameo | |
| 2015 | Hurry Up Brother Film | Himself |
TV Shows (Dramas)
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
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| 2004 | Banjun Drama | Himself | Cameo (Episode 17) | |
| Special TV Story | Cameo | |||
| 2005 | Old Miss Diary | Cameo (Episode 224) | ||
| 2015 | A Girl Who Sees Smells | Cameo (eps 1) | ||
| The Producers | Kim Hong-soon | Supporting role | ||
| 2016 | The Sound of Your Heart | Jo Jong-kook / Jo Jong-wook | Cameo (Episode 17–18) |
Kim Jong-kook's TV Appearances
Off-Air On-Air
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–2003 | Dream Team | Main Cast | ||
| 2004–2006 | X Man | |||
| Happy Sunday | ||||
| 2005–2006 | Real Situation Saturday Love Letter | |||
| Shoot Dori | ||||
| 2008–2010 | Family Outing | |||
| 2010–present | Running Man | Main Cast | ||
| 2012–2016 | Escape Crisis No.1 | Host | ||
| 2014 | Everybody | |||
| 2015 | Ding Ge Long Dong Qiang | Main Cast | ||
| 2016 | Talents for Sale | Host | ||
| 2017 | Let's go with Mom | Main Cast | ||
| Dragon Club – Childish Bromance | with Jang Hyuk, Cha Tae-hyun, Hong Kyung-min, Hong Kyung-in | |||
| 2017–present | I Can See Your Voice | Host | with Yoo Se-yoon and Leeteuk | |
| 2018–present | My Little Old Boy | Main Cast | ||
| 2018 | The Call | Cast member (1st line-up) | Ep 1–2, 5 | |
| 2019 | In Sync | Host | with Soyou | |
| The Call S2 | ||||
| Kill Bill | ||||
| 2019–2020 | Rewind | Team Leader | ||
| 2019–2020 | Five Cranky Brothers | Cast member | ||
| 2019 | Pink Festa | MC | ||
| 2020 | Fly Shoot Dori — New Beginning | Episode 1–present | ||
| The Voice of Korea (S3) | Coach | |||
| Red-Cheeked Ramyun Lab | Cast | |||
| Trot God is Here 2 - Last Chance | Special MC | Ep.38-ongoing | ||
| 2021 | Crazy Recipe Adventure | Main Cast | ||
| Ceremony Club | with Pak Se-ri and Yang Se-chan | |||
| Wild Idol | Host | |||
| 2022–present | Problem Child in House | Cast Member | Ep. 174 - ongoing | |
| 2022 | With the Silk of Dohpo Flying | Cast Member | with Ji Hyun-woo, Noh Sang-hyun, Joo Woo-jae and Hwang Dae-heon | |
| Kick the Number | Host | with Dindin | ||
| 2023 | Authorized Personnel Only | Cast Member | with Yang Se-hyung and Lee Yi-kyung | |
| Express Delivery Mongolia Edition | Cast Member | with Jang Hyuk, Cha Tae-hyun, Hong Kyung-min, Hong Kyung-in and Kang Hoon | ||
| 2024 | Couple Palace | Host | with Yoo Se-Yoon and Lee Mi-Joo | |
| 2024–present | Stingy Man | Host | with Jang Do-yeon, Lee Joon, Im Woo-il, Lee Seung-hoon, and Park Young-jin |
Web Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2019 | Big Picture | Main cast | with Haha | |
| 2021 | Outrun by Running Man | Cast member | Running Man spin-off |
Hosting Events
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Gaon Chart Music Awards | With Nancy | |
| 2018 | SBS Entertainment Awards | With Park Soo-hong and Han Go-eun | |
| 2021 | APAN Music Awards | With Jeon So-min |
Awards and Nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s) / Work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Model Awards | 2008 | BBF Popular Singer Award | Kim Jong-kook | Won | |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Male Variety Performer | Gym Jong Kook, Running Man, and My Little Old Boy | Won | |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2022 | Celebrity YouTuber of the Year | Kim Jong-kook | Nominated | |
| Brand Customer Loyalty Award | 2021 | Multitainer – Male | Won | ||
| DramaFever Awards | 2016 | Best Bromance | Kim Jong-kook (with Lee Kwang-soo) Running Man |
Won | |
| Golden Disk Awards | 2004 | Popularity Award | Kim Jong-kook | Won | |
| 2005 | Bonsang Award | Won | |||
| 2006 | Won | ||||
| KBS Entertainment Awards | 2005 | Best Entertainer Award | Shootdori | Won | |
| 2013 | Escape Crisis No. 1 | Won | |||
| KBS Music Awards | 2004 | Bonsang Award | Kim Jong-kook | Won | |
| 2005 | Grand Prize (Daesang) – Best Artist | Won | |||
| Korean Entertainer Awards | 2005 | Ballad Award | Won | ||
| Korean Broadcasting Awards | 2021 | Popularity Award | Running Man | Nominated | |
| Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards | 2015 | Prime Minister's Award | Kim Jong-kook | Won | |
| KU Music Asian Music Awards | 2016 | Asia's Most Focused Artist Award | Won | ||
| MBC Best 10 Music Awards | 2004 | Bonsang Award | Won | ||
| MBC Music Awards | 2005 | Most Popular Singer | "Lovable" | Won | |
| Grand Prize (Daesang) – Best Artist | Won | ||||
| Melon Music Awards | 2006 | Album Of The Year | Volume 4 - Kim Jong Kook's Fourth Letter | Won | |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2005 | Best Male Artist | "Standstill" | Won | |
| Best Ballad Performance | Nominated | ||||
| 2009 | "Today More Than Yesterday" | Nominated | |||
| SBS Entertainment Awards | 2010 | Best TV Star Award | Running Man | Won | |
| 2011 | Excellence Award (Variety Category) | Won | |||
| Netizen Popularity Award | Nominated | ||||
| 2013 | Excellence Award (Male) | Won | |||
| Viewers Choice Popularity Award | Won | ||||
| 2014 | High Excellence Award | Won | |||
| Sohu China Netizen Popularity Award | Won | ||||
| 2015 | Won | ||||
| 2018 | PD's Award | Running Man and My Little Old Boy | Won | ||
| Best Couple Award | Kim Jong-kook (with Hong Jin-young) Running Man and My Little Old Boy |
Won | |||
| 2019 | Top Excellence Award in Reality Category | Running Man and My Little Old Boy | Won | ||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Nominated | ||||
| 2020 | Golden Content Award | with Running Man members | Won | ||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Running Man and My Little Old Boy | Won | |||
| 2021 | with My Little Old Boy members | Won | |||
| Entertainer of the Year Award | Running Man and My Little Old Boy | Won | |||
| 2022 | Best Couple Award | Kim Jong-kook (with Yoo Jae-suk) | Won | ||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Running Man and My Little Old Boy | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | Award for Short Clip with Highest Views | Won | |||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Nominated | ||||
| 2024 | The Most Short Clip Views Award | Won | |||
| Good Partner Award | with My Little Old Boy members | Won | |||
| SBS Music Awards | 2004 | Bonsang Award | Kim Jong-kook | Won | |
| 2005 | Grand Prize (Daesang) – Best Artist | "Loveable" | Won | ||
| SBS Visual Arts Award | 2005 | Photogenic Award | Kim Jong-kook | Won | |
| Seoul Music Awards | 2004 | Bonsang Award | Won | ||
| 2008 | Won | ||||
| Yahoo! Asia Buzz Awards | 2013 | Asia's Most Charismatic Korean Host | Won |
See also
In Spanish: Kim Jong-kook para niños
