Kim Jong-kook

Early life and education

Kim was born on April 25, 1976, in Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. His family consists of his parents and an older brother, who is a doctor. Kim attended Myeong Hak Elementary School, Shin Seong Middle High School and graduated from Hansei University in Bachelor of Arts (music composition). He then obtained a master's degree from the Pop Culture Performing Arts – School of Arts Department of Dankook University.

Career

1995–2000: Turbo

Kim first entered the Korean music industry in 1995 as a member of the duo, Turbo, which became immensely popular for their catchy music. After the duo disbanded a few years later, he became a solo singer in 2001, mostly concentrating on ballads.

2001–2005: Solo career and music daesang

Kim had a setback after Turbo as he faced difficulties settling down as a solo artist. Problems like lack of songs from composers, less support from his respected agency, and also a change of taste within the fans caused his first album as a solo artist to fail. However, he made a successful comeback with his second album Evolution in 2004, which spawned the hit single "One Man". Kim then became a permanent cast member of the popular variety game show, X-Man, which further raised his popularity.

In 2005, Kim released his third album, This Is Me. The album sold over 300,000 copies and became one of the best-selling albums in Korea that year. The lead single, "Lovable" topped various music charts, and was included in online games such as Pump It Up and Audition Online. Kim swept the Daesang (Artist of the Year) Award from all three major Korean TV stations, SBS, KBS, and MBC, becoming the second artist to accomplish this feat since Cho Yong-pil in the 1980s.

2006–2014: Variety show, music releases, military service and rising popularity

Kim was made the leader of the first series of Shootdori, where kids who are interested in soccer form teams and compete. However, he had to leave the team after receiving an enlistment notice. He wrote and sang a song for his team, titled "Toward a Dream". Kim enlisted in March 2006. Around that time, he released his 4th album, Volume 4 - Kim Jong-kook's Fourth Letter. The music video of the lead single, Saying I Love You, featured Yoon Eun-hye, who was previously involved in a love-line with him in X-Man. Though Kim was unable to directly promote the album as he was in the military, the album sold more than 100,000 copies and later won "Album of the Year" at the Melon Music Awards.

It was announced in late April 2008 that the singer would end his military service on May 23, 2008. On that day, he was greeted by fans, and during an interview, he said that he was "relieved". His fifth studio album, Here I Am, was released on October 22, 2008, with songs such as "Today More than Yesterday" and "Thank You".

Kim also returned to television, becoming a permanent member of reality-variety show Family Outing since episode 19, part of SBS's Good Sunday lineup. Family Outing has become one of the top-rated shows in Korea, consistently achieving the highest ratings for the Sunday mid-afternoon time-slot, and has gained online popularity among Hallyu fans.

His sixth album, titled The Eleventh Story was released on January 27, 2010. The album featured the singles "This is the Person" and "Don't Be Good to Me". The music video of the latter single featured fellow Family Outing cast member Park Ye-jin.

In 2010, Kim became a cast member of SBS' variety show Running Man. In 2011, he won the "Best TV Star Award" at the SBS Entertainment Awards. Kim gained pan-Asia popularity from the show, becoming one of the most searched Korean stars in Singapore, and having his showcase there sold out with more than 1,700 fans in attendance. He also enjoyed success in China, where he consistently topped polls such as being voted #1 Korean singer on the Chinese streaming website, Tudou, and being ranked second most popular Korean male celebrity on Baidu.

On November 1, 2012, following a pre-release of selected songs from his new album, Kim made a comeback to the music scene with the release of his seventh studio album, Journey Home, after three years. His fellow Running Man co-stars Haha and Gary participated in the album as well as former Running Man member Song Joong-ki, who starred in the music video for lead single "Men Are All Like That". The same year, he began to host the documentary program Crisis Escape No. 1, which won him the "Best Entertainer Award" at the 2013 KBS Entertainment Awards.

In 2014, he formed a duo with fellow Running Man cast member Haha, known as Running Man Brothers. The musical duo held a concert tour in the United States in July and December.

2015–present: Acting debut, Chinese debut, Turbo reunion and entertainment daesang

In 2015, Kim made his official acting debut with a supporting role in the KBS drama, The Producers, and was praised for his "solid acting chops".

In September 2015, he left Urban Works ENT after his contract expired. He later went on to sign an exclusive contract with Maroo Entertainment in October 2015.

In December 2015, he and fellow Turbo members Kim Jung-nam and Mikey reunited for Turbo's 20th anniversary album. The album titled Again was released on December 21, 2015. The eponymous lead single, 다시 (Again), which features Yoo Jae-suk, topped online music charts upon its release.

On August 23, 2016, he officially made his singing debut in China with his first single, "Hate That Happiness Came" (恨幸福来过), produced by JJ Lin and lyrics written by Vincent Fang.

On December 19, 2020, Kim made history by becoming the first male celebrity, and 2nd person ever to win a Daesang in both Music and Entertainment. He received the Grand Prize Award (Daesang) at the 14th SBS Entertainment Awards for his participation in Running Man and My Little Old Boy.

On June 17, 2021, Kim launched a fitness-focused YouTube channel "Gym Jong Kook" with 100,000 subscribers in the first five minutes. Within 4 days, the channel reached 1 million subscribers. He was part of the My Little Old Boy cast that was honored with the Grand Prize Award at the 15th SBS Entertainment Awards in 2021.

On April 28, 2023, Kim won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Male Variety Performer for his work on Running Man, My Little Old Boy, and Gym Jong Kook.

On September 10, 2025, Kim left Turbo JK Company, which he founded in 2012. This also marked the end of his 18-year partnership with his manager Kim Gap-jin, who had helped run the company. He subsequently signed with Galaxy Corporation and moved there with his field manager, Cha Seok-bin.

Personal life

Kim speaks both Korean and English. He is the uncle of singer Soya and is close friends with Jang Hyuk, Cha Tae-hyun, Hong Kyung-min and Hong Kyung-in. The group is known as the "Dragon Brothers" for being born in 1976, the Year of the Dragon.

In 2010, Kim underwent lumbar microdiscectomy surgery for a herniated disk. His back issues also influenced his decision to serve as a public service worker rather than as an active-duty soldier during his mandatory military enlistment, a topic he discussed on the talk show Healing Camp in 2015. In 2019, his hernia surgery was documented on My Little Old Boy.

Marriage

On August 18, 2025, Kim announced in a handwritten letter on his fan cafe Papitus that he would marry his non-celebrity girlfriend. He wed on September 5 at J Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, in a private ceremony attended by family, friends, and colleagues.

On the 300th episode of Problem Child in the House, Kim Jong Kook revealed that he and his non-celebrity wife were close friends before they got married.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Soundtrack appearances

Filmography

Film

Television series

Television shows

Web shows

Direct-to-video series

Hosting

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

References

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