Yasuo Namekawa, better known by his stage name Kangnam, is a Korean–Japanese singer and television personality. He was the vocalist and oldest member of the South Korean hip-hop group, M.I.B. He made his recording debut in South Korea with the single, "Say My Name," just before his debut as a member of M.I.B.
Biography
Early life and career beginnings (1987–2010)
Kangnam was born on March 23, 1987, in Tokyo, Japan, to a Korean mother and a Japanese father. As an only child, he spent most of his childhood in Japan, and also spent some years in Hawaii. In March 2008, Kangnam debuted with the stage name Ya-Cha as a new member of the Japanese band Kick Chop Busters. However, he left the band in 2010 for unknown reasons, without his parents' knowledge. Kangnam has stated in interviews that his family is wealthy, but he does not receive financial support from them.
In South Korea, Kangnam debuted as a member of M.I.B under the label Jungle Entertainment on October 25, 2011, with the title track "G.D.M", which stands for "Girls, Dreams, Money." His solo song "Say My Name" was released on October 17, 2011, as part of a spin-off promotion to prove that each member is capable of standing alone. Kangnam is also an accomplished guitarist and pianist. In 2012, Kangnam appeared in a CF for Epson, an electronics company that specializes in image-related products. Also in 2012, Kangnam took on his first acting role in the TV sitcom "21st Century Family", and he became the host of the Japanese rendition of Mnet's Jjang. On the October 3, 2014, episode of I Live Alone Rainbow segment Kangnam revealed that he had only $3 in his bank account. In subsequent Entertainment Relay interviews, he reported that his income had increased significantly, as he became involved with more CFs and variety shows. In October 2014, Kangnam became a permanent cast member on MBC's I Live Alone. In November 2014, Kangnam became an exclusive model for the shoestore ABC Mart, alongside model Nam Joo-hyuk. Kangnam finally saw the fruit of his labours towards the end of 2014, four years after his debut, when he was the emcee for a year-end festival stage as part of the "Lucky Boys" project for 2014 SBS Gayo Daejun. On the December 26 episode of MBC's I Live Alone, Kangnam opened up about attending year-end festivals for the first time since his debut: "Singers usually appear on TV to sing at the end of each year. Every year, I have been watching TV thinking ‘I'll do that next year,’ and somehow four years have passed.” On December 26, 2014, Kangnam released his second solo track, "What Do I Do", which soared to #1 on Daum's real-time charts. Kangnam also ranked #1 on several real-time searches, including Naver, Melon, and Mnet. In February 2015, he was appointed the honorary ambassador for the fourth KCON music festival and convention for its first time in Japan. Kangnam also performed at the concert on April 22. He has said that his fluency in both languages will allow him to "act as the bridge between the exchange of culture from both countries."
On March 16, 2019, Kangnam's agency confirmed that he and speed skaterLee Sang-hwa are dating. They got to know each other after appearing on the SBS variety show Law of the Jungle. On August 11, 2019, Kangnam announced his decision to forfeit his Japanese citizenship and has begun the process of becoming a naturalized Korean citizen. On October 12th, 2019, Kangnam married his girlfriend Lee Sang-hwa
Discography
For Kangnam's work with M.I.B, see M.I.B's discography.
