Kim Jae-joong


Kim Jae-joong, also known mononymously as Jaejoong, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor and director. He is best known as a member of the Korean pop group JYJ, and was one of the original members of boy band TVXQ. Kim was also known by the stage names Hero Jaejoong, Jejung , and 英雄在中 .
Born in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do as Han Jae-joon , he was adopted into the Kim family at a young age. As a teenager, he moved to Seoul to audition for SM Entertainment. From 2003 to 2010, he was the lead vocalist of South Korean boy band TVXQ. Later, he sued SM Entertainment along with Park Yoo-chun and Kim Jun-su and together they separated from TVXQ to form JYJ. As a solo artist, he has released two Korean studio albums, WWW and No.X, both reaching number one on the Gaon Music Chart. In Japan, his two studio albums Flawless Love and Love Covers both peaked at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart. He has tour extensively in South Korea and Japan.
Kim has branched out to act in TV dramas including Sunao ni Narenakute, Protect the Boss, Dr. Jin, Triangle, SPY and most recently Manhole; and in films such as Heaven's Postman and Jackal is Coming. He was also the Executive Director for JYJ's 2011 Worldwide Tour and the 2011 LG Whisen Rhythmic All Stars.

Early life

Kim was born Han Jae-joon in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. His real birthday, as revealed by his biological mother, was on February 4, instead of January 26. At a young age, he was given up for adoption by his biological mother to the Kim family, and his name was changed to Kim Jae-joong.
When Kim was fifteen, he moved to Seoul by himself in order to take part in the auditions held by SM Entertainment. Life in Seoul was financially difficult and he took various odd jobs to pay for rent, food, and training fees; and even appeared as an extra in movies. In an interview, he admitted he used to be tone-deaf in primary school and was frequently ridiculed for his dream of becoming a singer, but managed to overcome it through practicing alone.
Kim attended Gongju Jungdong Elementary School, Kongju National University Middle School, Kongju Information High School and then dropped out in 2001. He enrolled Hanam High School in 2005 and Kyung Hee Cyber University, majoring in Digital Media Engineering.

Music career

TVXQ

In 2001, at fifteen years old, Kim auditioned for S.M. Entertainment and was accepted into the agency. From 2003 to 2010, he was the lead vocalist of South Korean boy band TVXQ. After TVXQ went on hiatus in early 2010, he and two other fellow band members Yoochun and Junsu formed a new trio boy group, initially known as JUNSU/JEJUNG/YUCHUN in Japan.

JYJ

In 2009 Kim, Junsu and Yoochun, started a lawsuit against their agency, SM Entertainment, and separated from TVXQ, soon founding their own band, JYJ. Their debut Japanese language EP The... was released in September 2010, and their first concert DVD from Tokyo Dome Thanksgiving Live in Dome both reached No. 1 on the Japanese Oricon album and DVD charts. The group's English language debut album, The Beginning was released in October 2010, featuring Kanye West.
In January 2011, they released a Korean EP, Their Rooms "Our Story", with three of Kim's own compositions, "Pierrot", "Nine" and "I.D.S.". In April he toured Asia and North America with JYJ, and later South America and Europe. He was also stage director of the Asian leg of the tour. In September the band released a studio album called In Heaven, which sold 350,000 copies and ranked first on the Gaon charts. He composed two new songs for the album, "In Heaven" and "Get Out". Kim composed "In Heaven" in memory of his good friend, Park Yong-ha, who committed suicide.

Solo career

Soundtracks and collaborations

Apart from TVXQ and JYJ, Kim has worked on solo activities as a singer. He sang "Insa" for the soundtrack of A Millionaire's First Love. Kim collaborated with label-mates The Grace for the Japanese version of their song "Just for One Day", which was featured on their fifth Japanese single and their debut album, Graceful 4.
Kim also sang the solo track "Maze" for the fifth and final single of the Trick Project, "Keyword/Maze". Jaejoong wrote and composed "Wasurenaide" which was included on Tohoshinki's twenty-fifth single "Bolero/Kiss the Baby Sky/Wasurenaide." The song was also on their fourth Japanese album The Secret Code, along with the songs "9095" and "9096" which were also composed by Kim. The song, "忘れないで" was used in an television advertisement for cosmetics in Japan.
On September 30, 2009, Kim and bandmate Yoochun released a self-composed single "Colors /Shelter." The A-side track, Colors, was used as the image song for Hello Kitty's thirty-fifth anniversary. Jaejoong and Yoochun also participated in m-flo's album m-flo TRIBUTE -maison de m-flo, singing the track "Been So Long".
Kim sang "Love" for the soundtrack of the film Heaven's Postman in which he starred as the male lead. He also sang "Found You" and "For you It’s Separation, For me It’s Waiting" for the soundtrack of the television drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal, "I'll Protect You" for Protect the Boss, and "Living Like A Dream" for Dr. Jin. "Living Like a Dream" was awarded the Best Hallyu Drama OST at the Seoul International Drama Awards.

Solo album releases

On January 17, 2013, Kim released his first solo EP titled I/MINE, a rock-themed album which Kim penned all the lyrics to. The album debuted at the top of both the Hanteo and Gaon weekly charts in Korea. It was also met with resounding success throughout Asia, topping Taiwan’s Five Music’s Korean and Japanese music chart, Japan’s Shinseido weekly chart and Yin Yue Tai’s V chart for K-pop. It also topped the iTunes rock charts in nine countries. Additionally, the pre-released single "One Kiss" and lead single "Mine" topped both domestic charts and foreign charts, including a German Asian music chart.
On January 26 and 27, Kim held two days of special concerts at the KINTEX Ilsan to celebrate the launch of the album, as well as his birthday. Kim then released a repackaged version of his album, titled Y which consists of contains two additional tracks: “Only Love” and “Kiss B”. The album was met with success and sold 50,000 copies upon release.
His first full-length solo album, WWW was released on October 29, 2013. A single titled "Sunny Day" was released ahead of the album and topped the iTunes EP chart in Japan. A repackaged version of the album, WWW: Remove Makeup was subsequently released in January 2014 and included the title track "Heaven", a pop ballad with label-mate Gummy. To promote his first album, Kim embarked on his first Asia tour which traveled to regional countries like Japan, Taiwan and China.
His second solo album, No.X was released on February 12, 2016. It topped iTunes charts of 39 countries around the world upon its release, and was named the most popular K-pop album in China for 2016.
On January 14, 2020, Kim released the EP Love Ballad, along with its lead single "Tender Love". Following the EP's release, the cities and dates for his Asia Tour 2020 was announced.

Acting career

Prior to his debut as a singer, Kim worked as an extra, playing a soldier in film Taegeukgi. Along with the other members of TVXQ, he acted in television programmes, Banjun Theater and Vacation.
In November 2009, Kim co-starred with Han Hyo-joo in the joint Korean-Japanese telecinema Heaven's Postman as a young man who delivers letters written by the living to the dead and helps lingering ghosts settle their earthly affairs. This was followed by a leading role in Fuji TV's Japanese television drama Sunao ni Narenakute in September 2010. In August 2011, he starred in his first South Korean television series, Protect the Boss with Choi Kang-hee and Ji Sung. He played the role of seemingly a perfect director known for his business acumen, who becomes frustrated and fight against the constraints in his life.
In May 2012, he starred in historical fusion drama Dr. Jin with Song Seung-heon. He played the role of a high-ranking officer of the police force of Joseon Dynasty, who is an illegitimate son of the Joseon era's Prime Minister and his concubine. This was his first time acting in a sageuk, and he was praised for his performance. The same year, Kim made his big screen debut in the action comedy film Jackal is Coming playing a Hallyu star who is kidnapped by an assassin. His comical acting in the film drew positive reception from fans.
In May 2014, Kim starred in MBC's drama Triangle as a man who grows up to become a lowlife gangster. His performance won the “Top Excellence Award, Actor” at the 7th Korea Drama Awards in October the same year. In January 2015, Kim starred in KBS2's thriller SPY as a genius analyst working for South Korea's National Intelligence Service. The drama is based on the Israeli drama The Gordin Cell, modified to depict North/South Korean relations. In 2017, Kim was cast in KBS2's time-slip drama Manhole, as a man who travels back and forth through time to stop a wedding from taking place.

Directing career

Kim served as Executive Director for the Asian leg of JYJ's 2011 Worldwide Tour. He also participated in the directing team for the 2011 LG Whisen Rhythmic All Stars.

Personal life

Injury

In September 2005, while rehearsing the dance steps for "Rising Sun", Kim ruptured his cartilage in his knee and was admitted to a hospital in Seoul. He underwent surgery on the same day to repair the tissue.

Custody battle

On November 21, 2006, a man with the surname Han filed a lawsuit against Kim's guardians. Han claimed he was Kim's biological father, and thus wanted parental rights.
Han cited the reason for the lawsuit against Kim's legal guardians as "for not going through the proper procedures before registering in custody." The first hearing was to be held in Kim's hometown, Gongju, on November 29, 2006, but on November 22 Han dropped the charges against Kim's legal guardians.
In reaction to the matter, Kim uploaded a journal entry on his official fan club website, and said that he was informed of the existence of separate biological parents by his mother two or three years ago, and it had been quite a shock to him. With his current mother's support, his biological mother has been able to keep in touch with him, and to meet occasionally, but whereabouts of his father had been unknown.

He expressed his will to live by the name of Kim Jae-joong, not by his birth name Han Jae-jun.

Military service

Kim enlisted in the army on March 31, 2015, the first five weeks spent for his mandatory basic training at the 1st Infantry Division recruit training center in Gwangtan-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi province. He later ended up as the top recruit among the 244 in his batch, earning the Excellence Award during the graduation ceremony. He was under the 55th Infantry Division in Cheoin-gu, Yongin to serve as an active-duty soldier for 21 months and was also a member of the military band. He was discharged on December 30, 2016.

April Fools' Day controversy

On April 1, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, Kim posted on his Instagram account claiming that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Kim later posted an apology on his Instagram that the diagnosis was not true, which drew outrage from fans. He further explained his reasoning for the initial post was to raise awareness of the dangers of the virus, noting he personally knows individuals who have been infected and his father recently underwent lung cancer surgery.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Music videos

Personal videos

Appearances

Soundtrack contributions

Composing and songwriting

Filmography

Film

Television series

Narration

Concerts and Tours

DateCityCountryVenueAudience
December 10, 2011ShanghaiChinaShanghai Changning Gymnastic Center6,500
February 5, 2012AnkaraTurkeyAnkara University800
May 23, 2012TaipeiTaiwanATT BOX3,500
October 20, 2012NanjingChinaNanjing Olympic Sports Center6,000
October 20, 2012BangkokThailandBitec Hall6,000
November 3, 2012JakartaIndonesiaMata Elang International Stadium7,000
November 9, 2012Ho Chi Minh CityVietnamSaigon Exhibition and Convention Center3,500

DateCityCountryVenueAudience
January 26, 2013GyeonggiSouth KoreaKINTEX Ilsan10,000
January 27, 2013GyeonggiSouth KoreaKINTEX Ilsan10,000
February 17, 2013BangkokThailandBITEC Hall8,000
March 17, 2013ShanghaiChinaShanghai Gymnasium8,000
March 24, 2013Hong KongChinaHKCEC Hall6,000
April 6, 2013NanjingChinaNanjing Olympic Sports Center5,000
April 13, 2013TaipeiTaiwanTaiwan University Gymnasium6,000

DateCityCountryVenueAudience
June 24, 2013YokohamaJapanYokohama Arena15,000
June 25, 2013YokohamaJapanYokohama Arena15,000
June 26, 2013YokohamaJapanYokohama Arena15,000

DateCityCountryVenueAudience
November 2, 2013SeoulSouth KoreaCoex Hall D10,000
November 3, 2013SeoulSouth KoreaCoex Hall D10,000
November 15, 2013YokohamaJapanYokohama Stadium35,000
November 16, 2013YokohamaJapanYokohama Stadium35,000
November 23, 2013TaipeiTaiwanTaiwan University Gymnasium6,000
December 7, 2013NanjingChinaWutaishan Stadium8,000
December 8, 2013NanjingChinaWutaishan Stadium6,000
December 17, 2013OsakaJapanOsaka-jō Hall15,000
December 18, 2013OsakaJapanOsaka-jō Hall15,000
January 4, 2014BusanSouth KoreaBusan Exhibition and Convention Center6,000
January 22, 2014NagoyaJapanNippon Gaishi Hall10,000
January 23, 2014NagoyaJapanNippon Gaishi Hall10,000
January 25, 2014SeoulSouth KoreaKorea University Tiger Dome5,000
January 26, 2014SeoulSouth KoreaKorea University Tiger Dome5,000

DateCityCountryVenueAudience
January 21, 2015YokohamaJapanYokohama Arena12,500
January 22, 2015YokohamaJapanYokohama Arena12,500
January 26, 2015SeoulSouth KoreaJamsil Indoor Stadium6,000

DateCityCountryVenueAudience
March 28, 2015SeoulSouth KoreaKorea University Tiger Dome
March 29, 2015SeoulSouth KoreaKorea University Tiger Dome

DateCityCountryVenueAudience
January 21, 2017SeoulSouth KoreaKorea University Hwajung Gymnasium
January 22, 2017SeoulSouth KoreaKorea University Hwajung Gymnasium
February ?, 2017YokohamaJapan
February 22, 2017NagoyaJapan
February 23, 2017NagoyaJapan
March 11, 2017Hong KongChinaAsiaWorld-Expo
March 18, 2017ThailandBangkok
March 25, 2017MacaoChina

Awards and nominations

Film & Television

Music

Others