Kim Seok-jin
Kim Seok-jin, also known by his stage name Jin, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and member of the South Korean boy band BTS since June 2013. Kim was scouted for the group while in university and joined Big Hit Entertainment as an actor, eventually transitioning to a Korean idol. Kim has co-written and released three solo tracks with BTS: "Awake", "Epiphany", and "", all of which have charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. In 2019, Kim released his first independent song, the digital track "Tonight". He also appeared on the 2016 soundtrack alongside BTS member V. Kim has received critical praise for his falsetto and emotional range as a singer.
Apart from singing, Kim has also appeared as a host on multiple South Korean music programs from 2016 to 2018. According to data released by Gallup Korea in 2019, Kim is the 13th most popular idol in South Korea and the 6th most popular among women in their twenties. In 2018, he was awarded the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit by the President of South Korea along with the other members of BTS, for his contributions to Korean culture.
Early life and education
Kim Seok-jin was born on December 4, 1992, in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. His family consists of his mother, father and older brother.While in junior high school, Kim was scouted by South Korean K-pop agency SM Entertainment off the street, but he rejected the offer at the time. He initially intended to be an actor, attending Konkuk University and graduating with a degree in art and acting on February 22, 2017. He enrolled in graduate school at Hanyang Cyber University, to pursue studies in areas other than music.
Career
2013–present: BTS
Kim was scouted by Big Hit Entertainment for his looks while walking down the street. At the time Kim was studying acting and had no background in music. Subsequently, he auditioned for Big Hit as an actor before becoming an idol trainee. On June 13, 2013, Kim made his debut as one of the four vocalists in BTS with their debut single album 2 Cool 4 Skool. Kim released his first co-produced track, a solo single from the album Wings titled "Awake", in 2016. The song peaked at number 31 on the Gaon Music Chart and six on the Billboard World Digital Singles Chart. In December 2016, he released a Christmas version of "Awake" on SoundCloud.On August 9, 2018, the second solo by Kim, "Epiphany", was released as a trailer for BTS' then-upcoming compilation album '. The song was described as a "building pop-rock melody" by Billboard and contains lyrics discussing self-acceptance and self-love. The full version of the song was eventually released as a track on Answer, peaking at number 30 on the Gaon Music Chart and four on the Billboard World Digital Singles Chart. In October, he was awarded the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit by South Korean president Moon Jae-in along with other members of the group. He released his third solo song with BTS, "Moon", on the 2020 studio album '. Variety writer Jae-Ha Kim described "Moon" as a power pop song addressed to BTS fans. "Moon" peaked at number on the Gaon Digital Chart and number 4 on Billboard's US World Digital Singles chart.
2015–present: Solo activities
Kim collaborated with fellow BTS member V on the song "It's Definitely You", released as part of the original soundtrack. He also joined BTS member Jungkook to sing and release an alternate version of "So Far Away", a song from BTS member Suga's self-titled mixtape Agust D. Kim's solo covers include "Mom" by Ra.D, "I Love You" by Mate, and "In Front Of The Post Office In Autumn", originally by Yoon Do-hyun in 1994. They were released on SoundCloud on May 7, 2015, December 3, 2015, and June 7, 2018, respectively. He has also made several appearances as a co-host for Korean music award shows, such as Music Bank and Inkigayo.On June 4, 2019, Kim released his first independent song "Tonight" as part of the 2019 BTS Festa, a yearly event celebrating the anniversary of the band's debut. The acoustic ballad was composed by Kim, alongside Big Hit Entertainment record producers Slow Rabbit and Hiss Noise. The lyrics, written by Kim and BTS leader RM, are inspired by Kim's relationship with his pets. The track was met with a generally positive reception, with praise for Kim's vocals and the song's calming atmosphere.
Artistry
Kim is a tenor and can play the guitar. Critically, his singing voice has received a generally positive reception. In Kim Young-dae's 2019 novel BTS: The Review, members of the Grammy panel stated that his voice has stable breath control and a strong falsetto, calling it a "silver voice". Journalist Choi Song-hye, writing for Aju News, wrote that BTS singles such as "Spring Day" and "Fake Love" displayed Kim's vocal stability, while the b-side "" did so for his emotional range. Hong Hye-min of The Korea Times described Kim's voice as "tender, sorrowful, free-spirited" and considered it to be the "standout element" on the solo ballad "Epiphany". Critic Park Hee-a, when discussing "Epiphany", stated that Kim "sings the most sentimental emotions" of the solo tracks on Love Yourself: Answer. In a review of "Fake Love", Park said that Kim's belting "prove effectiveness".Public image
Philanthropy
In December 2018, Kim donated various supplies to the Korean Animal Welfare Association to celebrate his birthday, purchasing food, blankets, and dishes for the organization. He also donated 321 kilograms of food to the Korea Animal Rights Advocates, another Korean animal welfare non-profit.Since May 2018, Kim has been a monthly donor to UNICEF Korea, requesting that his donations be kept private at the time. They were eventually publicized following his induction into the UNICEF Honors Club in May 2019 for donating over ₩100 million.
Influence
In 2018, he was ranked as the 11th most well-known idol in South Korea, via data collected by analytics company Gallup Korea. In 2019, he placed 13th overall and 6th among Korean men in their 20s.Personal life
As of 2018, Kim lives in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea. Additionally, he and his older brother opened a Japanese-style restaurant in Seoul called Ossu Seiromushi in 2018.Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee/work | Result | |
| Melon Music Awards | 2017 | Best |
Discography
Charted songs
Other songs
Writing credits
All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database, unless otherwise noted.| Year | Artist | Album | Song |
| 2013 | BTS | 2 Cool 4 Skool | "Outro: Circle Room Cypher" |
| 2015 | BTS | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 | "Outro: Love Is Not Over" |
| 2015 | BTS | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 | "Boyz with Fun" |
| 2016 | BTS | ' | "Love Is Not Over" |
| 2016 | BTS | Wings | "Awake" |
| 2019 | Jin | "Tonight" | |
| 2020 | BTS | ' | "Moon" |