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Kim Jong-kook at a 2014 fan meeting in Malaysia

Kim Jong-kook

김종국

  • Solo · Male
  • Ballad
  • Dance
  • Debuted 2001
  • Active

Kim Jong-kook at a 2014 fan meeting in Malaysia — Photo: Vernon Chan from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Debut
200112.12
Birthday
04.251976
Genre
Ballad · Dance

Basic info

Kim Jong-kook is a ballad singer who came from the group Turbo and made his solo debut in 2001. Signature songs include 〈한 남자〉 and 〈사랑스러워〉.

Debut
December 12, 2001 · Debut song 남자니까
Birthday
April 25, 1976
Years active
2001–
Genre
Ballad · Dance
Real name
김종국
Debut reference
Listed by debut year rather than idol generation.

걸어온 길

He debuted in 1995 as a member of the male duo Turbo. After finishing his activities with Turbo, he began his solo career in December 2001 with his 1st full-length album 《Renaissance》.

Unlike his fast dance songs from his Turbo days, as a solo artist he mainly sang high-register ballads. 〈한 남자〉 from his 2004 2nd album was greatly loved.

〈제자리 걸음〉 and 〈사랑스러워〉 from his 2005 3rd album 《This Is Me》 became popular in succession. That year he won the grand prize at all three broadcasters' music award ceremonies.

He served as a social service agent from 2006 to 2008. He later was active on variety shows such as Running Man, launched a fitness YouTube channel in 2021, and signed with Galaxy Corporation in September 2025.

Signature songs

  1. 한 남자 2004 YouTube Spotify
  2. 제자리 걸음 2005 YouTube Spotify
  3. 사랑스러워 2005 YouTube Spotify
  4. 편지 2006 YouTube Spotify
  5. 어제보다 오늘 더 2008 YouTube Spotify

Links go to each service's search results. Lyrics are not included for copyright reasons.

Key releases

  1. 2001.12 Renaissance1st studio albumSolo debut album, 〈남자니까〉
  2. 2004.06 Evolution2nd studio albumIncluded on 〈한 남자〉
  3. 2005.06 This Is Me3rd studio album〈제자리 걸음〉 and 〈사랑스러워〉
  4. 2006.04 네 번째 편지4th studio album〈편지〉 and 〈사랑한다는 말〉
  5. 2008.10 Here I Am5th studio album〈어제보다 오늘 더〉
  6. 2010.01 Eleventh Story6th studio album
  7. 2012.11 Journey Home7th studio album

Latest videos

Go to YouTube channel Latest videos from the official YouTube channel. Checked every 3 hours.

Find Birthday Cafes

Fans rent a café to celebrate a birthday. These events are usually held for a few days around the birthday. Organizers post notices as posters on X (Twitter), so find them right below. Birthday April 25, 1976

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Major awards

  • 2005 KBS Song Festival Grand Prize
  • 2005 SBS Gayo Daejeon Daesang (Grand Prize)
  • 2005 MBC Gayo Daejejeon Most Popular Singer Award (Daesang)
  • 2020 SBS Entertainment Awards Daesang (Grand Prize)
  • 2023 Baeksang Arts Awards TV Category Best Male Entertainer

Key records and stories

  • He first entered the music scene in 1995 as a member of Turbo.
  • In 2005, he won the grand prize at all of the KBS, MBC and SBS year-end music award ceremonies.
  • In 2020, he won the Daesang at the SBS Entertainment Awards, becoming a singer who holds both a music and an entertainment grand prize.
  • In 2015, he sang again with his former members on the album 《Again》, marking Turbo's 20th anniversary.
  • The fitness YouTube channel he opened in 2021 passed one million subscribers within four days.
  • He debuted as a singer in China in 2016 with a Chinese-language single.

Listen & explore

Videos & music

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5 photo source(s)