Kim Woo-jin
Kim Woo-jin (Korean: 김우진; born April 8, 1997), also known mononymously as Woojin (우진), is a South Korean singer and actor. He was signed to JYP Entertainment and was a member of the boy group Stray Kids from their formation through the eponymous survival show in 2017 until his departure two years later. He signed with 10x Entertainment in his endeavor to launch a solo career. Amidst his transition to a soloist, he faced false accusations of sexual misconduct by anonymous users on social media website Twitter. He denied the allegations and an investigation found various forms of fabrication from the accusers. He released his debut mini-album The Moment : A Minor and its lead single "Ready Now" in August 2021.
Kim Woo-jin | |
|---|---|
김우진 | |
Kim in 2019 | |
| Born | April 8, 1997 Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea |
| Education | School of Performing Arts Seoul |
| Occupations |
|
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Labels |
|
| Formerly of | |
| Website | 10x.com/kimwoojin |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김우진 |
| Revised Romanization | Gim U-jin |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Ujin |
Life and career
Kim Woo-jin was born on April 8, 1997, in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.[1] He graduated from the School of Performing Arts Seoul.[2] He was a trainee under SM Entertainment for one year, where he practiced with fellow apprentices that would go on to debut as part of NCT.[3] On October 11, 2017, Kim was unveiled as a JYP Entertainment trainee.[4] He competed in Mnet's reality survival show Stray Kids to become a member of the record label's forthcoming boy group Stray Kids as a vocalist.[3][5] In midst of the competition, the group made the single "Hellevator" available via digital music stores on November 1.[6] The nine-member lineup was confirmed in the final episode of the reality show and Stray Kids released their pre-debut mini-album Mixtape fronted by "Beware" on January 8, 2018.[7][8] Their official debut mini-album I Am Not and its lead single "District 9" were released on March 26, 2018.[9] On October 28, 2019, JYP Entertainment announced Kim's departure from Stray Kids and termination of his exclusive contract, citing personal circumstances.[10]
Kim posted to a newly created Instagram account in January 2020 with the phrase "Kim Woo-jin restart".[11] He held a fan meeting in May and signed with the newly formed 10x Entertainment in August as the first artist on the label's roster.[12] Ahead of his solo record, Kim issued the pre-debut digital single "Still Dream" on July 8, 2021.[13] His debut mini-album The Moment : A Minor and its lead single "Ready Now" were released on August 8.[14] In November, he provided the song "Because It's You" to the soundtrack of the television drama Let Me Be Your Knight.[15] He was cast in the web film 3.5th Period as the "sweet, handsome guy" Lee Han-ik and contributed the track "Timeless" for its soundtrack in December.[16]
Kim will embark on his 1st World Tour 2022 "Still Dream", starting with shows in Europe from July to August. Additional concerts in Asia, North America, and South America are planned.[17] He will play the lead role in HBO Max's upcoming romantic fantasy series Beyond the Closet, becoming the first South Korean actor to be cast in the company's global project. It is scheduled to air in 2023.[18]
False allegations
In September 2020, Kim was accused of sexual harassment by unidentified women on the social media platform Twitter.[12] One accuser alleged that, in spite of refusing his approach, Kim had attempted to touch her and her friend.[19] In another instance, a user asserted to have met Kim at a bar on April 29. She claimed that, after rejecting his verbal and physical advances, he cursed at her. The user uploaded a photo of alcohol bottles between her and a man's torso opposite her who she identified as Kim.[20] She pointed to an Instagram photo from his account in which he wore a matching gray sweatshirt that he had posted on the day the incident allegedly took place.[21] Kim denied the allegations, stating that he "never even met that person" and had "never been to the places that they've mentioned".[19] He filed a suit with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against the individuals for defamation.[20]
The investigation determined that the liquor in the photo was Glenburgie whisky, which was available in South Korea from the end of 2019 and helped narrow their search due to its limited availability at the time. In a search through Instagram hashtags under the whisky name, they were able to identify the original photo post.[21] It was established that the image was taken from an account that had no association with Kim.[12] Upon obtaining CCTV footage from the bar from that night, it was concluded that the photo, which was taken on August 31, 2020, originated from one of two men at the table, neither of which was Kim.[21] The probe also found that one of the accusers who was an anti-fan spreading disinformation and the person who disseminated the allegations were both Brazilian nationals.[21][22] In July 2021, 10x Entertainment published a documentary entitled Finger Killer, which examines the false accusations of sexual harassment made against Kim.[21]
Discography
Albums
Extended plays
| Title[23] | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [24] | |||
| The Moment : A Minor (未成年) |
| 7 |
|
Singles
| Title[23] | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Still Dream" | 2021 | The Moment : A Minor |
| "Ready Now" |
Soundtrack appearances
| Title[23] | Year | Release |
|---|---|---|
| "Because It's You" (너니까; Neo Nikka) | 2021 | Let Me Be Your Knight OST |
| "Timeless" | 3.5th Period OST | |
| "In the End" | 2022 | Reborn Rich OST Part 5 |
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Stray Kids | Contestant | [3] |
| 2022 | Beyond the Wardrobe | Kyung-min | [18] |
Film
Concerts and tours
- Kim Woo Jin 1st World Tour <Still Dream> (2022)
References
- ^ [🔴Live] Showcase | Kim Woojin 김우진 'The moment : 未成年, a minor.'. YouTube (in Korean). Kim Woo-jin. August 5, 2021. 31 minutes in. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Lee, Hae-jung (August 11, 2021). '정희' 김우진 "고교 동창 이장준, 내 춤 선생님..독보적 캐릭터였다". Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c Han, In-ku (October 11, 2017). '스트레이키즈' 김우진 "SM→JYP, 연습생 친구들 NCT로 데뷔". Star Today (in Korean). Maekyung Media Group. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Seon, Mi-kyeong (October 11, 2017). JYP 新보이그룹 '스트레이키즈', 주역 3인 첫 공개. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Son, Ye-ji (October 18, 2017). [스트레이 키즈①] "JYP는 거들뿐"… 新자체제작 보이그룹 탄생. Ten Asia (in Korean). Korea Entertainment Media. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Jo, Hye-jin (November 1, 2017). JYP 차세대 주자 '스트레이 키즈', 1일 정오 자작곡 '헬리베이터' 발매. TV Daily (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Hwang, Hye-jin (December 20, 2017). JYP 新보이그룹 탄생 '스트레이키즈' 9人 전원 데뷔 확정. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Lee, Jun-hyeon (January 8, 2018). 스트레이 키즈, 앨범 'Mixtape' 발매로 잠재력&가능성 대공개. Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Go, Seung-a (March 26, 2018). [팝's신곡]"싹 다 뒤집어놔"…JYP 스트레이 키즈의 강렬한 출격. Herald Pop (in Korean). Herald Corporation. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Bae, Ji-yun (October 28, 2019). [공식입장] 스트레이키즈(Stray Kids) 우진, 팀 탈퇴 및 전속계약 해지…"미니앨범 발매 연기". Top Star News (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Baek, Jong-mo (January 21, 2020). 스트레이 키즈 출신 김우진, 38주 만에 근황 공개. xportsnews (in Korean). xportsmedia. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c "K-pop star Woojin on sexual harassment allegations and comeback plans after leaving Stray Kids last year". South China Morning Post. SCMP Publishers. October 4, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Gong, Mi-na (June 29, 2021). 김우진, 내달 마지막 프리 데뷔 싱글 'Still Dream' 발매..라이언 전 참여. Starnews (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Oh, Yun-ju (August 5, 2021). 스트레이키즈 출신 김우진, 오늘 정식 데뷔→새 도약 'Ready Now' [마데가요]. Mydaily (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Lee, Seol (November 15, 2021). '너의 밤' 첫 OST 김우진 '너니까' 발매…'설렘 지수' 급상승!. The Financial News (in Korean). Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Son, Bong-seok (December 15, 2021). 김우진X범키, 웹영화 ‘3.5교시’ OST ‘Timeless’로 만났다. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Kyunghyang Company. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ Cho, Yeon-gyeong (June 3, 2022). 김우진, 생애 첫 월드투어…1차 유럽 일정 '5개국 10회'. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). JTBC Plus. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Kang, Bo-ra (April 18, 2022). 김우진, 한국 배우 최초 HBO 맥스 오리지널 ‘옷장 너머로’ 주연. Single List (in Korean). Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Ling, Chew Hui (September 10, 2020). "Ex Stray Kids member Woojin denies sexual harassment claims, igniting fresh online anger and accusations of dishonesty". South China Morning Post. SCMP Publishers. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Kang, Kyeong-yun (February 1, 2021). [단독] '스트레이키즈 前멤버' 김우진, 성추행 루머 유포자 고소. SBS Entertainment News (in Korean). Seoul Broadcasting System. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Sang, Hyeon-ho (July 2, 2021). [리부트] 스트레이키즈 출신 김우진, 다큐멘터리 'Finger Killer'로 성추행 루머 반박. Top Star News (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Hong, Hye-min (March 23, 2021). "힘들었다"...스키즈 출신 김우진, 악성 루머 피해 후 첫 심경. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Dongwha Enterprise. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c 김우진 (in Korean). Daum. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Gaon Chart – 김우진 (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ 2021년 08월 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
External links
- Kim Woo-jin on Instagram