Portrait · Dispatch / CC BY 3.0

Jung Kook

Singer, songwriter, dancer and filmmaker

Born 1997

Jung Kook is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer and visual creator who debuted at fifteen as the youngest member and principal vocalist of BTS. Raised in Busan, he auditioned for Superstar K before choosing Big Hit Entertainment, trained in dance in Los Angeles and joined BTS for 2 Cool 4 Skool in 2013. His clear, flexible tenor became central to the group's Korean and global catalogue, while solo tracks including Begin, Euphoria and My Time traced his growth inside the group. He expanded into directing through Golden Closet Film and the Life Goes On music video, performed Dreamers at the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony and launched a solo pop chapter with Seven, 3D and the eleven-track album Golden in 2023. After completing mandatory military service in June 2025, he returned to BTS for the 2026 album ARIRANG and its world tour, contributing the concept for the track Hooligan. Current long-form interviews document both his renewed appetite for performance after military kitchen duty and his growing role in the group's songwriting process.

Verified identityCore facts checked against named sources.

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Connected people

ConnectionBTSMember, vocalist and performer since the group's 2013 debut.

ConnectionRMBTS leader and long-term group collaborator.

ConnectionJiminBTS bandmate and fellow military-service cohort discharged in June 2025.

Provenance before publication

Source Ledger

Identity, career, awards, current coverage and image rights are listed here so the profile can be checked without guesswork.

BIGHIT MUSIC / BTS Japan Official

BTS profile

Official group biography, membership and career context.

Date not supplied OfficialOriginal

Wikidata

Jung Kook (Q5524762)

Identity, Korean name, birth and authority-record cross-check.

Date not supplied Open dataOriginal

Rolling Stone UK

Jung Kook: No Limits

Long-form biography, military-service reflection, one-meal regimen, dog Bam and current routine.

Jan 7, 2026 PrimaryOriginal

Associated Press

What to know about BTS as the K-pop group returns

Military-service completion and full-group history.

Jun 21, 2025 PrimaryOriginal

HYBE / Trafalgar Releasing

Jung Kook: I Am Still

Official documentary synopsis and release record.

Aug 14, 2024 OfficialOriginal

Vogue Japan

I'm shining the brightest at the moment

Direct Golden-era routine, training and fashion Q&A.

Dec 22, 2023 PrimaryOriginal

BIGHIT MUSIC

Jung Kook Golden release notice

Official album date, eleven-track count and singles.

Oct 3, 2023 OfficialOriginal

Billboard

Jung Kook and Latto's Seven debuts at No. 1

Hot 100 debut and solo chart context.

Jul 24, 2023 PrimaryOriginal

Weverse Magazine

Jung Kook: I've been changing a bit

Direct solo-debut, cooking, routine and fan-relationship interview.

Jul 20, 2023 PrimaryOriginal

FIFA

Spectacular opening ceremony signals the start of Qatar 2022

Official Dreamers opening-ceremony performance.

Nov 20, 2022 OfficialOriginal

Image rights ledger

Jung Kook during BTS's fifth-anniversary portrait session in Los Angeles in May 2018

Media: Dispatch

Licence-reviewed Dispatch still retained on Commons; editorial use only.

Source file CC BY 3.0

Jung Kook during BTS's fifth-anniversary portrait session in Los Angeles in May 2018

Media: Dispatch

Licence-reviewed Dispatch still retained on Commons; editorial use only.

Source file CC BY 3.0