So, which idol will make you fall for their charm today? In this article, we’re going to discuss one of the idols who debuted in 2014. Yep, it was quite a long time ago, and he is now considered to be a “senior” among idols. However, this idol is a member of an idol group that is quite different from other groups. It’s Sung-joo or Kim Sung-joo from UNIQ! He’s the Korean leader of the group. UNIQ itself is a group that consists of Chinese and Korean members. If you know some groups which have that kind of concept, such as WJSN, Miss A, etc., UNIQ is also one of them. They are a group under Yuehua Entertainment. Let’s discuss in more detail everything about Kim Sung-joo in the sections that follow!
Kim Sung-joo’s Profile
Before we start exploring all the interesting little things about Kim Sung-joo, let’s check out his profile first! Full Name: Kim Sung-joo Given Name: Sung-joo Stage Name: Sungjoo Korean Name: 성주 Birthday: February 16th, 1994 Nationality: Korean Height: 180 cm Weight: 65 kg Blood Type: A Specialty: Chinese and Feng Shui Family: Parents, older brother Position: Leader in Korea, main vocalist Debut Year: 2014 Agency: Yuehua Entertainment Group: UNIQ
Kim Sung-joo’s Facts
After we explored some of the essential things about Sung-joo, let’s check out the interesting facts about him!
Kim Sung-joo was a trainee of YG Entertainment. He trained along with Kim Jinwoo and Kang Seungyoon from WINNER. Kim Sung-joo portrayed a role in a drama titled The Liar and His Lover. He said that he is still friends with the cast and they often play together just like middle school students. Kim Sung-joo used to be known for looking like Park Seo-joon, especially when he first made a debut. Kim Sung-joo has the role of “dad” in UNIQ. That’s because he has a trustworthy personality, and seems careless, but always loves and cares for others. Kim Sung-joo used to like rock songs back in the past, that’s why he doesn’t find it hard to portray a vocalist of a rock band. Kim Sung-joo likes Bruno Mars, Guy Sebastian, and Adam Lambert. Kim Sung-joo has Douyin, a Chinese version of TikTok. Even though Kim Sung-joo is the main vocalist, he dances pretty well too.
Kim Sung-joo’s Pre-Debut
Now that we know a lot about Kim Sung-joo, starting from the basic things to the facts about him, you might be wondering what made him decide to become an idol? Some idols actually wanted to be an idol, but there are some who just accidentally became one. Which one is Kim Sung-joo? Was it his dream all along to debut as a singer? And why is he fluent in Chinese? Well, all these questions will be answered in this section where we’re going to talk about Kim Sung-joo’s pre-debut era! Kim Sung-joo was born in Incheon, South Korea, on February 16th, 1994. He lived with his parents and an older brother. When he was in elementary school, Kim Sung-joo attended a school in Beijing, China. He went there for two years from grade three until grade five. That’s why, his Chinese is really great, just like a native. Since he was a little boy, Kim Sung-joo always had a dream to be a musical actor. That could be the reason why he learned to sing and act. He also attended an art school during his high school years. After he graduated from middle school, Kim Sung-joo attended Anyang Arts High School. When Kim Sung-joo was in high school, he got cast by YG Entertainment. He joined the audition and passed. Kim Sung-joo then became a trainee of the agency of BIGBANG and 2NE1. Little did we know, Kim Sung-joo trained alongside Kang Seungyoon and Kim Jinwoo of WINNER. Now, how did the boy from Incheon become a member of UNIQ? Let’s check out the section below, where we’re going to talk about how Kim Sung-joo debuted in UNIQ!
Kim Sung-joo’s Debut
Knowing that Kim Sung-joo trained in YG Entertainment, you are probably wondering how did he ended up in UNIQ instead of, let say, IKON or WINNER? Well, yeah, Kim Sung-joo had been a trainee of one of the biggest K-pop agencies in Korea. Even most trainees agree that being cast by, or just passing an audition of YG Entertainment, is something in and of itself. So, long story short, Kim Sung-joo was a trainee of YG Entertainment. YG Entertainment itself had a “secret” project of debuting an idol group. Not just a usual K-pop group, but a collaboration project between K-pop and C-pop. So, the members would be from Korea and China. YG Entertainment also did a collaboration with Yuehua Entertainment, a Chinese-Korean agency. Even though YG Entertainment had a plan to made them perform in YG Family’s concert in Beijing, UNIQ ended up debuting under Yuehua Entertainment only. But still, UNIQ were set to promote in both Korea and China. Just like their name, UNIQ is such a unique group with five talented and attractive members. They are Zhou Yixuan, Kim Sung-joo, Li Wenhan, Cho Seungyoun, and Wang Yibo. UNIQ released their first single on October 16th, 2014. Let’s check out the first single from UNIQ, “Falling in Love”!
UNIQ promoted their song in both China and Korea. They also had two leaders, Yixuan who is in charge in China, and Kim Sung-joo who is the leader in Korea. Let’s check out the dance tutorial of “Falling in Love”!
What do you think about UNIQ’s debut era? They really did great, right? Can you imagine being fluent in both Korean and Chinese? The members of UNIQ are required to speak Chinese and Korean. So, they can interact with their fans freely. Thanks to the experience of Kim Sung-joo when he was young, it wasn’t that hard for him to learn Chinese.
