Jeon Jung-kook (Korean: 전정국; born September 1, 1997), known mononymously as Jungkook, is a South Korean singer and songwriter. He is the youngest member and vocalist of the South Korean boy band BTS. Jungkook has released three solo tracks with BTS: "Begin" in 2016, "Euphoria" in 2018, and "My Time" in 2020, all of which have charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. He also sang the soundtrack for the BTS-based webtoon 7Fates: Chakho, titled "Stay Alive". In 2022, he was featured on the single "Left and Right" by American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth, which peaked at number 22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Career
2013–present: BTS
On June 12, 2013, Jungkook made his debut as a member of BTS with the release of the single 2 Cool 4 Skool.[15] Under BTS, he has sung three solo songs; the first, pop track "Begin" from the 2016 album Wings, told his story of moving to Seoul at a young age to become an idol and expresses his gratitude towards his fellow members for taking care of him during that time.[16] The second, a future bass song titled "Euphoria", was released with an accompanying nine-minute short film on April 5, 2018, as the introduction to the third part of BTS' "Love Yourself" series.[17] Produced by DJ Swivel, the song charted at number five on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. Its full studio version was included on BTS' Love Yourself: Answer compilation album, released on August 24.[1] The third solo, "My Time", off the band's 2020 studio album Map of the Soul: 7, is a strobing R&B song about forgoing teenage experiences because of his career,[18] and charted at number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Euphoria" and "My Time" are the first and second longest-charting solo tracks among K-pop singers on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, having spent a record 90 and 85 weeks respectively on the ranking.[19]
Jungkook has been credited as the main producer for two of BTS' songs: "Love is Not Over" and "Magic Shop".[20][21]
On October 25, 2018, Jungkook (together with the rest of the BTS members) was ordained with the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit by the President of South Korea.[22][23] In July 2021, he was appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture by President Moon Jae-in, along with the other members of BTS, to help "lead the global agenda for future generations, such as sustainable growth" and "expand South Korea's diplomatic efforts and global standing" in the international community.[24]
2015–present: Solo activities
In September 2015, Jungkook participated in the "One Dream, One Korea" campaign, taking part in a song collaboration alongside numerous Korean artists in memory of the Korean War. The song was released September 24 and presented at the One K Concert in Seoul on October 15.[25]
In 2016, Jungkook was cast in the pilot episode of Flower Crew. He also appeared on Celebrity Bromance,[26][27] and competed in King of Mask Singer under the name "Fencing Man," appearing in episode 72.[28]
On November 6, 2018, Jungkook performed "We Don't Talk Anymore" with original singer Charlie Puth in a special collaboration stage during the MBC Plus X Genie Music Awards. The song was one he had previously covered twice, solo and with fellow BTS member Jimin.[29]
On June 4, 2020, Jungkook released the song "Still With You", for free on platforms such as SoundCloud as a part of BTS' yearly debut celebrations. Billboard described the song as having "tinkling synths and gently strummed guitars and brushed drums". Jungkook produced the piece himself.[30]
In February 2022, Jungkook sang the soundtrack for 7Fates: Chakho, a new BTS-based webtoon.[31] Titled "Stay Alive", and produced by fellow BTS member Suga, the song earned Jungkook his first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with its debut at number 95,[32] and his first solo top-ten entry on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S chart at number eight.[33] In the UK, it became the first Korean soundtrack in history to debut on the OCC's Official Singles Chart, entering the ranking at number 89.[34] Jungkook collaborated again with Puth, featuring on the single "Left and Right", which was released on June 24.[35]
Impact and influence
In a 2019 survey conducted by Gallup Korea, Jungkook ranked as the third most-loved celebrity of the year in South Korea.[36] He debuted on the list in 2016 at 20th,[37] then ranked 17th in 2017,[38] and then 8th in 2018.[39] In 2018, Jungkook placed first for 10 weeks in a row for magazine Hi China, under the most beloved celebrities list in China.[40] Jungkook is also extremely popular on social media amongst fans. In December 2018, a video of him singing in the studio became the most retweeted tweet in South Korea that year.[41] Various artists have cited him as an influence and role model, such as Kim Dong-han and Hyeongseop X Euiwoong.[42] Jungkook has cited Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and Usher among his musical inspirations.[43][44]
Jungkook's popularity has earned him the nickname "Sold Out King"[45][46] as items that he is seen using often sell out quickly. These include shoes, Downy fabric softener,[47][48] wine,[49] novels—namely I Decided to Live as Me by Kim Soo-hyun, which became a best-seller in both Korea and Japan[50]—and Hanbok. Korean media reported that Jungkook had created a "Modern Hanbok" fashion trend in the Korean entertainment industry when celebrities such as Jun Hyun-moo, Jang Do-yeon, Gong Hyo-jin, MC Oh Seung-hwan and The Return of Superman's Park Joo-ho began wearing similar clothing after he was photographed wearing it.[51]
Jungkook was 2019's most-searched male K-pop idol on Google according to their mid-year chart.[52] He topped the chart again in 2020,[53] and was the most searched K-pop idol on YouTube in 2019 and 2020. On Tumblr, he ranked 1st in 'Top K-Pop Stars' for 3 consecutive years. On Twitter, he had the most retweeted tweet of 2019,[54] and the 2nd most retweeted tweet of 2020.[55] In March 2021, Jungkook set a new all-time record for the most real-time viewers in V Live history when his solo live broadcast surpassed 22 million simultaneous viewers[56]—he first broke the record in October 2018, when his broadcast surpassed 3.7 million viewers worldwide.[57]
In June 2021, a lawmaker of the Justice Party used photos of him to promote the legalization of tattoos in South Korea, which works under regulations. The posts were widely condemned by netizens, who accused the lawmaker of taking advantage of Jungkook's fame for political purposes.[58] In the same year images of Jungkook were posted by the mayor of Tagbilaran in the Philippines, John Geesnell Yap, to convince citizens to receive the COVID shot.
Personal life
In 2017, Jungkook collapsed during a concert in Chile. It was later revealed that he had been feeling unwell that day and there were no underlying issues.[60] He suffered a heel injury on the Love Yourself World Tour in 2018, preventing him from participating in choreography; as a result, he sang while seated during part the European leg of the tour.[61]
In November 2019, Jungkook was involved in a car accident with a taxi. Neither party had any major injuries and an amicable settlement was agreed upon.[62]
Since 2018, Jungkook has lived in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea with his bandmates.[63] In July 2019, he purchased an apartment in Yongsan District, Seoul worth ₩4 billion, which he gifted to his older brother in December 2020.[64] As of July 2021, Jungkook's net worth was estimated to be US$20 million.[65]
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