South Korean Singer & Actor

Park Jin-young Biography

Signed an exclusive contract with BH Entertainment on 28 January 2021

• By Puja Bhetwal
• Update : December 16, 2021

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Park Jin-young is a South Korean actor and singer of the popular boy band Got7 and JJ Project. He had his acting debut in the South Korean musical teen Rom-com series, Dream High. He is also known for leading portrayals in the Korean indie drama, A Stray Goat, and in the Korean fantasy drama, He Is Psychometric.

Who is Park Jin-young?

Park Jin-young started his career as an actor with a supporting role in Dream High Season 2 in 2012. In the same year, he commenced his singing career and debuted as a Korean Pop duo, JJ Project member. The duo released their first song, ‘BOUNCE,’ on 20 May 2012.

On 1 January 2014, Jin-young gained more popularity after his debut with the seven-member pop boy band, Got7. The group dropped its first extended play, ‘Got it?’ on 20 January 2014.

In 2020, the multi-genre group specializing on hip-hop, k-pop, street dancing, and martial arts launched their fifth studio album, ‘Breath of Love: Last Piece.’ 

Over the years, the group has won more than 50 awards, including scores under prestigious banners such as 'Asia Artist Awards,' 'Gaon Chart Music Awards,' 'Golden Disc Awards, Mnet Asian Music Awards,' and 'Seoul Music Awards.'  

In addition to his music career, Jin-young has played a series of supporting roles in Korean dramas; This is My Love (2015), Legend of the Blue Sea (2017), and When my love blooms (2020). He landed his first male lead role in the independent Korean movie, A Stray Goat, released in 2016. In 2018, he featured as the main lead character in the Korean fantasy drama, He is Psychometric, in 2019. 

For his work in the movie, Jin-young won the 2019’s ‘Favorite Korean Male Character Award’ during the ‘Star Hub Night of Stars Awards.’

Early Life 

Jin-young was born on 22 September 1994, in Jinhae-gu, Changwon, South Korea. He is the only son in the family. He has two older sisters named Bo Young and Soo Young. 

Passionate about singing from an early age, Jin-young lacked support from his parents in his music career. He auditioned for SM entertainment in his sixth year of Yongwon Elementary School. Since his mother was against his participation, he assured her that he would give up on his dreams if he failed the competition.

“I dreamed of becoming a singer from the 5th grade of elementary school. My mother, who opposed this, deliberately sent it out to the SM Entertainment audition in the first part of the year. Of course, if it falls, I will give up my dreams,” Jin-young shares.

After convincing his mother, he joined the competition and fermented the positive outcome. He reached the final audition and won the popularity award, and gradually the opposition from his family diminished. 

During his first year of Angolpo Middle School, Jin-young also joined dance classes at Busan Dance School. He wasn’t serious for the first three months. But when his father opposed his decision to pursue dancing, he diligently improved his dancing skills. Within three months of intense dance practice, he successfully auditioned for JYP Entertainment in 2009.

‘JJ Project’ & JYP Entertainment

Post his audition for JYP Entertainment; he won the first position with the other member Lim Jae-beom, also known as JB. It was their victory over 10,000 applicants.

On 8 May 2012, JYP Entertainment announced the new duo JJ Project and in young adopted the stage name Jr. Following a week, Jr. and JB debuted with the single album, ‘Bounce,’ which ranked 8th position on ‘Gaon Album Chart. The song was of a new genre called “hip-rock tronica,” as it was a fusion of hip hop, rock, and electronica.

Five years after his debut in the JJ project, the duo released another self-composed extended play ‘Verse 2,’ a song about youth’s anxiety. For the promotion of the track, they chose the track Tomorrow, Today.’

In 2017, ‘Verse 2’ was the fifth-best K-pop album chosen by Billboard and was nominated in the album division at the Golden Disc Awards.’

‘Got7’

On 16 January 2014, Jin-young debuted as a vocalist in the seven-member boy band, Got7, under JYP Entertainment. The seven members group include Jay B, Jackson, Mark, Youngjae, Jinyoung, BamBam, and Yugyeom. They made their first musical debut with the single ‘Girls Girls Girls’ featuring on Mnet’s M Countdown.

Four days later, their first extended play was ‘Got It?,’ which reached no. 1 spot on Billboard’sWorld Albums Chart’ and no. 2 spot on ‘Gaon Album Chart.’

Over the past years, the band released more successful albums such as ‘Breath of Love: Last Piece,’ ‘Present: You,’ ‘Flight Log: Turbulence,’ ‘Moriagatteyo,’ and ‘Identity.’

Later, on 10 January 2021, Jin-young and his band members did not renew their contract with JYP Entertainment. A month later, they came up stronger with a new album, ‘ENCORE,’ on 20 February 2021. Jin-young co-produced and wrote that song for their fanbase, IGot7.

Acting and Hosting career

Jin-young’s first professional acting career started in 2012 with Dream High 2, where he played a supporting character. In 2015, Jin-young was cast for another supporting role in the JTBC network’s drama series, This is My Love. The same year Jin-young became the official host for M Countdown. He left the show in 2016.

In 2016, he made his film debut in the independent film, A Stray Goat. He portrayed a high school student who meets a troubled girl whose father has been accused of murder in the town of Goseong. Following year, Jinyoung acted as the teenage protagonist on Legend of the Blue Sea. On February 2017, he and girl group Black Pink’s Jisoo were the new MCs of popular music program Inkigayo.

In December 2018, Park got his first lead role in the fantasy rom-com drama, ‘He Is Psychometric,’ in which he portrayed a young man who acquired psychometry power.

 In 2020, Jin-young featured in the South Korean drama, When My Love Blooms. In 2021, the Jin-young was confirmed as the main lead in the upcoming tvN drama, The Devil’s Justice.

Joined BHM Entertainment

Jin-young ended his contract with JYP on 19 January 2021. After he terminated the contract with JYP, Jin-young signed an exclusive contract with BH Entertainment on 28 January 2021. The agency affirmed to assist in his future endeavors as an actor and musician.

A source from the agency stated, “Through BH Entertainment’s system, we will provide both material and emotional support for Jin-young’s diverse career as an actor and musician.”