Hongjoong

Kim Hongjoong was born November 7, 1998, in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He attended before enrolling at the . ==Career==

2016–2017: Pre-debut Hongjoong sent a letter and a mixtape to his label, KQ Entertainment, expressing interest in becoming an in-house composer. He initially became the first trainee of the company because of his admiration for Block B, a group managed under the same label. In 2017, Hongjoong was one of the trainees who passed the audition for the JTBC survival reality show Mix Nine. He placed number seven on the "Just Dance" showcase but was eliminated in the tenth episode, with a final ranking of 42. He was introduced as a member of the pre-debut group "KQ Fellaz" along with seven others, all of whom are now part of the boy group Ateez. During the pre-debut reality show KQ Fellaz American Training, the group released a song composed and produced by Hongjoong titled "From". 2018–present: Debut and solo activities On October 24, 2018, Hongjoong officially debuted as the leader of KQ Entertainment's first boy group, "Ateez" with the debut EP Treasure EP.1: All to Zero. From December 2019 to February 2025, Hongjoong released 8 songs by artists that he covered and interpreted in his own style (adding his own lyrics and arranging) under the project name "BY. HONGJOONG". The covered songs included "Space Oddity" by David Bowie, "Purple Rain" by Prince, "Black or White" by Michael Jackson, "모처럼" by Yoon Jong-shin, "Numb" by Linkin Park, "Lemon Tree" by Fools Garden, "Wonderwall" by Oasis, "Beat it" by Michael Jackson. Hongjoong and fellow Ateez member Yunho were selected as the new DJs for MBC's Idol Radio Season 3, which aired from September 8, 2022, to December 27, 2023. On June 20, 2023, Hongjoong appeared in the music talk show Lee Mujin Service where he delivered live vocal performances. On November 8, he released the song "A Walker". On March 11, 2024, singer Chungha released her digital single "Eenie Meenie" featuring Hongjoong, who participated in writing and composing the song. On June 1, Hongjoong appeared in the music talk show "I.M ON THE BEAT" where he showcased both vocal and rap skills. On August 23, Hongjoong released the song "Why Do You Love" along with a music video. Hongjoong and fellow Ateez member Jongho took part in KBS2' busking variety show Moving Voices in Germany, which aired from November 2024 to January 2025. On January 15, 2025, Odetari released his digital single "SMB" featuring Hongjoong, who participated in writing the song. It became Hongjoong's first international collab and second in total. In July, Hongjoong released a solo song "NO1" as part of the Ateez album ''Golden Hour: Part.3 'In Your Fantasy Edition'''. On July 25, Bradley Simpson released a new version of the song "Almost" featuring Hongjoong. ==Artistry and public image==

Hongjoong is appreciated as a skilled rapper and producer, his contribution to Chungha’s "Eenie Meenie" was considered one of the top rap verses of 2024 in K-pop. The song "Selfish Waltz" produced by Hongjoong was named a "b-side many K-pop groups would be excited to offer as a title track" according to Consequence magazine. "Selfish Waltz" was also included in "The 50 best K-pop tracks of 2024" by Dazed magazine. Hongjoong has appeared periodically on the Korean Business Research Institute’s male celebrity brand reputation rankings, which measure online searches and engagement. He also has ranked in the combined male and female idol brand reputation lists. ==Other ventures==

Ambassadorship On March 26, 2026, Hongjoong was appointed as the global ambassador for the World Vision 'Global 6K for Water' campaign. Endorsements On July 23, 2025, Hongjoong and fellow member Seonghwa were announced as the new models for the eyewear brand 'The Silent Soul'. Fashion Hongjoong reformed clothes, experimented with various fashion styles throughout his career, often incorporating elements that challenge traditional gender norms. He has stated that on stage, he fuses music with fashion, creating a character for each performance that embodies both elegance and power. He has mentioned wanting to study fashion and start his own fashion line. Hongjoong had solo-photoshoots for fashion magazines: in 2023 for WWD, in 2025 photoshoot for Elle Korea, solo cover and photoshoot for Singles magazine Japan. On March 4, 2023, Hongjoong made his fashion debut at Balmain Homme 2023 Fall/Winter presentation at Paris Fashion Week. On September 5, Hongjoong was named as a Balmain ambassador and was dubbed the "Balmain Prince" by the fashion brand. On September 27, Hongjoong made his debut appearance as a member of the "Balmain army" by attending Balmain spring-summer 2024 women's collection show and the presentation of the Men's collection on September 29. On June 21, 2024, Hongjoong attended the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus show in Paris. On September 25, Hongjoong attended the Balmain Spring-Summer 2025 show and on September 28, he attended the Vivienne Westwood Paris Womenswear Spring-Summer 2025 show. On January 22, 2025, Hongjoong attended the Paul Smith fall 2025 menswear show and on January 26, he attended the Jacquemus fall 2025 show in Paris. On June 29, 2025, Hongjoong attended the Jacquemus show in Versailles, where 2026 Spring-Summer collection "Le Paysan" was presented. On November 7, 2025, Hongjoong dropped his first fashion collection named Petit Coussin. It featured 24 looks inspired by his childhood and his mother’s children's clothing shop of the same name. The showcase marked the very first time a K-pop idol designed and presented a full fashion collection. On November 12, Hongjoong attended Qeelin Fine Jewelry Exhibition at Seoul Miracle Garden. In November 2022, Hongjoong donated to World Vision Korea under the name "Atiny", the group's fan base. According to the NGO, the contribution is designated to provide support for the Dreaming Children project. In November 2023, it was reported that he donated to the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation. This donation aims to support children diagnosed with cancer and other incurable diseases. The sum was raised from the proceeds of "Walker A" ticket sales and his added monetary contribution to the cause. In May 2024, Hongjoong donated to the NGO 'World Vision' in honor of the Children's Day celebrated in Korea. This contribution aims to support youth who take care of family members with illnesses or disabilities. In March 2024, he donated another to the World Vision Global Drinking Water Project, intended to provide communities worldwide with access to clean water, sanitation and more. On May 20, he was appointed to the 'Bob Pierce Honor Club', an accolade designated for major donors who have contributed over ₩100 million to the NGO and have displayed empathy towards various global issues. In November 2024, Hongjoong and official fan club ATINY, who participated in the '2024 Global 6K for Water Running' (G6K Running) campaign donated to the NGO World Vision'. About 3,400 fans from Korea and abroad participated in the 'virtual running' (running at a time and place of their choice) held on November 1–7, to celebrate Hongjoong's birthday. The event was planned with the aim of empathizing with the difficulties of African children and raising awareness of the severity of water and sanitation issues by walking or running 6 km, the average distance that African children walk every day to get water. On April 14, 2025, Hongjoong was announced as the brand model of World Vision's 'Global 6K Marathon' Campaign. In May, Hongjoong donated to the NGO 'World Vision' for the domestic dream support project 'Dream Wings Club' in honor of the Children's Day celebrated in Korea. In November, Hongjoong successfully completed the virtual Global 6K Marathon, donating 60 million won to the NGO 'World Vision'. ==Discography==

As featured artist Soundtrack appearances Unofficial releases ==Filmography==

Television shows Radio shows Host == Awards and nominations ==

All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise. ==Notes==