Jimin
Park Ji-min (Korean: 박지민; born October 13, 1995), known mononymously as Jimin, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and dancer. In 2013, he made his debut as a member of the South Korean boy band BTS, under the record label Big Hit Entertainment.
For other people with the same name, see Ji-min.
Jimin
Korean Arts High School
Global Cyber University
- Singer
- dancer
- songwriter
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Vocals
2013–present
Bak Ji(-)min
Pak Chimin
Jimin has released three solo tracks under BTS' name—"Lie" in 2016, "Serendipity" in 2017, and "Filter" in 2020—all of which have charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. He released his first credited solo song, the digital track "Promise", which he co-wrote, in 2018 and recorded the duet "With You" with Ha Sung-woon for the soundtrack for the TvN drama Our Blues in 2022. Jimin released his debut solo album, Face in 2023. It debuted at number one in South Korea and Japan, and number two in the United States, while its second single, "Like Crazy", debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making him the highest-charting Korean solo artist in history on the Billboard 200 and the Hot 100 at the time, and the first to debut atop the latter.[A]
Early life and education
Park Ji-min was born on October 13, 1995, in Geumjeong District, Busan, South Korea.[3] He is of the Milyang Park clan.[4] His immediate family includes his mother, father, and younger brother. When he was a child, he attended Busan's Hodong Elementary School and Yonsan Middle School.[5] In middle school, he attended Just Dance Academy, where he learned popping and locking. Prior to becoming a trainee, Jimin studied contemporary dance at Busan High School of Arts and was a top student in the modern dance department.[6] A teacher suggested that he join an entertainment company, leading him to Big Hit Entertainment. Once he passed the auditions in 2012, he transferred to Korean Arts High School, graduating in 2014.[7]
Jimin graduated from Global Cyber University in August 2020 with a major in Broadcasting and Entertainment.[8] As of 2021, he is enrolled at Hanyang Cyber University, pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Advertising and Media.[9]
Impact and influence
In 2016, Jimin was ranked as the 14th most popular idol in an annual survey conducted by Gallup Korea.[69] He subsequently ranked seventh in 2017, and then consecutively ranked first in 2018 and 2019,[70] as the only idol to top the survey for two consecutive years.[71] In 2018, Jimin was the ninth most-tweeted about celebrity and the eighth most-tweeted about musician globally.[72] He was named the 17th best boy band member in history by The Guardian.[73] From January to May 2018, Jimin won the monthly "Top K-Pop Artist–Individual" award for Peeper x Billboard, a collaboration between the Peeper social media app and Billboard Korea that collects fan votes for their favorite K-pop artists. The prize was a donation to UNICEF in his name.[74]
The Cultural Conservation Society awarded Jimin a plaque of appreciation in 2019, for performing buchaechum, a traditional Korean fan dance, during the 2018 Melon Music Awards and helping spread the dance outside of Korea.[75] In October 2021, he became the first idol to spend 34 consecutive months atop the brand reputation ranking for individual boy group idols[76] and the only one to top the overall ranking for three consecutive years.
Jimin is often cited as a role model by various idols in the K-pop industry, many of whom try to emulate his style of dance, mannerisms, and stage presence; media outlets have called him the "Idol of Idols", "Idol's Bible", and "Rookies' Bible". Artists who have cited him as an influence include Arthur of Kingdom, Bic of MCND, Kim Si-hun of BDC, Woochul of Newkidd, Hyunjin of Stray Kids, Wooyoung of Ateez, Lim Se-jun of Victon, Huening Kai and Beomgyu of Tomorrow X Together, and Ni-ki and Jay of Enhypen.[77][78] British internet personality Oli London underwent 18 cosmetic surgeries costing up to £150,000 to resemble Jimin.[79]
Philanthropy
Jimin is a supporter of education and the arts. From 2016 to 2018, he covered uniform expenses of students at his alma mater, Busan Hodong Elementary School. After the school's closing was announced, he donated summer and winter middle school uniforms to the final graduates and gifted autographed albums to the entire student body.[80] In early 2019, Jimin donated ₩100 million (US$85,810.58) to the Busan Department of Education to help support students from low income families. Of the total, ₩30 million (US$25,743.17) went to his alma mater, Busan Arts High School.[81] In July 2020, he donated ₩100 million (US$84,726.68) to the Jeonnam Future Education Foundation to fund the creation of a scholarship fund for talented students from South Jeolla Province who were struggling financially.[82] In September 2022, Jimin made a personal donation to the Gangwon-do Education Office.[83]
In July 2021, Jimin donated ₩100 million (US$87,416.41) to Rotary International to help polio patients. As with previous donations, the benefaction was made privately but became public in September, when the Go-seong Rotary Club displayed a banner thanking him for the donation.[84] He was announced as a member of the Green Noble Club, a group of major donors to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation who have contributed ₩100 million or more, on October 12.[85] In February 2023, he donated ₩100 million (US$87,416.41) through the Korean UNICEF Committee toward emergency relief for children affected by the Turkey–Syria earthquake.[86]