My Take
Kim Jong-kook is one of those rare artists who keeps proving he's more than whatever box you try to put him in. I first knew him as half of Turbo, the duo that was basically inescapable in 1990s Korean pop — they were selling millions of albums across Asia at a time when K-pop wasn't even a phrase in the Western vocabulary. Then Turbo dissolved, and instead of fading out, Jong-kook came back swinging with his solo debut in 2001 and kept building a catalog that showed real vocal range and staying power. What I genuinely respect is that he never just coasted on nostalgia — he also branched into acting and variety television, becoming a fixture on Running Man for years in a way that let people see a looser, funnier side of him. A guy who can hold a stadium note AND get legitimately dunked on by his castmates for comedic gold is a rare breed.
Overview
Kim Jong-kook (Korean: 김종국; born April 25, 1976) is a South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor. Kim debuted as a member of South Korean duo Turbo in 1995. The duo was considered to be one of the most popular idols in that time and sold out millions of albums in South Korea and Asia. Following the disbanding of the duo in 2000, Kim released his debut solo album, Renaissance, in December 2001.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kim Jong-kook
- Name (Japanese)
- キム・ジョングク
- Reading
- きむ・じょんぐく
- Born
- April 25, 1976 (age 50)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Dragon
- Origin
- Hapcheon County, South Gyeongsang, South Korea
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / actor / television actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Dankook University
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.