Park Jung-Min (; born: April 3, 1987)
["Park Jung Min Official website"](_blank)
Retrieved 2013-06-16. is a South Korean singer, entertainer, actor, and a member of
boyband SS501
SS501 is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong, Park Jung-min and Kim Hyung-jun. They debuted in 2005 with the EP ''Warning'', which included their first number one song, "Never A ...
.
In 2009, Park made his musical debut in ''
Grease'' as Danny Park,
["SS501, the 1st Asia Tour Persona in Seoul"](_blank)
''Joongang Daily''. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-31 where he received the Best New Musical Talent award by the ''Golden Ticket Awards''.
["''Golden Ticket'' Voting/Nominees (2009)"](_blank)
''Interpark''. Retrieved 2012-11-21. He also had his acting debut as a main lead in ''Human Theater 2010''.
[Human Theatre. MBC. South Korea, 2010. Television.]
In 2010, Park opened his own online shopping mall called Royal Avenue, with him as the CEO. ONstyle Magazine even did a little documentary about it named ''What Women Want''.
With the expiration of the contract, Park left
DSP Media
DSP Media (Hangul: DSP 미디어) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1991 by Lee Ho-yeon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and ...
, who managed him as part of
SS501
SS501 is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong, Park Jung-min and Kim Hyung-jun. They debuted in 2005 with the EP ''Warning'', which included their first number one song, "Never A ...
and joined CNr Media as a solo artist.
[Park Kun-ou]
"SS501 Park Jung-min signs with new agency"
''10 Asia''. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-01 He made his debut as a soloist in January 2011 with single ''
Not Alone'',
[Park Jung Min. Not Alone. 2011. CD.] and had his first Japanese drama entitled ''Love Song In August'' in 2011.
["''Love Song In August'' Official Homepage"](_blank)
''Lismo-drama.jp''. Retrieved 2012-08-14. However, Park joined Yamaha A&R's Victor Entertainment eventually after successfully terminating his contract with CNr Media in 2012.
["SS501's Park Jung Min Sues Former Agency for 200 Million Won in Damages"](_blank)
''EnewsWorld''.Retrieved 2013-06-16.
Park speaks Korean, Japanese, and Chinese fluently.
On July 2, 2015, he started his two years of military duties as a public service worker and returned on July 1, 2017.
Biography
Early life
Park Jung-min was born on April 3, 1987 in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, South Korea.
His family consists of his parents and two siblings: one brother and one sister, neither of whom work in the entertainment industry.
He studied in the Department of multi-media images, Major in Acting at the
Kyonggi University
Kyonggi University (KGU; ) is an accredited, private higher education institution, established in 1947. KGU has over 17,000 students in majors in undergraduate and graduate programs on two campuses. The main campus is in Suwon, located 30 miles f ...
, where he was the student council president with fellow SS501 member
Kim Hyung Jun
Kim Hyung-jun (; born August 3, 1987)["Kim Hyung Jun's Official W ...](_blank)
. However, because of Kim Hyung Jun's constant absence from school due to his training with
DSP Media
DSP Media (Hangul: DSP 미디어) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1991 by Lee Ho-yeon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and ...
, which later became their agency, Jung Min said that he had never met Kim before SS501 was formed.
Pre-debut
Before his debut, Park was once a commercial model for condoms. When he was 13 years old, he was scouted by an agency and was accepted by both
DSP Media
DSP Media (Hangul: DSP 미디어) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1991 by Lee Ho-yeon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and ...
and
S.M. Entertainment
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...
. At that time, S.M. Entertainment told him that they were preparing a new group, but that the group consisted of many members, which according to Park was probably
Super Junior since he saw them rehearsing too. Park eventually chose
DSP Media
DSP Media (Hangul: DSP 미디어) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1991 by Lee Ho-yeon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and ...
because he believed that he would debut faster through DSP.
[M!Pick by MNet. MNet. Seoul, 2005. Television.]
2005-2009: ''SS501'' debut
Park Jung Min debuted as a member of SS501 on June 8, 2005,
along with their debut album entitled ''
Warning''. Their second mini album, ''
Snow Prince
is a 2009 Japanese film. This film is adapted from the 1872 novel '' A Dog of Flanders'' and is inspired by the 1971 film '' A Small Love Melody''. Directed by Joji Matsuoka and written by Kundō Koyama—the scriptwriter for the film '' Depart ...
'' was released in late 2005, five months after their debut. During this time, they also established their official fan club name, "Triple S", and its fan club color, pearl green. The group earned popularity right away as they won many rookie awards after their debut.
In 2006, Jung Min hosted radio program ''SS501's Youngstreet'' on
Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) with fellow SS501 member,
beginning on May 1, 2006. He, then, continued to host with
Kim Kyu Jong
Kim Kyu-jong["Kim Kyu Jong Official Site (more detailed information on me ...](_blank)
, co-SS501 member, when Heo left the program on August 21 due to a throat condition requiring laryngeal surgery. The SS501 members, except for
who was recovering from surgery, also lent their voices to the Korean version of 2006 animated film ''
Pi's Story''.
SS501 soon promoted their first studio album, which was released on November 10 entitled ''
S.T 01 Now''. In late 2007, they expanded their activities in the Japanese market to challenge themselves outside Korea
with the release of their Japanese single ''
Kokoro
is a novel by the Japanese author Natsume Sōseki. It was first published in 1914 in serial form in the Japanese newspaper ''Asahi Shimbun''. The title translated literally means "heart". The word contains shades of meaning—notions of the he ...
'', along with the establishment of "Triple S Japan". After the single debuted at number five, they had two more successful releases in Japan entitled ''
Distance
Distance is a numerical or occasionally qualitative measurement of how far apart objects or points are. In physics or everyday usage, distance may refer to a physical length or an estimation based on other criteria (e.g. "two counties over"). ...
'' and ''
SS501
SS501 is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong, Park Jung-min and Kim Hyung-jun. They debuted in 2005 with the EP ''Warning'', which included their first number one song, "Never A ...
''.
In around one year in Japan, they received the Newcomer Award by
Japan Gold Disc Award
The is an award presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Associa ...
in January 2008; this was the first time for Korean artists to receive this award.
["The 22nd Japan Gold Disk Award 2008"](_blank)
Retrieved 2013-03-05
Having built their foundation as artists in both countries, they continually released singles and albums back-and-forth such as ''
Deja Vu
Deja or Dejah may refer to:
* Deja News, an archive of messages posted to Usenet discussion groups and its successor ''deja.com''
* Andreas Deja (born 1957), German animator
* Dejah Mulipola (born 1998), American softball player
* Dejah Thoris, a ...
'' in Korea and ''
Lucky Days'' in Japan, both released in 2008.
In 2008, he made his musical debut in ''
Grease'', playing the lead role, 'Danny Park',
that the group had to stop their group activities for a short period of time. In 2009-2010, SS501 released ''
All My Love'', ''
Solo Collection'',
[SS501. Solo Collection. 2009. CD.] ''
Rebirth
Rebirth may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Film
* ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film
* ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film
* ''Rebirth'', a documentary film produced by Project Rebirth
* ''The Re ...
'', and ''
Destination
Destination may refer to:
Music
* Destination (group), a disco studio group from New York
* ''Destination'' (Eloy album), 1992
* ''Destination'' (FictionJunction Yuuka album), 2005
* ''Destination'' (Ronan Keating album), 2002
* ''Destination'' (E ...
'' consecutively before their contracts ended. In the meantime, he starred in his first acting career as a main lead entitled ''Human Theater 2010'',
playing himself as the main character in 2010.
2010-2011: leaving ''DSP Media'' and solo artist
In June 2010, upon the expiration of Park Jung Min's contract with
DSP Media
DSP Media (Hangul: DSP 미디어) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1991 by Lee Ho-yeon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and ...
, he signed with CNr Media on August 10, 2010, a company jointly set up by Taiwanese producer Comic-Ritz and Korean Roy Media, to embark on his solo career. CNr Media stated that SS501's activities are top priority in his contract and that they have not disbanded.
He also signed with Sony Music Asia for his Asia activities after finalizing his contract on September 30,
["SS501's Park Jung Min receives support from Taiwanese power players"](_blank)
''Allkpop''.Retrieved.05-09-13 and Yamaha Music Entertainment for his Japan activities which is revealed on September 17. During this time, Park Jung Min and Kim Hyung Jun also attended the ''21st Golden Melody Awards'' in Taiwan to present an award together with
Ken Chu
Ken Chu () is a Taiwanese singer, composer, actor, cook; and a member of Taiwanese Mandopop vocal quartet boy band F4. Educated in Singapore (Boon Lay Secondary School), he speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
Biography
Chu was worki ...
.
Park Jung Min was the first one to release a solo album, with his debut solo single, ''
Not Alone'',
on January 20, 2011. His albums are distributed in Taiwan by
Sony Music Taiwan
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
.
and he even visited Taiwan and Singapore to promote it.
In July 2011, he has been cast as the lead in Japanese mobile drama LISMO ''August's Love Song''. He also contributed to KBS2's ''The Princess' Man'' OST in August, where he sang "Missing You" composed by Park Jung Wook.
2012: ''Fondant Garden'', lawsuit against CNr Media and ''Beautiful'' album
In February 2012, Park starred alongside Jian Man Shu,
Kingone Wang
Kingone Wang (; born 5 May 1980) is a Taiwanese actor, singer and host. He was part of the boy band Comic Boyz and winner of Taiwanese Golden Bell Awards for Best Supporting Actor. He is the alumni of both National Chiao Tung University and C ...
and
Lia Lee
''The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures'' is a 1997 book by Anne Fadiman that chronicles the struggles of a Hmong refugee family from Houaysouy, Sainyabuli Province, Lao ...
, in a
Taiwanese drama
Taiwanese drama (, also known as T.W. drama) refer to dramatic programming of television programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hour episodes. They are produced in Taiwan and hav ...
named ''
Fondant Garden'', playing the lead role of Park Hee Hwan.
Between April 2 and 7, Park participated in Dominic's Way fashion show during the 2012 ''Seoul Fashion Week'', for designer Song Hye-myung, who designed SS501's clothes for their ''Destination'' mini album jacket. He was dressed as vdette in a dark angel attire with spreading wings. Four days later, on April 12, Park filed an
injunction at Seoul Central District Court against his agency CNr Media to cancel his exclusive representation contract, citing improper distribution of profits. A source close to Park said:
According to another media source, Park departed from CNr Media in March 2012 but continued with his schedule in Japan on April 14 despite the injunction.
The decision of the court came on July 30, favoring Park Jung Min's case against CNR Media. With this decision, he is now free to promote in Korea and overseas regardless of his contract with CNR Media until the judgment on merits is issued, especially that if the contract was continued, Park Jung Min's career might be in danger. However, despite the lawsuit, he still continued to uphold his promise with his fans, attending all schedules set by CNR Media including promotions for the Taiwanese drama ''Fondant Garden''. On October 10, his new agency, Yamaha A&R, announced that Park filled a two hundred million won lawsuit against his former agency, seeking compensation.
Finally on May 22, the legal battle between Park and his former agency, CNr Media, has finally come to an end. It was said through a press release on May 28 that Park agreed to receive an amount that could be paid by his former agency since CNr Media is in poor financial status recently.
Park Jung Min's attorney said:
After the lawsuit, Park Jung Min debuted in Japan using the name 'Romeo' under Victor Music. He released two albums, named
Give Me Your Heart and
Tonight's The Night in September and October respectively. Afterwards, he returned to Korea to continue his music career as 'Park Jung Min' and released his first self-produced single album entitled ''
Beautiful
Beautiful, an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty, may refer to:
Film and theater
* ''Beautiful'' (2000 film), an American film directed by Sally Field
* ''Beautiful'' (2008 film), a South Korean film directed by Juhn Jai-h ...
''. At the end of the year, he released a full length Japanese album ''
Midnight Theatre'' back as Romeo. During his 'Face Off Concert' at the Tokyo Dome City Hall, however, he performed as both 'Park Jung Min' and 'Romeo'.
2013-present: International tours
Park Jung Min attended and performed at the 2013 ''StarHub TVB Golden Viva Spectacular'' together with other K-Pop artists on February 9, that was initially filmed during the January 31 at the Seoul Student Jamsil Gymnasium. The performances were broadcast simultaneously in Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their Hong Kong fans.
On February 14, he held a press conference at the Sony Music Square in Tokyo about his upcoming concert tour. He had eight performances in total, starting on March 19 in Fukoka, March 21 in Osaka, March 22 in Tokyo, and March 23 in Nagoya. His shows had a different concept, though: light/dark; good/bad concept. In particular, he performed by the name 'Park Jung Min' during the day, then changing his persona to 'Romeo' when the night comes.
During SS501's eight anniversary, Park, along with the SS501 members posted one video of them celebrating and greeting their fans onto each of their own official
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
accounts.
Kim Hyun Joong
Kim Hyun-joong (; born June 6, 1986) is a South Korean actor, singer and songwriter. He is a member of the boy band SS501 and played roles in the Korean dramas ''Boys Over Flowers'' and ''Playful Kiss''.
After debuting with SS501 in 2005, Kim ...
was not able to be in the video at that time because he had a shooting on his variety show, ''
Barefooted Friends''. However, Kim Hyun Joong still talked about their anniversary on his Korea fanmeeting entitled ''2013 KHJ Show - Party People'', held at the same day of their anniversary.
Park had his first fanmeeting tour in South and Latin America together with co-member Heo Young-saeng starting on August 17. Although it is said to be a joint fanmeeting tour, which was put by Zafiro Productions, the two of them would not have the same time and meetings with their fans. The tour consisted of three stops: two in Peru, and one in Mexico. Fanmeetings in Lima, Peru on August 17 and Mexico on August 20 were held as originally planned, and an encore in Lima, Peru on August 24 was added later on.
Park attended Heo Young-saeng's first and farewell concert in Seoul entitled ''2013 Heo Young Saeng Seoul Concert 0513 My Story'' on October 26 at the UNIQLO AX Hall. This time, all of the SS501 members appeared together on one stage and performed together as one group again after three years. They sang their self-written song dedicated to their fans, "Green Peas", and their a cappella version of the song, "
In the Still of the Night".
On December 14,
DSP Media
DSP Media (Hangul: DSP 미디어) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1991 by Lee Ho-yeon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and ...
had its first festival held at Seoul Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in celebration of DSP Media's 22nd anniversary. Together with the company's artists, Park and
Eun Ji-won
Eun Ji-won Hangul: 은지원, Hanja: 殷志源, (born June 8, 1978) is a South Korean rapper and entertainer. He is the leader of the first generation idol group Sechs Kies (젝스키스).
He is recognized as an ancestor of the K-pop world, pa ...
of
Sechs Kies
Sechs Kies (pronounced as ; ko, 젝스키스) is a first generation South Korean boy band. Making their debut on April 15, 1997, they are one of the first K-pop idol groups, credited with pioneering the idol scene and fandom culture. The grou ...
joined and performed in the festival.
In the beginning of 2014, Park had his first European Tour, ''Park Jung Min Reverso Tour''. He made stops in Paris, Germany, and Russia starting on January 29. His first stop was Dortmund at FZW on January 31. The next day, he headed to Paris at the
Le Divan du Monde before wrapping things up in Moscow on February 3 at the Concert Hall. In all of his shows, he had shared the stage with his opening act, Choi Soo Min, a boxer-turned-pianist who has received critical acclaim for his dynamic style of music. He became the first ever Korean singer to perform in the country of Russia, as well as the first solo artist to perform in Dortmund city.
On May 12, 2014, he released his third Japanese single album ''
Save Us Tonight'' under his real name, Park Jung-min.
["Tracklist - Save Us Tonight by Park Jung Min"](_blank)
''JpopAsia''. Retrieved 2014-05-14. It also offers a Korean version of the single album.
On July 2, 2015, he entered the army through the Nonsan Army Training Center. He is still serving as a public service worker. He is expected to be discharged in July 2017.
Image and artistry
Public image
...I want people to know how I grew up those years, from IDOL Park Jung Min to ARTIST Park Jung Min. Of course; I know it might look like a role play, but the character I chose is part of the "real me". — Park Jung-min["Interview: Park Jung Min prepares to meet fans in Europe, and calls fans "A precious family""](_blank)
''Kavenyou.com''. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
Park Jung-min always tries to interact with his fans, one way or another. He interacted with his European audience, for instance, by asking them to teach him their language and used the words taught to talk to them.
["Finding an Artist among K-pop Idols"](_blank)
''K-Magazine''. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
His professionalism was shown during one of his concert tours in Germany wherein he stayed calm and composed despite having numerous technical problems. As stated by German-based "K-Colors of Korea' Magazine":
Musical style, lyrics, and composition
Personally, I have no particular preference. The melody, lyrics, or what kind of message I want to convey and share; this is the most important thing. This is what I care about when I choose a music style. I wish people could become happy when they hear my songs. — Park Jung-min
During his SS501 days, Park Jung-min had already been composing songs, and contributing some of his creations to their albums.
For example, he penned the song "Kiss", which was sung by
Rainbow
A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
from their ''
Gossip Girl
''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'' album. The song was even performed by himself during SS501's ''Persona'' encore concert in Seoul. He also contributed to the lyrics of "Green Peas", which is a dedication to their fans.
[SS501. Rebirth. 2009. CD.] At the time that he went solo, he contributed to some songs from his debut album ''Not Alone'', particularly its titular single.
He also wrote the lyrics, which was in Japanese, his song "Your Colour" for LISMO channel's mobile drama ''Love Song In August''.
Park Jung-min is not restricted, but continuously transforming his style: "...he reinvented himself, from boygroup member to solo singer; to artist."
During his solo debut in ''Not Alone'', for example, the music video includes a dark-themed music video
instead of a typical
K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
one with fashionable, colorful outfits.
When he transforms himself to ''Romeo'' in 2012, his personality also transforms into a completely different image: he shows an even darker, sexier image.
On the other hand, his single album ''
Save Us Tonight'' in 2014 has a bright, vibrant theme.
Philanthropy
In April 2011, Park performed with Japanese duo
Mihimaru GT
Mihimaru GT were an urban and pop music group signed to Universal Music Japan and managed by Tearbridge Productions, a subsidiary of Stardust Promotion and Avex.
History
Mihimaru GT was a Japanese duet made up of composer, lyricist and vocalist, ...
at a UN Charity Concert in
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
, Japan to aid victims of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. He volunteered and performed during the United Nations charity event: ''Friend's Whistle! Act For Tomorrow!''. Along with the members of Choshinsei(Supernova), he also stood outside the event hall at Pacifica Yokohama to collect monetary donations. Moreover, he performed on April 28 to encourage people to donate.
Also in 2011, Park was one of the artists who donated their favorite hat to "쇼나조각 展" held in an open pavilion in Gyeongbokgung Subway Line 3 to collect donations and give them to underprivileged children. At the end of the year, he was reported to have ranked 4th in donating rice (1.2 tons of rice) in the "Salvation Army by the company Dreame". The centre is known for donating rice and sending them to local children's shelters as well as the national center for social welfare and undernourished children; benefiting young boys and girls as well as the elderly.
On May 31, 2012, Park performed in the "Music Echo Together of Love" charity concert at the Amsa Rehabilitation Center.
On May 29, 2015, Park again made an appearance & performed in "Echoes of Love" Charity Concert, also at the Amsa Rehabilitation Centre.
''박정민 - 자선음악회 '사랑의 메아리''
Discography
Korean
;Mini albums/singles
* 2011 :'' Not Alone''
* 2011 :''The, Park Jung Min
''The, Park Jung Min'' (stylized as ''THE, PARK JUNG MIN'') is the first Korean mini album of Park Jung-min of South Korean boy band SS501
SS501 is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Ky ...
''
* 2012 :''Beautiful
Beautiful, an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty, may refer to:
Film and theater
* ''Beautiful'' (2000 film), an American film directed by Sally Field
* ''Beautiful'' (2008 film), a South Korean film directed by Juhn Jai-h ...
''
* 2013 : "Give Me Your Love"
* 2014: ''Summer Break!''
* 2020 : ''Love So Sweet'' -with PIXY Ella-
Japanese
;Studio albums
* 2012: '' Midnight Theatre''
;EPs/Singles
* 2011: '' Wara Wara The, Park Jung Min''
* 2012: '' Give Me Your Heart''
* 2012: '' Tonight's the Night''
* 2014: '' Save Us Tonight''
* 2014: ''Summer Break!''
* 2014: ''Alive''
* 2014: ''Winter Love''
* 2014: ''Christmas Kiss''
* 2015: ''10th Anniversary -Memories-''
* 2015: ''It's Summer Time...''
* 2015: ''Last Note''
* 2015: ''Run Away''
* 2015: ''In the Forest''
* 2015: ''FAITH''
* 2016: ''Happiness''
* 2017: ''TOXIC LOVE''
* 2017: ''Fan Selection Best''
Filmography
Film
Television series
Variety shows
Musical theater
Radio DJ
* May 1, 2006 - April 15, 2007: SBS Power FM - ''SS501's Young Street'' ( ko, SS501의 영스트리트)
Awards
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Jung-min
1987 births
Living people
People from Seoul
SS501 members
DSP Media artists
Dankook University alumni
South Korean male musical theatre actors
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean male idols
South Korean male singers
South Korean pop singers