Yong Jun-hyung (

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...

: 용준형; born Yong Jae-soon on December 19, 1989), commonly known as Junhyung, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. Junhyung rose to fame as a member of South Korean boy band Highlight (formerly known as Beast), formed in 2009. He departed from Highlight in 2019, amidst the controversy of admitting to watch illegal videos, although the police stated that Junhyung was only considered as a witness at that point in time in the

Burning Sun scandal The Burning Sun scandal, also known as Burning Sun gate, was a 2019 entertainment and sex scandal in Seoul, South Korea, which involved several celebrities, including Korean idols of popular K-pop groups, and police officials. It was the largest ...

. As a solo artist, he released one extended play, ''

Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

'' (2013), and one full-length album, ''Goodbye 20's'' (2018). His also starred in the

Korean dramas Korean dramas (; Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are Television show, television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea. They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, par ...

'' Monstar'' (2013) and '' Coffee, Do Me a Favor'' (2018)''.''

Early life

Junhyung was born 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. He changed his birth name Yong Jae-soon () to his current name when he was in 6th grade. In 2007, he joined the

boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...

Xing, which included

Kevin Woo Kevin Woo (born November 25, 1991), also known mononymously as Kevin, is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and television host based as a Korean in New York City. He is primarily known as a former member of South Korean boy band U-KISS from ...

(ex-

U-KISS U-KISS ( ko, 유키스; ja, ユーキス) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2008. Their name is an acronym, standing for Ubiquitous Korean International Idol Super Star. The group's current lineup is composed of Soohyun, Hoon, Kiseop and ...

). Junhyung was known by the stage name Poppin' Dragon while in Xing.

Career

Beast/Highlight

Junhyung debuted under

Cube Entertainment Cube Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean entertainment company. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. Cube are known for h ...

as a member of the boy band Beast in 2009. The group released their first extended play ''

Beast Is the B2ST ''Beast Is the B2ST'' (Beast Is the Best) is the debut extended play by South Korean boy band Beast (South Korean band), Beast. It was released by Cube Entertainment on October 14, 2009 and contains five songs, including the singles "Bad Girl (Bea ...

'' on October 14, 2009. The group released a total of eight extended plays and three studio albums. In 2016, Beast left Cube Entertainment, and formed their own label,

Around Us Entertainment Around Us Entertainment is a South Korean independent entertainment company established by Yoon Doo-joon, Yang Yo-seob, Yong Jun-hyung, Lee Gi-kwang, Son Dong-woon from boy group Highlight, formerly known as Beast, after leaving their former la ...

. The group debuted under the new name of Highlight. As Highlight, they released two extended plays.'' ''

Solo activities

In 2010, Junhyung was featured as a rapper in songs by other artists, including

Hyuna Kim Hyun-ah (born June 6, 1992), better known by the mononym Hyuna (stylized HyunA), is a South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper and model. She debuted as a member of the girl group Wonder Girls in February 2007. After leaving the ensemble sho ...

's debut single "

Change Change or Changing may refer to: Alteration * Impermanence, a difference in a state of affairs at different points in time * Menopause, also referred to as "the change", the permanent cessation of the menstrual period * Metamorphosis, or change, ...

," the Asian remix of

Amerie Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson ( Rogers; born January 12, 1980) is an American singer. Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she gained an appreciation of the classical arts from her mother Mi Suk Rogers and of music from her father Charles Rogers, and ...

's " Heard 'em All," and

G.NA Gina Jane Choi (born September 13, 1987), better known by her stage name G.NA, is a Korean Canadian singer, songwriter and actress based in South Korea. She released her debut EP, ''Draw G's First Breath'', on July 14, 2010. As a solo artis ...

's single "I'll Back Off So You Can Live Better." In 2011, Junhyung was featured on the songs "Heartsore Story" by

Wheesung Choi Whee-sung (; born February 5, 1982), known professionally as Wheesung or by the stage name Realslow, is a South Korean R&B singer, record producer, and musical theatre actor. Career 1982: Early life and education Wheesung was born on ...

, "A Bitter Day" by Hyuna, "Be Quiet" by Kim Wan-sun, and "Don't Act Countrified" by

ALi ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...

. Junhyung released his first solo single, "Living Without You," on February 3, 2012. The song reached #8 on the

Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...

. That summer, he made a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...

on the sitcom ''

Salamander Guru and The Shadows ''Salamander Guru and The Shadows'' () is a 2012 South Korean sitcom starring Choi Minho, Ryu Hyun-kyung, Im Won-hee, Lee Byung-joon and Oh Dal-su. It aired on SBS from January 27 to March 30, 2012 on Fridays at 23:00 for 10 episodes. It ...

.'' Later that year, Junhyung produced fellow Beast member

Yang Yo-seob Yang Yo-seob (born January 5, 1990), more commonly known as Yoseob, is a South Korean singer and musical actor. He is the main vocalist of the boy group Highlight. Biography Yang was born in Seoul, South Korea on January 5, 1990, in a small f ...

's debut solo EP, '' The First Collage'', and was featured on the lead single, "Caffeine." In February 2013, Junhyung released the single "You Got Some Nerve" with LE of

EXID EXID (; ; short for "Exceed in Dreaming") is a South Korean girl group formed in 2012. The group currently consists of five members: Solji, Elly, Hani, Hyelin and Jeonghwa. EXID debuted in February 2012, with the single "Whoz That Girl". Tho ...

and Feeldog of

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guiar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). The group broke up in early 1975, and reorganized with a ne ...

. The song reached #13 on the Gaon Digital Chart. Starting in May, Junhyung starred in the Korean drama '' Monstar'', alongside

Ha Yeon-soo Ha Yeon-soo (born Yoo Yeon-soo on October 10, 1990) is a South Korean actress. Personal life On May 10, 2022, Ha's contract with the former agency has expired. and she traveled to Japan to study. Filmography Television series Film Varie ...

and

Kang Ha-neul Kang Ha-neul (born Kim Ha-neul on February 21, 1990) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in television dramas ''The Heirs'' (2013), '' Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014)'', '' Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'' (2016), '' When t ...

. The series aired on

Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

and wrapped up in August. Junhyung won Best New Actor at the 2013 Korean Drama Awards for his depiction of a

teen idol A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups. By region Asia East Asia possess ...

in the series. Junhyung released his debut solo EP, ''

,'' on December 13, 2013. The EP debuted at #4 on the

Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...

, and the title track "Flower" peaked at #23 on the Gaon Digital Chart. In 2015, Junhyung starred in the

online reality series, ''Yong Jun-hyung's Good Life,'' alongside his songwriting and music production partner Kim Tae-joo. From 2016 to 2017, he co-hosted the third season of the variety show '' Hitmaker'' alongside comedian

Jeong Hyeong-don Jung Hyung-don (; born February 7, 1978) is a South Korean comedian and television host. He is best known for his roles on the variety shows '' Infinite Challenge'' and ''Weekly Idol''. Early life and education Jung was born in Gimcheon in Nor ...

. In 2017, Junhyung was also a cast member on the first season of the variety show ''

It's Dangerous Beyond the Blankets ''It's Dangerous Beyond The Blankets'' () is a South Korean variety show. The show features "homebodies", people who love to stay home doing nothing, going on a trip together. The first season consisted of 3 pilot episodes, which were aired from ...

.'' He returned to the show for the second season in 2018. Junhyung released his first solo full-length album, ''Goodbye 20's'', on May 9, 2018. The album debuted at #2 on the Gaon Album Chart. That year, he also starred in the Korean drama, '' Coffee, Do Me a Favor'', which is based on the

webtoon Webtoons (), are a type of digital comic that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones. While webtoons were mostly unknown outside of Korea during their inception, there has been a surge in popularity internationally ...

of the same name. He quietly enlisted for his

mandatory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

on April 2, 2019 as an active duty soldier. On September 25, 2020, it was announced that Junhyung had suffered a knee injury, and he would complete the rest of his service as a public service worker. He was discharged on February 26, 2021. On November 15, 2021, Junhyung left Around Us Entertainment after his contract expired. On September 27, 2022, it was announced that Junhyung would be releasing a new album in the near future, which would be his first solo comeback in four years and also his first since his departure from Around Us Entertainment. On October 11, he announced his first EP ''Loner'', set to release on October 30, under his independent label Black Made. In October 2022 it was confirmed that Yong will hold his solo concert 'LONER's ROOM' at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul on November 4 and 5, and will make a comeback with his new EP album "Loner" on October 30. However, the label announced the postponement of the album due to the national mourning period following the

Seoul Halloween crowd crush On the night of 29 October 2022, a crowd crush occurred during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea. At least 158 people were killed and 196 others were injured. The victims were mostly young adults. The crow ...

incident on the 29th.And his solo concert was postponed as well.Yong has confirmed the release schedule for the new album on November 10.

Controversy

On March 11, 2019, Jun-hyung was accused of being a part of the group chatroom with

Jung Joon-young Jung Joon-young (born February 21, 1989) is a South Korean former singer-songwriter, radio DJ, host, actor, television personality and convicted serial rapist. Jung first gained recognition in the 2012 season of the musical reality competiti ...

where Jung shared hidden camera footage and sexually explicit images. On March 12, it was revealed that Jun-hyung's part in the group chat was actually edited in, and it has been confirmed that Jung and Jun-hyung had a one-on-one chat room with each other, but Jun-hyung was not a part of the group chatroom where the hidden camera footage and photos were shared. On March 14, Jun-hyung announced he was leaving Highlight, after he admitted to watching an illegal video sent to him by Jung, who is under investigation for secretly filming women during sex; a part of the

. The police stated that he is being considered only as a witness at this point in time. On April 2, Around Us Entertainment announced Jun's military enlistment through an official statement. He completed his military service in February 2021.

Philanthropy

On March 7, 2022, Yong donated 10 million won to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and has spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.

Discography

* ''Goodbye 20's'' (2018)

Filmography

Reality shows

Variety shows

Dramas

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yong, Jun-Hyung Highlight (band) members 1989 births K-pop singers Living people Cube Entertainment artists South Korean male singers South Korean pop singers South Korean male television actors South Korean male idols South Korean male rappers South Korean singer-songwriters South Korean record producers Rappers from Seoul Anyang Arts High School alumni South Korean male singer-songwriters South Korean hip hop record producers