Jinyoung (entertainer, Born 1994)

Park Jin-young (; born September 22, 1994), known mononymously as Jinyoung, and formerly as Jr. and Junior, is a South Korean singer, actor, and songwriter. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Got7 and boy band duo JJ Project. He made his acting debut in the drama ''Dream High 2'' (2012) followed by a series of supporting roles until he landed a main role in ''He Is Psychometric'' (2019). He made his film debut in the independent film ''A Stray Goat'' (2016).

Early life and education

Jinyoung is a native of Udo Island in Jinhae District, Changwon, where his grandparents reside, but grew up in Yongwon-dong, Jinhae District.

He had childhood ambitions to be an entertainer and appear on TV since his fifth year of primary school. His mother was against it and, when Jinyoung was attending his sixth year, she sent him to an audition for SM Entertainment, agreeing that, if he failed, he would give up; however, he made it to the third and final preliminary round and won the popularity award. As the family's opposition diminished, he started taking dance classes at Busan Dance School in Seomyeon and Haeundae starting from the winter vacation of his first year of middle school, although he didn't take it seriously for the first three months until his father reproached him.

After three months of intense practice, he was able to dance, and in 2009 he successfully auditioned for JYP Entertainment, winning first place at the open audition with Jay B over 10,000 applicants; he subsequently moved to Seoul alone. At that time he only liked dancing, but, thinking seriously about his future, he realized that he loved music as a whole.

He attended Gyeonggi High School and Howon University.

Career

2011–2014: ''Dream High 2'', JJ Project and debut with Got7

In 2011, after six months of acting classes, Jinyoung was cast in the role of Jung Ui-bong in the television drama ''Dream High 2''. The drama began airing on January 30, 2012, on KBS. On February 29, he released the song "We Are The B" for the drama's soundtrack, along with Jinwoon, Kang So-ra and Kim Ji-soo.

In May 2012, Jinyoung and fellow trainee Jay B debuted as the duo JJ Project with the single album ''Bounce''. On March 11, 2013, it was announced that he would be appearing as Ddol-yi on MBC's new drama ''When a Man Falls in Love'', which aired for twenty episodes beginning April 3.

On January 16, 2014, Jinyoung debuted as a vocalist in JYP Entertainment's new boy group Got7. Their first EP was released soon after on January 20 and Jinyoung made the choreography for one of the songs, "Follow Me".

2015–2017: Hosting and acting roles

In 2015, Jinyoung was cast in a supporting role in the drama ''This is My Love'', which aired on JTBC from May 29 to July 18. His portrayal of the male lead's younger counterpart caught attention and he received favorable reviews for his natural acting of a teenage boy. His stable performance showcasing the typical bluntness, rough rebellion, and subtle excitement of a teen's first love was deemed unbecoming of a rookie and was noted to be completely different from Got7's soft boyfriend image. Although the previous roles hadn't sparked his interest in acting, while filming ''This is My Love'' Jinyoung realized that it was actually fun, and the memories of that time prompted him to continue working as an actor.

The same year in March he was hired as official host for ''M Countdown'' alongside Shinee's Key, group member BamBam and CNBLUE's Jung-shin. Jinyoung left his position as MC in March 2016 to focus on activities with Got7, including the group's first worldwide concert tour.

In 2016, Jinyoung was cast as the male lead in the independent film ''A Stray Goat'', directed by Cho Jae-min: in the film, he played a high school student who moves to the town of Goseong where he meets a girl, who is an outcast because of rumors and suspicions about her father. The movie was theatrically released on March 1, 2017, and premiered at the 17th Jeonju International Film Festival.

In September 2016, he was cast for a supporting role in the drama ''The Legend of the Blue Sea'', where he portrayed the teenage version of Lee Min-ho's character, the male lead of the series.

In February 2017, SBS announced Jinyoung, NCT's Doyoung, and Blackpink's Jisoo as the new fixed MCs of ''Inkigayo''.

2018–2020: Transition to leading roles

In December 2018, Jinyoung landed his first lead role in the fantasy rom-com drama ''He Is Psychometric'' alongside Kim Kwon, Kim Da-som and Shin Ye-eun, receiving favorable reviews from viewers for his rough action scenes and heartbreaking tearful acting. Producer Kim Byung-soo stated that he had struggled five years to find the right guy in his early twenties to play Lee Ahn, and that Jinyoung caught his eye through ''This is My Love'' while he was looking for new faces.

In 2020, Jinyoung starred in the television series '' When My Love Blooms'' alongside Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Bo-young and Jeon So-nee, and was cast in the movie '' Yaksha: Ruthless Operations'' as the youngest member of a team of spies in foreign countries dedicated to overseas missions.

In August, he was confirmed as the main lead in the tvN legal drama ''The Devil Judge'' alongside Ji Sung as associate judge Kim Ga-on. Jinyoung auditioned for the role due to a fascination for Kim Ga-on's gradual change over the course of the series. Writer Moon Yoo-seok later shared that he had cast him for his defiant gaze and that, upon learning of Park's commitment to studying the role, he thought that he had found the perfect Ga-on, "sincere, competent and eager, but with an indistinct sense of resignation and anger." The drama premiered in July 2021, and Bryan Tan of ''Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore'' praised Jinyoung by writing, " ehas been spectacularly pleasurable to watch. The young actor is extremely authentic in his portrayal of the tortured and righteous associate judge Kim Ga-on, and his ambiguous romantic feelings towards his friend Yoon Soo-hyun adds flavour to the side plot, and his presence adds a lighter and youthful dimension in contrast to Kang Yo-han's direct and merciless methods."

Throughout 2020, he collaborated with Tom Ford Beauty to promote Rose Prick Eau de Parfum, make-up line Shade and Illuminate, and the unisex perfume collection Private Blend. Rose Prick Eau de Parfum was sold out in a day.

2021–2024: Departure from JYPE and solo activities

In January 2021, Jinyoung, along with the other six members of Got7, chose not to renew his contract with JYP Entertainment. On January 28 it was announced that he signed an exclusive contract with BH Entertainment.

On July 22, 2021, he was confirmed to appear in the tvN drama ''Yumi's Cells'' as Yoo Ba-bi alongside Kim Go-eun. The series, based on the webtoon of the same title, premiered the following September.

On July 29, 2021, Jinyoung released the self-written, self-composed digital single "Dive" as a gift for fans, along with a special performance clip published on 1theK Originals official YouTube channel. The song, based on the sound of the bands, debuted on ''Billboard'' World Digital Song Sales Chart at number 12.

In September, he starred in New York Fashion Week's digital fashion short film, ''Concept Korea New York S/S 2022'', for Nohant, a unisex casual brand based in Seoul. The film was released through the New York Fashion Week official website and Korea Creative Content Agency official YouTube channel. On September 29, 2021, he released "Dive (Japanese ver.)".

The following month, Jinyoung was confirmed to star as the lead in the crime thriller film ''Christmas Carol'', based on the novel of the same name, about a guy who goes to a juvenile detention center to avenge his twin brother's death. The film, which was selected by the Busan Asian Project Market (APM), began filming in February 2022. Released on December 7, 2022, the movie earned Jinyoung the Best New Actor – Film Award and the Most Popular Actor Award at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards. Jinyoung received praises for the bold change of image and his performance in the movie, which was defined as "unparalleled" by Jo Jae-yong of ''Single List''. Other journalists and criticts noted how he was able to express numerous different emotions with a single glance.

In the summer of 2022, Jinyoung reprised his role in the second season of ''Yumi's Cells'', for which he released the OST "Shining on Your Night". In December, he featured in a 100-page special edition of ''TMRW'' magazine. In March 2022, he starred in a three-part cinematic advertisement for the virtual game KlayCity.

In November 2022, BH Entertainment announced that Jinyoung would be releasing a solo album in January 2023 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his debut. The extended play, titled '' Chapter 0: With'', was released on January 18, 2023.

On May 8, 2023 he enlisted as an active duty soldier. He served in the 11th mobile division and was discharged on November 7, 2024.

2025–present: ''The Witch'' and ''Our Unwritten Seoul''

After completing his military service, at the beginning of 2025 Jinyoung joined Got7 to commemorate their eleventh anniversary with the release of the extended play '' Winter Heptagon'', for which he co-wrote the song "Her".

Between February and March 2025, he starred in Channel A's mystery romance '' The Witch'', which was filmed before his enlistment. His portrayal of data miner Lee Dong-jin earned him praises both from viewers and critics, who highlighted how his deep emotional acting and subtle changes in expression conveyed the character's emotions and captured his earnest desire to save a person. In particular, Kim Seo-hyun of ''100 News'' wrote "Park Jin-young worked his magic to make even Dong-jin's clumsy and immature appearance into a character that we can empathize with."

Jinyoung also appeared in '' Our Unwritten Seoul'' opposite Park Bo-young from May 24, 2025, and in the feature film ''Hi.5'' on May 30, 2025.

Philanthropy

In February 2020, it was reported that Jinyoung had donated an undisclosed amount of money to wild animals affected by fires in Australia. In August 2020, he donated to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help flood victims in South Korea.

On August 10, 2022, Jinyoung donated to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association. In December, he donated to One Love Village, a facility for children with severe disabilities.

On February 9, 2023, Jinyoung donated through Save the Children for the victims of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, especially children, becoming a member of the Honors Club of the organization.

On March 26, 2025, the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association announced that he had donated for wildfire relief and firefighter support, thus joining its Honors Club for achieving a cumulative donation of won. On April 2, the international children's rights NGO Save the Children announced that he had donated won to help children and families affected by the 2025 Myanmar earthquake.

Discography

Extended plays

Singles

Songwriting credits

''All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database, unless otherwise noted.''

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Listicles

Bibliography

Photobooks

* ''Hey Guys'', JYP Entertainment and Copan Global (2019),
* ''Hear, Here'', JYP Entertainment and Copan Global (2020),

Notes

References

External links

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{{Authority control

1994 births
Living people
Male actors from Changwon
People from Jinhae District
21st-century South Korean singers
21st-century South Korean male actors
Got7 members
JYP Entertainment artists
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male idols
21st-century South Korean male singers
South Korean male television actors
South Korean male web series actors
South Korean male pop singers