In 13 June 2013, a 19-year-old named Jung Ho-seuk made his debut with a new K-pop boy band that would soon smash records and set hearts racing around the world. His prowess in dance, which he had practised since the tender age of six, saw him become the third idol trainee signed by Big Hit Entertainment to become a member of BTS. At that time, few would have guessed that this callow youth would shine as part of a global pop culture movement.

Fast forward to today, and not only has BTS become the most successful, best-selling South Korean musical act in history.

The singing-and-dancing septet has hit countless other international milestones, including becoming the first Asian and non-English-speaking group to be named ‘Global Recording Artist of the Year’ by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry; the non-profit organisation representing the interests of the recording industry across the globe, which recently reconfirmed their 2020 accolade to BTS for a second year. Dubbed the ‘Princes of Pop’, the band has garnered numerous music accolades in South Korea, and in the West.

Such is the popularity and success of J-Hope (Jung’s stage name) and his cohorts that they’re estimated to pull in a staggering US$5 billion a year.

To put that into perspective, that’s roughly half a percent of South Korea’s overall GDP. In recognition of their efforts, in another historic first, BTS became the youngest-ever recipients of the country’s Order of Cultural Merit.

Although all members of BTS have reaped serious rewards for their years of hard work, J-Hope has been tapped as the highest earner according to a variety of media outlets. Here, we delve into the circumstances of his rapid rise, famous family members and other lesser-known facts about the mega talented dancer, rapper and singer.

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Sibling Success
Jung was born on 18 February 1994 in Gwangju, South Korea’s sixth-largest metropolitan city. Few details are available about his parents – some claim his father is a teacher of literature, while other sources identify him as a businessman.

There is, however, rather more known about his elder sister, Jung Da-won, who also uses the name Jung Ji-woo. She’s so much more than just the sister of a K-pop idol, though. An entrepreneur at heart, she runs several businesses – fashion company AJ Look, e-commerce platform Mejiwoo as well as eyewear brand Fun the Metal. The social-media whizz also boasts millions of followers on both Instagram and YouTube, and latterly signed an exclusive contract with another South Korean entertainment company, Cube Entertainment. Clearly, the Jung siblings have more than their fair share of natural talent.

Big Hitter
J-Hope is renowned as a skilled dancer, rapper and singer. However, during his schooldays, he had another, more athletic aptitude: tennis. “It’s funny how I started playing… my teacher asked, ‘Who wants to play tennis?’ and I was just stretching with both of my arms up high at that moment and she thought I wanted to join tennis,” recalls Jung with a laugh. Despite this accidental and somewhat inauspicious start, the tennis starlet would go on to win third place at a national tournament.

Stepping Up
Bitten by the dancing bug as a young child, J-Hope began taking lessons at Gwangju Music Academy, whose famous alumni include fellow idols Seungri of Big Bang and 2NE1’s Minzy. He then went on to accrue several prestigious dance laurels including the top prize at a 2008 national competition.

With these experiences under his belt, he joined underground dance team Neuron before auditioning for JYP Entertainment in 2009. While the 15-year-old didn’t make the cut there, he was quickly able to turn things around and continue pursuing his dream. His sense of rhythm was applauded at Big Hit Entertainment, which signed him up later that year, leading to his spot in BTS.

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Lyrical Low
J-Hope is admired by the ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. of Youth, or BTS’s legion of global die-hard fans) as the ever-chipper member of the group. However, that’s not to say that he hasn’t faced his own uncertainties when it comes to his music. “I’m someone who got into music from dance. [So] I still need direction when it comes to music,” he shares.

Recalling a recent painful slump in his songwriting abilities, he says: “I met a lot of producers and showed them my music and got feedback, then fell into a dilemma. I realised that I had chosen a difficult musical direction and it shook me up mentally. I wanted to resolve it quickly, but it wasn’t coming out the way I wanted, so I felt ashamed and wondered, ‘Is this my limit?’ I’m only gradually overcoming this struggle.”

Flying Solo
In 2018, five years after his BTS breakthrough, J-Hope debuted his first solo mixtape, Hope World. While he’s not the first of the group to step out on his own – the band’s two other rappers, RM and Suga, released their albums in 2015 and 2016 respectively – Jung’s effort is, perhaps, the most successful.

Self-described as ‘my calling card to the world’, Hope World peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard 200 and made the charts in nine other countries around the world. His next solo outing (Chicken Noodle Soup, a single in collaboration with US songstress Becky G) in 2019 would go on to break even more records, and raised his profile as the first BTS member to chart as a Billboard Hot 100 solo artist.

Despite the success he has found outside the band’s purview, Jung is adamant that BTS will remain his priority. “The team always comes first, so I focused on our projects as BTS and tried to make time [to work on my own stuff] in hotel rooms, on the airplane, whenever I could find a few minutes,” he explains.

Hope for Others
As with many of his bandmates, J-Hope is a strong proponent of giving back to society. Over the years, he’s personally donated hundreds of millions of Korean won to various causes. He has championed an array of worthy initiatives – from supporting visually and hearing-impaired children and youngsters suffering from violence in Tanzania to boosting the welfare of minors impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic – it’s clear that the star’s ability to bring literal J-Hope (joy and hope) is not just limited to the musical sphere.

(Text: Tenzing Thoundup)

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