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Another year has wrapped up, and the approaching January is packed with several K-pop idol birthdays. The advent of the new year brings with it new calendars, New Year's resolutions made and broken, and a sense of anticipation for what lies ahead.
Idol birthdays in January give fans another reason to celebrate as they host fan-events that allow like-minded supporters to enjoy time together. With many big names in K-pop being born in the first month of the year, it is expected that South Korea (and other places around the world) will be covered with advertisements announcing the birthdays.
Fans sometimes choose to donate to charities in the name of idols, making a difference while sending good wishes towards their favorite artists.
BLACKPINK's Jisoo, Jennie, EXO's D.O. and other K-pop idols with January birthdays
1) Winter (æspa)
Birthdate: January 1, 2001
It is fitting that this fourth-gen K-pop idol's stage name is Winter, because she was born during the cold season as well. The aespa member is a Busan native and originally planned on becoming an actor.
As a part of the fourth-generation group, Kim Min-jeong has released many hit songs, including their debut Black Mamba and Next Level. She was also part of the SM Entertainment supergroup GOT the Beat with her bandmate Karina.
2) Kun (NCT & WayV)
Birthdate: January 1, 1996
Another SM Entertainment K-pop idol with a New Year's Day birthday is WayV's Kun. Leader of the NCT subunit, Kun was part of the Chinese-language version of NCT U's Without You in 2016 before his official debut with WayV in 2018.
Apart from his activities as an idol, he served as the emcee for Pink Festa, a variety show where celebrities talk about their favorite beauty products and how to use them. Kun's group WayV is all set to release Phantom, their newest EP as a six-member group, on December 28.
3) Jisoo (BLACKPINK)
Birthdate: January 3, 1995
The eldest member and vocalist of the biggest all-female group on the planet, Jisoo also serves as the visual for the group. From Whistle to Shut Down, BLACKPINK has released hit after hit, and Jisoo's contributions, which include songwriting credits for Lovesick Girls and Yeah Yeah Yeah, are invaluable.
Outside of the group, the K-pop idol is an avid reader and made her debut as an actor with the popular K-drama Snowdrop in 2021.
4) DK (iKON)
Birthdate: January 3, 1997
Originally wanting to become a rapper, iKON member DK was eventually convinced by YG Entertainment's CEO to become a singer instead.
Kim Dong-hyuk (DK's legal name) was first street-cast by SM Entertainment and won the JYP Entertainment Trainee search before joining YG Entertainment in 2012. As part of iKON, he has participated in several iconic numbers, including Love Scenario, Rhythm Ta, and KILLING ME.
5) JAY B (GOT7)
Birthdate: January 6, 1994
As the leader of GOT7 and a successful solo K-pop idol to boot, JAY B has a lot on his plate. Prior to debuting with the group, which was formerly under JYP Entertainment, JAY B acted in the drama Dream High 2. He has participated in songwriting and composing several songs under the name Def., for GOT7, their subunit Jus2, and himself.
Jay B's second EP as Def. arrived in October, and was titled abandoned love. He continues to release music both under the name Jay B and Def., giving fans a glimpse into his different sides as an artist.
6) D.O. (EXO)
Birthdate: January 12, 1993
Apart from being the main vocalist of SM Entertainment's successful K-pop idol group, EXO, D.O. is also an actor with many projects under his belt, including 2022's Bad Prosecutor.
Having released many hits with EXO like Love Shot, The First Snow, and Monster, he has had a successful parallel solo career which began with Empathy, his debut EP in 2021.
7) Hyungwon (MONSTA X)
Birthdate: January 15, 1994
Having been a model prior to his debut with MONSTA X in 2015, Hyungwon is a K-pop idol with many talents, and made his acting debut in 2017. As part of the Starship Entertainment-led group, he has contributed lyrics and melodies to many songs such as Who Do U Love?, Mercy, and Wildfire.
He also has credits on two tracks from bandmate Kihyun's album, Youth. In addition to this, he performs as a DJ under the name DJ H.ONE.
8) Jennie (BLACKPINK)
Birthdate: January 16, 1996
Another member of BLACKPINK with a January birthday, Jennie was the first among the quartet to release a solo track in 2018. Titled SOLO, the song broke several records at the time of its release.
Apart from her major success as a K-pop idol, Jennie has also ventured into acting, having bagged a role in 2023's HBO drama series The Idol. Jennie holds songwriting credits on Lovesick Girls along with Jisoo, and has several fashion and beauty endorsements to her name.
9) Seungkwan (SEVENTEEN)
Birthdate: January 16, 1998
Seungkwan, the main vocalist of SEVENTEEN, who is often called Mr. Boo due to his unique last name, is a variety show legend who has been part of the main cast of several shows since 2018.
He has also released covers of popular songs, such as Juice by Lizzo and As It Was by Harry Styles. Among the K-pop idols who have K-drama OSTs to their names, he has sung Go from Record of Youth and Pit a Pat from Link: Eat, Love, Kill.
10) Junho (2PM)
Birthdate: January 25, 1990
A successful solo artist in Japan, an acclaimed actor, and a well-known K-pop idol with 2PM, there is little that this January-born singer cannot do. With the JYP Entertainment group, Junho has songwriting and composition credits for several songs like Give It To Me and Kimi Ga Ireba.
His latest acting role in 2021's The Red Sleeve earned him a lot of acclaim and several awards at the year-end ceremonies in South Korea.
With January fast approaching, fans can take a look at the K-pop idols whose birthdays fall in the first month of the year, and send a wish their way as they navigate their lives as celebrities.
