Choi San

Biography

Choi San (Korean: 최산; born July 10, 1999), known mononymously as San, is a South Korean singer and dancer. He is a member of the boy group Ateez, formed by KQ Entertainment.
San made his acting debut in the in the 2021 KBS drama Imitation with bandmates Seonghwa, Yunho, and Jongho. He contributed his vocals to the official soundtrack of the drama as a member of "Sparkling", a fictional 4-member group.
In addition to his work with Ateez, San serves as a global ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana.

Early life and education

Choi San was born on July 10, 1999, in Namhae, South Korea to mother Kim Nam-ji, and father Choi Jong-cheol. He attended Namhae Middle School and graduated from the Korean Arts High School.
San was introduced to KQ Entertainment by trot singer Na Sang Do, who is also his father's taekwondo student and the one who recommended him for an audition with the company.

2017: Pre-debut

San was introduced as a member of the pre-debut group KQ Fellaz alongside seven others, who now all are members of Ateez.

2018–present: Debut and activities with Ateez

While San debuted with Ateez on October 24, 2018 as the group's lead vocalist, he is now also known as and referred to as one of the main dancers of the group.
San has contributed to Ateez's discography and choreography. In 2023, he co-wrote the song "It's You" with bandmates Wooyoung and Yeosang which appeared on the album The World EP.Fin: Will. In July 2025, his first solo song, "Creep", which he co-wrote, was released as part of the album Golden Hour: Part.3 'In Your Fantasy Edition.
During promotions for "Bad", San's performances attracted widespread attention online. His ending choreography and stage presence went viral across multiple social media platforms, including Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, receiving coverage from Korean media.

2021–present: Actor debut and solo projects

In 2021, San made his acting debut in the web series "Imitation" with bandmates Seonghwa, Yunho, and Jongho; this marked his first acting role. In August 2021, San collaborated with Pentatonix on a remix of their song “A Little Space,” alongside fellow Ateez members Yunho and Jongho. The project combined elements of K-pop and Western a cappella music.
Between 2023 and 2024, San released song covers and a performance video. San's song "Snowflake" is an original track that highlights his vocal abilities. He has performed covers of "Breathe" originally by Lee Hi and "Dear Name" originally by IU, which he performed as a duet with bandmate Jongho. In November 2024, San appeared in the music talk show Lee Mujin Service where he delivered live vocal performances.
In June 2025, San made his first solo appearance on a talk-centered entertainment show on the show Naraesik, hosted by Park Na-Rae. Later in the month, San was invited to a Tag Heuer gala event in Seoul. In July 2025, San released his first ever official song "Creep" which featured in the album Golden Hour: Part.3 'In Your Fantasy Edition'. In October 2025, Dolce & Gabbana officially announced San as their Global Ambassador. In November 2025, San released an animated music video for his song "Creep", featuring a combination of live-action shots with digital painting. In December 2025, San appeared as a presenter for the 'Best Teamwork Award' along with Forestella's Go Woo-rim at the 2025 KBS Entertainment Awards.
In February 2026, San appeared on the South Korean variety show Boss in the Mirror as a Special MC. In 2026, he also participated in the choreography for Ateez's title tracks "Adrenaline" and "Bad". In August 2026, San performed the ceremonial kick-off at the Coupang Play Series match between Manchester City and Atlético Madrid at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul.

Choreography Contributions

In 2023, San's "Warriors" performance video, which he co-developed and co-choreographed, received praise from OSEN for its "diverse choreography composition" and from Single List for San's "detailed facial expressions that matched the mood of the song".
In 2024, San was credited with contributing to the choreography for the title track "Work" from the album Golden Hour: Part.1.
In 2026, it was announced that San participated in the choreography for the title track "Adrenaline" from the album Golden Hour: Part. 4. Hongjoong said, "San was involved throughout the choreography, which is how it came together". San explained, "To express 'Adrenaline' instinctively, I focused on movements that feel like blood rushing through your body, like tightening the neck or showing blood flowing".
In June 2026, San participated in the choreography for Ateez's title track "Bad" from the group's EP Golden Hour: Part.5, marking his latest choreography contribution to the group's discography.

Ambassadorship

On April 14, 2021, San was appointed as Public Relations Ambassador of Namhae, his hometown in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.

Endorsements

San collaborated with the brand Returnity to promote their acupressure ear sticker products. The digital campaign for this collaboration, won San and Returnity a Silver Prize at the ICT Awards Korea 2025.

Fashion

San was officially announced as the Dolce & Gabbana Global Ambassador in October 2025, stating "I am proud and excited to embark on this journey with Dolce & Gabbana, and I look forward to creating meaningful moments together".
San has participated frequently with Dolce & Gabbana, in events such as Milan Fashion Week and Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria shows.
In August 2026, San appeared in Dolce & Gabbana's Fall/Winter 2026 global advertising campaign, photographed by Steven Meisel. The campaign marked their first collaboration, and featured San as the brand's global ambassador. The campaign incorporated the house's signature motifs, including Sicilian imagery, black, lace, knitwear, denim and tailoring.
According to reports, his Milan Fashion Week appearances contributed to an Earned Media Value estimated at approximately US $2 million for the Spring/Summer 2025 event and US $7.5 million for the Fall/Winter 2025 event. For the Spring/Summer 2026 event, he generated US $912k EMV, via remote promotion, as he was unable to attend the event in person, as reported by brand-building agency, Karla Otto. This ranked him 12th in the Top Korean Influencers of Women's Milan Fashion Week SS26 on Instagram list, announced by marketing company Lefty.
San has also generated a Media Impact Value of US $5 million from the Fall/Winter 2025 event, as reported by Launchmetrics.
Fashion publications have noted his stylistic approach, describing it as a blend of classical tailoring and modern elements.

Magazine features

San has appeared in various fashion magazines including Elle Korea and 10 Magazine. San was featured as a cover model for the August issue of Arena Homme Plus Korea with 6 different cover versions, showcasing 6 different Tag Heuer watches.

Philanthropy

San has supported local welfare initiatives in Namhae Village, including donations and has participated in community events such as the Namhae Spring Walk.
In March 2023, he donated ₩5 million, the maximum amount allowed, to his hometown of Namhae through the Hometown Love Donation Program. The local government indicated that the funds were intended for regional development and youth welfare projects.
In 2024, San made a second donation of ₩5 million through the same program. In recognition of his contribution, he received Hanwoo beef sets valued at ₩1.5 million from the local government, which he subsequently donated to 22 single-parent households in Namhae.
In 2025, for the third consecutive year, San donated ₩5 million through the Hometown Love Donation Program. He told News1, "As an ambassador for Namhae County, I want to continue to do things that can be of help to my hometown".

Impact and influence

San's performances have received attention on social media, particularly through short-form video platforms. During promotions for "Ice on My Teeth" in November 2024, his performance and styling led to the nickname "Duke of the North" (북부대공), referring to a character archetype commonly found in Korean romance-fantasy fiction. In 2026, performances of "Bad" were widely shared on Instagram and TikTok, with clips of San's choreography generating reaction and parody videos. The attention led to the nickname "Duke of the South" (남부대공), a counterpart to his earlier "Duke of the North" nickname.
The attention surrounding San's performances coincided with a rise in the domestic chart performance of "Bad", which entered the Melon Top 100 at number 64 before rising to number 8. Korean media subsequently referred to the phenomenon surrounding San as the "Choi San syndrome" (최산 신드롬), while "Bad" continued to rise on the charts for more than a month.
San has frequently appeared on the Korean Business Research Institute’s male celebrity brand reputation rankings, which measure online searches and engagement. He also has ranked repeatedly in the combined male and female idol brand reputation lists.
San is known for his intense facial expressions and stage presence when dancing.
In 2026, he was ranked at number 87 on VMan SEA's "SEA 100" list, which consists of men who are influential in Southeast Asia.

Personal life

His father is involved in disability-support sports in Namhae. San learned taekwondo from his father; a discipline he credits in a GQ interview with helping him stay flexible for dancing.

Songwriting credits

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