Kim Ji-woong

Biography

Kim Ji-woong (Korean: 김지웅; born December 14, 1998) is a South Korean singer and actor. Kim is best known for competing on the reality competition show Boys Planet where he ranked 8th in the final episode, earning him a spot in the South Korean boy band Zerobaseone. Prior to this, Kim was a member of the boy group INX under the name Jinam until their disbandment in 2017. He made his debut as an actor in the web series The Sweet Blood (2021), and is best known for his role in Kissable Lips (2022).

Early life

Kim Ji-woong was born on December 14, 1998, in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Kim's father was a member of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps. He has two brothers: an older brother, who is one year older than him, and a younger brother, who is ten years younger than him.

2016–2018: Debut with INX, disbandment, and agency lawsuit

Kim made his debut as a singer in 2016 as a member of the South Korean boy group, INX, under the stage name Jinam. The group disbanded at the end of 2017 and in 2018, they filed a lawsuit against their agency asking for their exclusive contract to be terminated under claims of mistreatment. The Seoul District Court favored the group in the verdict, voiding the contract between them and their agency.

2018–2020: Ateen, B.I.T, and Burn Up: Challenge to Billboard

After the disbandment of his previous group, Kim joined pre-debut boy group Ateen under the stage name "King". The group was supposed to promote in South Korea after releasing with the single "Boku wa Chotto Chigau" in Japan on September 1, 2018, but the plan never got realized. Six out of the ten members of the group sued the CEO of their company for sexual assault. The group disbanded in 2019 after the group won the lawsuit and their contract was terminated.
After the disbandment, Kim worked as a model in Vietnam, Taipei and China Fashion Week. Following this, Kim and fellow former Ateen members Segun, Joel and Rookie, joined the pre-debut group B.I.T. The group only promoted in Japan and disbanded in August 2020.
Following the disbandment of B.I.T, Kim participated in the 2020 reality survival show Burn Up: Challenge to Billboard. He won first in the male category and soon released the single "Sick of Love" together with Kim Min-jung, who placed first in the female category.

2021–2025: Acting debut, Boys Planet, and debut with Zerobaseone

In 2021, Kim made his acting debut with his first leading role in Naver TV's web series The Sweet Blood, which is adapted from the webtoon The Sweet Girl.
In 2022, Kim acted in the BL web series Kissable Lips. Kim then acted in the web series Roommates of Poongduck 304 which is based on a novel by Noh Ga-jeong. The series gained a significant amount of attention and ranked 1st for the BL genre on the South Korean streaming service "Watcha." On December 29, Kim was unveiled as a contestant on Mnet's reality competition show Boys Planet.
On March 19, 2023, singer Holland announced on his social media accounts that Kim will be featured in the music video of his song titled "Number Boy" for his newest album of the same name which was released on March 30. On April 20, Kim placed 8th with a total of 1,338,984 points in the final episode of Boys Planet, allowing him to debut with the winning group, Zerobaseone. He re-debuted in July 2023 with their first mini album "Youth in the Shade."
In May, Kim played as Lee Ji-woong in the series The Good Bad Mother.

2026–present: "Closer", "Sign", "Drive"

On July 14, 2026, it was announced that Kim Jiwoong will be releasing his first digital single "Closer×CLOSER14 July 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1CLOSER3:02", the same day at 12PM (KST).
On August 14, it was announced that Kim Jiwoong will be releasing his second digital single "Sign", the same day at 12PM (KST).
On September 4, JTBC Entertainment News reported that Kim Jiwoong had been cast as the lead in “Siren,” playing Do Yoon, a third-generation chaebol and police academy student, with filming set to begin soon. The drama follows his character as he teams up with an ace detective from an ordinary background to investigate various cases, and it is being developed as a multi-format project spanning film, mid-form, and short-form content. On September 14, it was announced that Kim Jiwoong will be releasing his third digital single "Drive", the same day at 12PM (KST).

Fashion

Kim worked as a model in Vietnam, Taipei and China Fashion Week. Jiwoong has appeared in various fashion magazines including BNT pictorial, CeCi China, Arena HOMME+, MEN Noblesse and Marie Claire Korea.

Philanthropy

Kim has participated in various philanthropic activities. In 2021, Jiwoong donated the worst fire incident in Turkey experienced in decades. In 2024 he donated to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation, which supports children's dreams, protects them from rainstorms, and helps them reach their full potential. On March 27, 2025, he donated ₩10 million to wildfire victims to aid recovery efforts for communities affected by large-scale wildfires across Ulsan, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang. This was especially meaningful to him as it happened near his birthplace of Pohang. On August 19, 2025, also donated ₩10 million to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to support victims of torrential rains and flooding in the greater Seoul area. On June 2, 2026, he donated ₩10 million to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association. The donation will go toward a program that helps the children celebrate special occasions.