Wonho

Biography

Lee Ho-seok (Korean: 이호석, born March 1, 1993), known by his stage name Wonho (Korean: 원호), is a South Korean singer under Highline Entertainment. He is a former member of South Korean boy group Monsta X under Starship Entertainment. In 2020, he made his solo debut with the EP Love Synonym Pt.1: Right for Me, alongside its lead single "Open Mind", which charted both on the Gaon Chart and Billboard charts.
In 2021, he signed with Intertwine Records, a partnership between Eshy Gazit and BMG, for his activities in the United States. He also made his Japanese debut with the single "On the Way", which charted on the Oricon Singles Chart. After his South Korea's mandatory military service discharge in 2024, he released "What Would You Do×What Would You Do22 November 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1What Would You Do2:59". In 2025, he released his first studio album Syndrome×Syndrome31 October 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Fun2:272if you wanna2:283DND2:344Scissors2:495At the Time3:166Beautiful3:107On Top of the World2:488Good Liar2:519Maniac2:3110Better Than Me2:25, supported by the singles "Better Than Me×Better Than Me27 June 2025 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Better Than Me2:26", "Good Liar×Good Liar3 October 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Good Liar2:51", and "If You Wanna", under Intertwine Records.

Early life

Lee Ho-seok was born on March 1, 1993, in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Raised in Sanbon-dong, Gunpo, he lived with his parents, grandmother and younger brother; the family experienced financial hardship during his childhood. He has spoken about being bullied during elementary school and later becoming involved in juvenile delinquency as a teenager. After developing an interest in music during high school, he moved to Seoul to train under Starship Entertainment.

2014: Nu Boyz and No.Mercy

Prior to his official debut, Wonho became part of a project group called Nu Boyz, alongside his labelmates #Gun, Shownu, and Joohoney, formed under Starship Entertainment in August 2014. The quartet uploaded multiple tracks to the label's channel on YouTube, including performing at the opening show of the Starship X concert on December 5, 2014.
In late December, Starship Entertainment and Mnet launched a survival competition program called No.Mercy. On its final episode, Wonho was selected, alongside the other six contestants, including the Nu Boyz's members Shownu and Joohoney, as a member of the label's new boy group Monsta X.

2015–2019: Monsta X

Wonho debuted in Monsta X, a hip-hop boy group, upon the release of their first extended play Trespass, on May 14, 2015. Wonho was a vocalist in the group and beginning in 2017 regularly participated in writing, composing and arranging songs for the group.
Since 2018, Wonho has featured in several photoshoots for magazines, as well as partnering with some brands and promoting campaigns by various fashion magazines. He has appeared alongside his groupmates on several occasions, including Nylon, alongside Shownu in January 2018 and GQ in August, in both Ceci Korea in June 2018 and MAPS, with Minhyuk in December, lastly, Grazia, with Hyungwon in March 2019. He also participated in the collaboration project, with Elle and Tom Ford, alongside Shownu, in promotion of Tom Ford's latest perfume line in August 2019. He also made solo appearances, such as a feature in Dazed in November 2019.
Wonho has been recognized as the Korean celebrity who focuses on fitness and physical training, while in several interviews surrounding his photoshoots, he has talked about healthy habits, and emphasized the importance of exercising. In October 2018, he partnered with Under Armour, as part of the collaboration with Dazed, to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. He again promoted healthy lifestyle, as part of a photoshoot for Elle's "Body Challenge" campaign, in May 2019.
On October 31, Starship Entertainment announced Wonho's departure from Monsta X following allegations of him not paying back money he owed to a friend, after rumors about the illegal use of marijuana when he was younger surfaced on social media.

2020: Solo debut with Love Synonym Pt.1: Right for Me and first solo concert

On March 14, Starship Entertainment released an official statement announcing that the investigation made by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's narcotics investigation team had been concluded; Wonho had been cleared of all allegations and the rumors were false.
Wonho signed with Highline Entertainment, a subsidiary of Starship Entertainment, as a solo artist on April 10. The agency announced that he would be promoting as a solo artist and producer going forward. On May 6, Maverick revealed through a Twitter post that they had signed a management agreement with Wonho for his international activities.
On August 9, Wonho announced the release of his first solo EP Love Synonym Pt.1: Right for Me. On August 14, he then released the pre-release English-language single "Losing You×Losing You14 July 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Losing You2:58", along with its music video. "Losing You" gained praise for showing Wonho's all-around musicality, including his vocals, participation in the songwriting, composing, and producing of the song. The album was released on September 4 with the title track "Open Mind", accompanied by a music video. Wonho had his debut showcase the same day, hosted through V Live.
Wonho held his first solo concert on September 27. Due to restrictions from COVID-19, the concert was held online through the streaming platform LiveXLive. During his concert, Wonho announced his first comeback, with a new EP, which was originally intended to be released by the end of 2020, although without a set date. He pre-released a song from the upcoming EP "Flash" through his concert.

2021: Love Synonym Pt.2: Right for Us, second concert and Blue Letter

Wonho's second part of his first EP Love Synonym Pt.2: Right for Us was released on February 26. All five songs from the EP debuted on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, occupying twenty percent of the entire World Songs chart for that week.
He held an online concert WeNeedLove, through LiveXLive on March 28. During the concert, Wonho announced his intention for his next comeback in summer of 2021.
In May, Wonho released a music video for the song "Ain't About You" from his second part of his first EP, in collaboration with Kiiara.
On June 15, his American manager, Eshy Gazit announced the launch of a new label venture Intertwine, in partnership with BMG, with Monsta X and Wonho as the first two artists involved in the partnership.
On July 19, Wonho joined NCSoft's global K-pop entertainment platform Universe.
In July, it was announced that Wonho would release his debut Japanese single album on October 27, with the lead single "On the Way". On August 4, he pre-released the Japanese version of the song "Lose".
Wonho released his second EP Blue Letter×Blue Letter14 September 2021 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Intro: Seasons and Patterns2:062BLUE3:093No Text No Call3:134Come Over Tonight3:10524/72:596Stranger2:567BLUE (English ver.)3:09 on September 14, with the title track "Blue".
On December 1, Wonho released the Japanese digital single "White Miracle".

2022: Facade, first musical and first solo tour

Wonho made his comeback with his first single album Obsession×Obsession16 February 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Eye on You3:062Somebody2:59 on February 16, with the title track "Eye On You".
In May, Wonho became the exclusive model of a dual-formulation and diet dual-functional complex product Cent Double.
Wonho released his third EP Facade×Facade13 June 2022 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Intro : 9AM2Crazy3Close4WHITE MIRACLE - Korean Version5Outro : 9PM on June 13, with the title track "Crazy".
From June 3 to July 24, Wonho is set to appear in his first musical with Equal, a work that reflects on today's chaotic times due to pandemics and conspiracy theories, set in the 17th century Europe, where witches and heresy hunts were rampant. It is a two-person play that captures the metaphor of the COVID-19 era with the desperate desires and twisted fates of Nikola and Theo, two friends driven by the fear of death and extreme loneliness. Wonho will perform as Theo, a bright and cheerful country doctor who struggles to save his friend Nikola, who is dying from an incurable disease.
On July 6, Highline released the poster and schedule for Wonho's first European tour Facade, through his official SNS. According to the schedule released with the poster, he will be in Munich and Oberhausen, Germany on August 28 and 31, respectively, Madrid, Spain on September 2, and London, England on September 4.
On August 19, Wonho released the promotional single "Don't Hesitate" through Universe Music for the mobile application Universe.
In September, Wonho announced the release of his second single album Bittersweet×Bittersweet14 October 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Don’t Regret3:152On & On2:44 on October 14, with the title track "Don't Regret".
On November 23, Wonho announced a final concert Everyday Christmas before his mandatory military service. It was held in two separate time slots while live-streamed globally on the BigC platform on December 3.
On December 5, he enlisted for his mandatory military service as a public service worker. Wonho was officially discharged on September 4, 2024.

2024–present: Syndrome and Core

On November 22, he released the English single "What Would You Do×What Would You Do22 November 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1What Would You Do2:59". In December, Wonho participated in the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour.
In June 2025, he pre-released a first single "Better Than Me×Better Than Me27 June 2025 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Better Than Me2:26", a song inspired by early 2000s Pop groups like M2M and NSYNC, in anticipation of his first studio album Syndrome×Syndrome31 October 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Fun2:272if you wanna2:283DND2:344Scissors2:495At the Time3:166Beautiful3:107On Top of the World2:488Good Liar2:519Maniac2:3110Better Than Me2:25, which was released on October 31. In support of the album, he embarked on the 2025 Stay Awake World Tour, which took place in Latin America and Europe during July and September, respectively. Following the plans of a North American leg in November and December, it was eventually cancelled due to "operational issues" and "administrative delays" by the tour's promoter. On October 3, Wonho pre-released a second single "Good Liar×Good Liar3 October 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Good Liar2:51". "If You Wanna" was released as the album's third single and the title track alongside the release of Syndrome.
In January 2026, it was announced that two new dates will be added to the Stay Awake World Tour, which will be in Saitama and Seoul in February and March, respectively. On June 29, Highline Entertainment announced Wonho's fourth EP, Core, which was released on July 21. The EP's lead single, "Don't Wake Me Up!", was released simultaneously. He is also set to embark on a series of concerts across the United States, beginning in Lincoln, California, on July 11 and concluding in Highland, California, on August 14.

Musical style and songwriting

Journalists have described Wonho's musical style as a combination of pop music, EDM and R&B.
Wonho has cited Rain as a childhood role model and an influence on his decision to pursue a career in music. He has also mentioned Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Ed Sheeran and MNEK as other musicians he enjoys listening to, while also expressing interest on exploring country and rock music in future releases.
Wonho has been actively involved in songwriting and music production throughout his career, frequently collaborating with producer Enan, singer Sun Ahn and singer-songwriter BrotherSu. He has also written songs for other artists, including his former group, Monsta X. Alongside Enan, he has written Japanese-language lyrics for songs by South Korean singer Woody as part of the production team Team Wonho.

Imagery

Wonho frequently utilizes the color blue for his visual concepts and imagery, describing it as a "signature color". He has stated that he associates the color with his fans, and views it as representative of his emotions, explaining that he sees the color blue when thinking of them.

Music video appearance

Sistar – "Shake It" (2015; with Shownu, Kang Kyun-sung, and Choi Hyun-seok)

Songwriting

All credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association, unless stated otherwise.

Headlining tours

Facade European Tour (2022)
Welcome Back, Wenee (2024)
Stay Awake World Tour (2025–2026)

Headlining concerts

IWonhoYou (2020)
WeNeedLove (2021)
We Are Young (2021)
Everyday Christmas (2022)