1. Kim Jong-kook is a South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor.
24 Facts About Kim Jong-kook
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Apart from his music career, Kim Jong-kook established himself as an entertainer, notably through his participation in variety shows including X-man, Family Outing and gained worldwide popularity following his participation in Running Man.
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Kim Jong-kook was born on April 25,1976, in Yongsan, South Korea.
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Kim Jong-kook's family consists of his parents and an older brother, who is a doctor.
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Kim Jong-kook attended Myeong Hak Elementary School, Shin Seong Middle High School and graduated from Hansei University in BA.
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Kim Jong-kook first entered the Korean music industry in 1995 as a member of the duo, Turbo, which became immensely popular for their catchy music.
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Kim Jong-kook had a setback after Turbo as he faced difficulties settling down as a solo artist.
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Kim Jong-kook then became a permanent cast member of the popular variety game show, X-Man, which further raised his popularity.
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Kim Jong-kook swept the Daesang Award from all three major Korean TV stations, SBS, KBS, and MBC, becoming the second artist to accomplish this feat since Cho Yong-pil in the 1980s.
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Kim Jong-kook was made the leader of the first series of Shootdori, where kids who are interested in soccer form teams and compete.
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Kim Jong-kook wrote and sang a song for his team, titled "Toward a Dream".
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Kim Jong-kook returned to television, becoming a permanent member of reality-variety show Family Outing since episode 19, part of SBS's Good Sunday lineup.
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In 2010, Kim Jong-kook became a cast member of SBS' variety show Running Man.
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Kim Jong-kook gained pan-Asia popularity from the show, becoming one of the most searched Korean stars in Singapore, and having his showcase there sold out with more than 1,700 fans in attendance.
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On November 1,2012, following a pre-release of selected songs from his new album, Kim Jong-kook made a comeback to the music scene with the release of his seventh studio album, Journey Home, after three years.
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Kim Jong-kook's fellow Running Man co-stars Haha and Gary participated in the album as well as former Running Man member Song Joong-ki, who starred in the music video for lead single "Men Are All Like That".
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In 2015, Kim Jong-kook made his official acting debut with a supporting role in the KBS drama, The Producers, and was praised for his "solid acting chops".
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Kim Jong-kook later went on to sign an exclusive contract with Maroo Entertainment in October 2015.
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On December 19,2020, Kim Jong-kook made history by becoming the first male celebrity, and 2nd person ever to win a Daesang in both Music and Entertainment.
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Kim Jong-kook received the Grand Prize Award at the 14th SBS Entertainment Awards for his participation in Running Man and My Little Old Boy.
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On June 17,2021, Kim Jong-kook launched a fitness-focused YouTube channel "Gym Jong Kook" with 100,000 subscribers in the first five minutes.
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Kim Jong-kook was part of the My Little Old Boy cast that was honored with the Grand Prize Award at the 15th SBS Entertainment Awards in 2021.
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Kim Jong-kook is able to speak English in addition to his native Korean.
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Kim Jong-kook is known to be good friends with Jang Hyuk, Cha Tae-hyun, Hong Kyung-min and Hong Kyung-in.