South Korean singer and dancer Kim Jinhwan, also known as Jay, was born on February 7, 1994, in Jeju, South Korea. Moving to the Philippines during middle school he spent seven months learning Filipino and English before returning to his home country, and taken on as a trainee under SM Entertainment. In 2011, he auditioned for YG Entertainment, showcasing his singing, dancing, and rapping skills, successfully passing the audition to become part of the B Team in the survival show W.I.N: Who is Next. In 2014, Jinhwan was confirmed as a member of iKON, and the group officially debuted on September 15, 2015 with chart-topping album Welcome Back and after a slew of successful singles, their second studio album, Return (2018), brought forth the chart-topping single "Love Scenario," which dominated the Gaon Digital Chart for an unprecedented six weeks. The group went on to become one of the highest-selling boy groups South Korea, releasing four studio albums, four EPs, one compilation album, one live album, and 24 singles and in 2022, Jinhwan was promoted to group leader, expanding his career by signing with 143 Entertainment as a solo artist. In July 2023, he made his solo debut with the EP Blue Moon, which included the title track as well as "Paradise," gaining considerable popularity in Japan, landing at number 91 the Top 100 Albums chart. In July 2025, Jay released his first studio album, 207.
