Kwon Hyun-bin (; born March 4, 1997), also known by his stage name Viini, is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, model and actor. He is well known for his appearance in reality survival program ''
Produce 101 Season 2
''Produce 101 Season 2'' () was a 2017 boy group survival reality show on Mnet, and is the second season of the original South Korean version of the franchise. The public (called 'national producers') "produces" a boy group by choosing 11 mem ...
'' and debuting in former boy group
JBJ.
Biography
1997–2016: Early life and career beginnings
Kwon Hyun-bin was born on March 4, 1997 in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
, South Korea. He briefly resided in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, Japan for studies, also joining the baseball team in
Aoba-Japan International School
Aoba-Japan International School is an international school in Tokyo, with campuses in Nerima and Meguro.
Introduction and history
Aoba-Japan International School was initially founded as Aoba International School (AIS) in 1976 by Regina M. Doi i ...
. Upon return to South Korea, he studied in
Jungkyung High School as an athlete specializing in
Fencing
Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...
, and went on to being selected as a representative for the teens' fencing tournament. Not too long after, Kwon sustained an injury therefore having to give up on fencing and returning to a life of an ordinary high school student.
In 2015, Kwon began his modelling career under
YGKPlus
KPlus (Korean: 케이플러스) is a South Korean model and actors management company established by fashion model-turned-CEO Go Eun-kyung in 2008.
History
K-Plus was founded by former model Go Eun-kyung in 2008 to train future models and fashi ...
, the youngest addition at the time. He appeared on a variety of pictorials, including the May issue of
GQ Korea.
2017–present: Rising popularity, solo debut and acting
In April 2017, Kwon appeared on the
second installment of Mnet survival program
Produce 101
''Produce 101'' is a reality television talent competition franchise created by South Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ E&M, based around the formation of a K-pop girl group or boy group. The format is noted for having no panel of judges, em ...
. He finished by overall placing 22nd and soon was offered to join project boy group
JBJ, consisting of contestants chosen by the viewers. In October 2017, JBJ debuted with their first extended play ''Fantasy''. After seven months, the group's contract came to an end in April 2018. In midst of promotions with JBJ, Kwon appeared on
JTBC
JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...
reality program ''Live a Good Life'' alongside labelmates
WINNER
Winner(s) or The Winner(s) may refer to:
* Champion, the victor in a game or contest
*The successful social class in winner and loser culture
Film
* ''The Winner'' (1926 film), an American silent film starring Billy Sullivan
* ''The Winner' ...
's
Kim Jin-woo and
Yoo Byung-jae
Yoo Byung-jae (born May 6, 1988) is a South Korean television personality, actor and screenwriter.
Career
Yoo rose to fame in 2012 when he became a writer on the third season of live sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live Korea''. He then jo ...
. Following disbandment, Kwon became a fixed cast member of
MBC variety program ''
Dunia: Into a New World''.
On February 1, 2019 Kwon joined as a cast member on JTBC's reality show ''Try It'' alongside labelmate Yoo Byung-jae.
On May 31, Kwon was revealed to be gearing up for a solo debut through YG Entertainment's subsidiary label YGX, followed news of the launch of YouTube channel ''Kwon Hyunbin Begins'' where footage of his album preparation, his daily life, and more would be revealed.
Kwon made his solo debut on August 19, 2019 with self-composed lead single "Genie" under the stage name Viini. He began promotions with first music show appearance at MBC
Show! Music Core
''Show! Music Core'' (), or simply ''Music Core'' is a South Korean music television program broadcast by MBC. It airs live every Saturday at 15:30 (KST). The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform live on stage. ...
on August 24.
Endorsement
South Korean cosmetics brand ''LiliByRed'' selected Kwon as an exclusive model on July 20, 2017. A representative from the brand revealed: "Hyun-bin is perfectly compatible with the image of the new product, which is known through Kwon Hyun-bin's lustful lips and refreshing charm." The following year, he was joined by Gugudan's
Mina
Mina may refer to:
Places Iran
* Minaq, East Azerbaijan
* Mina, Fars
* Mineh, Lorestan Province
* Mina, Razavi Khorasan
* Mehneh, Razavi Khorasan Province
United States
* Mina, California
* Mina, Nevada
* Mina, New York
* Mina, Ohio
* Mina ...
as a modelling partner to increase synergy and strengthen the brand image. On September 15, 2018 he attended a fan meeting held by the cosmetics brand as promotion for the lip products.
Impact and influence
Hyun-bin was awarded with "Account With Most Growth" in South Korea through
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
in 2017. The significant rise of followers within the year interpreted the impact he had made among the mass public.
Discography
Extended plays
Singles
Soundtrack appearances
Production credits
All song credits are adapted from the
Korea Music Copyright Association
The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) is a South Korean non-profit copyright collective for musical works, administering public performance and broadcasting rights, and mechanical recording and reproduction rights. Founded in 1964, it i ...
's database, unless otherwise noted.
Videography
Music videos
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Music video appearances
Fan meeting
References
External links
Kwon Hyun-binon
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production comp ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwon, Hyun-Bin
1997 births
Living people
K-pop singers
South Korean male models
South Korean male singers
South Korean male rappers
Kakao M artists
Produce 101 contestants
South Korean male television actors
South Korean male idols
YG Entertainment artists