Kim Yu-kwon (, born April 9, 1992), better known by the stage name U-Kwon (), is a South Korean singer. He is a vocalist and dancer in

Block B Block B () is a South Korean boy band managed by KQ Entertainment, and consists of seven members: Taeil, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Park Kyung, Zico, and P.O. Block B has received several accolades, including nominations for seven Golden Disc ...

; he is also a member of the sub-unit

Bastarz Bastarz (; stylized BASTARZ) is the first official sub-unit of the South Korean boy band Block B. Established in April 2015, the sub-unit consists of three members: Block B's two main dancers, B-Bomb and U-Kwon, and the rapper P.O. The sub-unit d ...

along with

P.O Pyo Ji-hoon (; born February 2, 1993), better known by his stage name P.O, is a South Korean rapper, singer and actor. He is the youngest member of the boy group Block B and its sub-unit Bastarz. As an actor, he has appeared in television ser ...

and

B-Bomb Lee Min-hyuk (, born December 14, 1990), better known by the stage name B-Bomb (), is a South Korean singer and dancer in the South Korean boy band Block B, and is in the Bastarz sub-unit with U-Kwon and P.O. He also works as a stage actor, us ...

, as well as the sub-unit T2u with Taeil.

Biography

U-Kwon was born in

Suwon Suwon (; ) is the largest city and capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea's most populous province. The city lies approximately south of the national capital, Seoul. With a population of 1.2 million, Suwon has more inhabitants than Ulsan, tho ...

, South Korea.

Career

2011–2016: Career beginnings

U-Kwon debuted with Block B in April 2011. Four years later, it was announced that U-Kwon would participate in Block B's first sub-unit,

, along with members

and

. The group's first album was released on April 13, 2015, and its second on October 31, 2016. In between, U-Kwon, along with B-Bomb, recorded the song "Bingle Bingle" on the Block B album '' Blooming Period'', which was released April 11, 2016. U-Kwon released his first Japanese solo, "Painless" (), on June 24, 2016; the song was composed by him for the short vampire film ''Q Chan,'' in which he starred. On June 24, 2016, it was announced that U-Kwon had been cast on the idol-dance competition show '' Hit the Stage.'' U-Kwon participated in the show with

YooA Yoo Si-ah (; born Yoo Yeon-joo on September 17, 1995), better known by her stage name YooA () is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of the girl group Oh My Girl under WM Entertainment. She made her debut as a solo artist, with h ...

as his partner. U-Kwon won the premiere episode of the show with a dance routine in which he portrayed the Joker. They ultimately finished fourth.

2017–present: Solo career

In June 2017, U-Kwon and fellow Block B member

received the

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment *Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim ...

K-Model Icon Idol Award. U-Kwon performed a seven-show, six-city tour of Japan from August 26 to September 7, 2017, along with fellow Block B member Taeil as the special unit T2u. U-Kwon also took part in the Japanese special project album, ''Block B: Project-1,'' released September 20, performing the song "Winner" along with

and Japanese rapper Chanmina. On October 18, it was announced that U-Kwon had been selected to host the music show ''The Power of K,'' along with Nancy of Momoland and Shownu of Monsta X. The show began broadcasting January 2018 in both Korea and Japan. In December 2017, U-Kwon along with the singer Rothy released an OST song for the drama ''

Jugglers Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the object manipulation, manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipula ...

'' entitled "Baby Baby." On January 8, 2018, Block B released the album ''Re: Montage'' featuring a solo song by U-Kwon, "Everythin'." In addition to performing the song, U-Kwon helped write the lyrics. U-Kwon also wrote the Japanese lyrics to the 2018 T2u song "Good Bye," which appears on the ''Block B The Best'' album, and the Japanese lyrics to the song "Ocean," which appears on the subunit's debut album, ''T2U''. On August 12, 2022, during Haha's Twitch stream with him, U-Kwon announced that he left KQ Entertainment and is currently working independently before deciding on an entertainment company to join.

Personal life

U-Kwon announced in December 2012 that he was in a relationship with the model Jun Sun-hye. She announced their breakup on May 1, 2022, saying the two remained friends. In May 2020, it was announced that U-Kwon would begin the military service required of South Korean men on May 18. U-Kwon was discharged from military service on November 21, 2021 without returning to the unit after his last vacation in accordance with the Ministry of Defense guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Discography

Single albums

Soundtrack appearances

Filmography

Variety shows

Dramas

Film

Musicals

References

External links

{{Authority control 1992 births Living people K-pop singers Singers from Suwon South Korean male idols South Korean male pop singers 21st-century South Korean male singers Block B members KQ Entertainment artists