Ukiss Official :
www.ukiss.co.kr
www.youtube.com/ukiss2008
www.twitter.com/ukissSH
www.twitter.com/KISSeop91
www.twitter.com/ukisseli
www.twitter.com/JaeseopKim91AJ
www.twitter.com/HooN91y
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Jumat, 06 April 2012
Member Profile
Current members
| Stage name | Birth name | Date of birth | Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanized | Hangul | Romanized | Hangul | ||
| Soohyun | 수현 | Shin Soohyun | 신수현 | March 11, 1989 | Leader, Main Vocalist |
| Kiseop | 기섭 | Lee Kiseop | 이기섭 | January 17, 1991 | Vocalist, Main Dancer, Visual |
| Eli | 이라이 | Kim Kyoungjae | 긴경재 | March 13, 1991 | Main Rapper, Sub-Vocalist |
| AJ | 애제이 | Kim Jaeseop | 김재섭 | June 4, 1991 | Lead Rapper, Vocalist, Lyricist |
| Hoon | 훈 | Yeo Hoonmin | 여훈민 | August 16, 1991 | Lead (Sub-Main) Vocalist |
| Kevin | 케빈 | Woo Sunghyun | 우숭현 | November 25, 1991 | Lead Vocalist |
| Dongho | 동호 | Shin Dongho | 신동호 | June 29, 1994 | Rapper, Sub-Vocalist, Maknae |
- Shin Soohyun (신수현) or mononymously known as Soohyun (수현) is the leader and main vocalist of the group. He was born in Gyeonggi-do on March 11, 1989 .[56][57] Soohyun was a trainee under Good Entertainment and JYP Entertainment for 3 years before debuting as a U-KISS member.[58] Soohyun collaborated with Brave Girls' Eunyoung for the song "4-oul Iyagi" (4월 이야기) in U-KISS' second studio album, Neverland.[59] Soohyun also appeared on movie Mr. Idol along with fellow bandmates Dongho, Hoon and Kiseop as a member of fictional idol group, Wonder Boys. On March 15, 2012, Soohyun released his first solo single entitled Snowman. [60]
- Lee Kiseop (이기섭), also known as Kiseop (기섭) is a vocalist and the main dancer of the group.[61] He was born on January 17, 1991 . Kiseop joined U-KISS in 2009 just before they released their third mini album, ContiUKiss.[61]He appeared on the second season of Pretty Boys & Girls (얼짱시대, Eoljjang Shidae).[62] Although he had no experiences performing on stage, Kiseop was a part of a dance circle back in his early days. Kiseop practises taekwondo and owns a 3rd-degree black belt.[61] He appeared with bandmates Soohyun, Hoon and Dongho in movie Mr. Idol as a member of fictional idol group named Wonder Boys. Kiseop contributed in Neverland, their second studio album where he co-composed Obsession with AJ.
- Kim Kyoungjae (긴경재) or his English name, Eli (이라이) is the main rapper and sub-vocalist of U-KISS.[63] Eli was born and raised in Washington, D.C on March 13, 1991 , but spent most of his years in Virginia.[64] Eli is one of the English-speaking members of U-KISS along with AJ and Kevin.[64] He is good at martial arts as he practiced taekwondo and kung fu.[63] At the age of 15, he went to Beijing to pursue his dream to become an actor. He is capable of conversing in Mandarin due to this.[63] However, his contract was a scam, causing his parents to fly from the United States to settle the case. They sent him to South Korea and Eli was trained before he debuted as a member of U-KISS.
- Kim Jaeseop (김재섭), better known by his stage name AJ (애제이) is one of the new members and the group's lead rapper, vocalist and lyricist.[65] He was born and raised Seoul on June 4, 1991 .[66] AJ debuted as a member of PARAN also under NH Media in 2006.[67] The group virtually disbanded and AJ chose to focus on his study before he was chosen to be a new member of U-KISS in early 2011.[67] His contributions to U-KISS include the rap and lyrics of 0330, 내게 아픈 말은... (The Words That Hurt Me...) and I Don't Understand from Bran New Kiss as well as 친구의 사랑 (Love of a Friend), Obsession, Top That and Tell Me Y from Neverland.[68] He also composed the song Obsession with the help of Kiseop.[68] AJ is one of the English-speaking members along with Eli and Kevin as a result from attending international school. Currently, AJ is on leave from the prestigious Columbia University.[69]
- Yeo Hoonmin (여훈민) or best known by his stage name Hoon (훈) is one of the group's two lead vocalists. He was born and raised in Gyeonggi-do on August 16, 1991 . Prior U-KISS, Hoon was a solo ballad singer who debuted using his full name in 2009 under Full Asian Entertainment..[70] He had released a mini album, Pure & Love in 2009 and a single entitled Beginning in 2010. Hoon has experiences in acting, making a cameo on SBS Athena: Goddess of War, Holy land and Mr. Idol which he appeared alongside band mates Dongho, Kiseop and Soohyun as a member of fictional idol group named Wonder Boys.[71]
- Woo Sunghyun (우숭현) or his English name Kevin (케빈) is one of the two lead vocalists of U-KISS.[72] Kevin was born and raised in Danville, California on November 25, 1991 .[72] He debuted in 2006 as a member of XING with former U-KISS member, Kibum, under Xing Entertainment, but left the group on April 2, 2008.[72] Kevin is one of the English-speaking members of U-KISS, the others being Eli and AJ. He was the lead actor of musical "On Air Live" which started January 5, 2011 and ended on February 14, 2011. Kevin and former bandmate Alexander were the MC's for "The M-Wave" and "Arirang's Radio School". [73]
- Shin Dongho (신동호), mononymously known as Dongho (동호) is the group's rapper, sub-vocalist and maknae (youngest member).[74] Dongho was born in Seoul on June 29, 1994 , but studied in Beijing, thus he is able to converse in Mandarin.[74] Dongho is the most active member of U-KISS since he participated in many acting projects, the latest being Holyland which he and Hoon will lead the cast.[75][76] He also appeared as Taemin, a member of a fictional idol group, Wonder Boys alongside bandmates Hoon, Kiseop and Soohyun in movie Mr. Idol. He is currently enrolled in Hanrim Entertainment Art School.[77]
Former members
| Stage name | Birth name | Date of birth | Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanized | Hangul | Romanized | Hangul | ||
| Alexander | 알렉산더 | Alexander Lee Eusebio | 알렉산더 | July 29, 1988 | Lead Rapper |
| Kibum | 기범 | Kim Kibum | 김기범 | December 29, 1990 | Vocalist |
- Alexander Lee Eusebio, also known as Alexander or simply Xander was the lead rapper of U-KISS.[78] He has a Korean, Portuguese and Chinese blood.[78] He was born on July 29, 1988 in Macau.[78] He speaks 7 languages: Cantonese, English, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and claimed to learn French too.[78] Alexander withdrew from U-KISS and his contract was terminated.[79] Currently, he is a solo singer under M Plus Entertainment.[80]
- Kim Kibum, simply known as Kibum or Allen was a vocalist of U-KISS. He was born on December 29, 1990 in Seoul. Kibum can converse in Japanese. He used to study in Australia, thus can manage speaking in English. In February 23, 2011, NH Media announced that he and Alexander will depart from U-KISS.[81] Unlike Alexander, Kibum didn't withdraw, but his contract was terminated by NH Media due to his position.[81] Kibum is currently inactive as a singer, but will debut as an actor in Japan in the movie "Bond 2011, Boys Be Ambitious" under his new stage name, Allen.[82]
UKISS - Wikipedia
U-KISS (Korean: 유키스 , Japanese: ユーキス) is a South Korean boy band formed by NH Media in 2008. Their name is an acronym, standing for Ubiquitous Korean International idol Super Star.[1] The group consists of Soohyun, Kiseop, Eli, Kevin, Dongho, Hoon and AJ (the latter two joining the group in 2011).[2]
Since their debut, the group has released two full-length albums,
five extended plays and various singles. Their first full length album, Only One, was released in 2010 with their biggest hit, Bingeul Bingeul, while the second album Neverland was released in 2011. Their debut mini-album is N-Generation (2008) which prodd the hit Not Young. Their second mini-album was Bring It Back 2 Old School (2009), and the third was ContiUkiss (2009) which produced their hit, Man Man Ha Ni. The group's fourth mini-album was Break Time (2010) spawning the hit, Shut Up!. Their fifth was Bran New Kiss (2011) which features the two newest members shortly after Alexander and Kibum left the group. They made their formal debut into Japan, on December 14th, 2011, with the release of their single ‘Tick Tack‘.[3] The second single is entitled Forbidden Love while their first Japanese full-length album is dubbed as A Shared Dream (2012).
The group also participated in various TV reality shows such as You Know U-KISS, U-KISS Vampire, Chef Kiss. Their maknae (youngest) Shin Dongho participated in various shows like Raising Idol, Idol League, Real School and Royal Family and films such as My Black Mini Dress and Hong Gil Dong.
U-KISS had their first concert in Manila, Philippines dubbed as U-KISS First Kiss Tour in Manila. They also had major concerts entitled First Kiss Live and U-KISS 1st Japan Live Tour, both took place in Japan.
Life and career
2008: Pre-debut and Debut
U-KISS was first formed as a six member boy-group in 2008. Kim Kibum and Kevin Woo were members of the boy band Xing
but left the group in early 2007. The other four members were all
individually selected by NH Media through auditions. U-KISS debuted in Japan on August 15, 2008 at the Power of Atamix 08. The group debuted in South Korea on August 28, 2008 with a release of their first mini album, New Generation, (N-Generation)’’ on September 3, 2008 and a live performance of their first song "Not Young" on Mnet.[2]
Even though they are new comer in the industry, U-KISS was considered
for Japan-Korea collaborative project. A popular entertainment company,
Yoshimoto Group in Japan, invested 150 billion KRW
to groom U-KISS as an internationally known group. The reason behind
this is their quality as a group with multilingual members: Alexander can converse in seven languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean and English; Eli is fluent in English, Korean and Mandarin; the maknae Dongho can talk in Korean and Mandarin; Kevin in English while Kibum can speak Japanese.
2009-10: Only One, variety shows and first major concert
U-KISS released their second mini-album Bring It Back 2 Old School on 2009 with its title song, "I Like You" which makes them popular in Thailand.[4][5] The third mini-album titled ContiUkiss launched Lee Kiseop as the seventh member of the group. The title track Man Man Ha Ni was released following a change in their line-up.[6] The fourth mini album Break Time was released on 2010, along with their title track "Shut Up!. [7] The group's first full-length album, Only One, was released on February 3, 2010 spawning their highest chart-topping single in the Philippines, Bingeul Bingeul.[8] The album also topped Hanteo Charts, Hot Tracks, Syn-nara Records and Evan Records in just one day.[9] U-KISS then played in Malaysia, Mongolia and Japan to promote the album..[10]U-KISS promoted the album in the Philippines
through series of mall show, wherein they sold more than 1,000 copies
in one day which breaks the record of the highest sales in a launch,
earning them a million pesos.[11] Due to the said success, the group had their first major concert in the Philippines dubbed as U-KISS First Kiss Tour in Manila.[12][13][14][15][16][17]Aside from their music career, U-KISS also starred in their own variety shows, All About U-KISS , ‘’UKISS Vampire’’ and ‘’Chef Kiss’’ while the members also appeared on other shows. Kevin Woo and Alexander Lee Eusebio joined Arirang's radio show Pops in Seoul hosting the 'All About You' segment and were also featured on Brave Brother’s song, Finally.[18][19] Kim Eli also became an emcee of MBC's show, Fusion. The new member Lee Kiseop appeared in a variety show known as Uljjang Shidae 2 (Pretty Boys and Girls Season 2) . Shin Dongho also made many appearances on shows, The Invincible Baseball Team, Idol Maknae Rebellion and My Black Mini Dress.[20] Kibum along with Eli, also starred in the Thai drama Autumn's Destiny wherein their voices were dubbed due to the fact that they cannot speak Thai.[21]
2011-present: Japanese career, Neverland and First Japan Live Tour
NH Media announced that U-KISS was planning to debut in United
States. The group recorded over 100 tracks to be sorted-out for their US
album but it was cancelled due to member termination of contract.[22]
Alexander and KIbum left the band on 2011, and were replaced by former
‘’Paran’’ member Kim Jae Seop ( AJ) and a former solo artist, Yeo Hoon
Min(Hoon).[23][24] The new U-KISS made their comeback on March 30 with their fifth mini-album, Bran New Kiss, and a new ballad song 0330.[24] U-KISS released their second full-length album Neverland in September with their promotional singles Neverland and "Someday".[25]U-KISS also released a documentary DVD entitled U-KISS Days in Japan that features their activities in the country.[26]The said DVD debuted at #8 on the Daily Oricon Chart published in March 30, 2012.[27] From June 8, 2011, the group stayed in Japan for 3 months to prepare for their official Japanese debut and signed under Avex Japan. A compilation album called First Kiss placed second on Oricon daily charts on the day of its release. They also released the Japanese version of Bran New Kiss on August 24, 2011.[28] The group also released their first Japanese album Tick Tack.[29]They also release their second Japanese album, Forbidden Love simultaneously with their first Japenese full-length album, A Shared Dream.[30][31].[32][33]The album peaked at No.6 and No.2 respectively..[34]On 2012, Oricon published that U-KISS achieved high album sales in Japan along with other big artists like Girl's Generation and KARA.[35]
Aside from their album releases, U-KISS also participated in various music shows and concerts/ They performed for Korea-Taiwan Friendship Concert held at the TICC Taiwan[36], Dream Concert at Seoul World Cup Stadium[37], K-POP Festival: Music Bank in Tokyo[38] and Korean Music Wave 2011 in Singapore[39]U-KISS also performed in Macau for the Youth's Ambition Concert along with fellow K-Pop stars Kim Hyun Joong and B1A4.[40] On 2012 they participated in the Music Bank concert held in Paris, France..[41][42] [43]
The group had their sold-out [44]concert tour dubbed as "U-KISS 1st Japan Live Tour 2012" in March that was held in Zepp Hall all over Japan.[45][46] They performed in various cities like Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo.[46]The
tour kicked off on March 2, 2012 and ended on March 25, 2012. Japan
popular site, Oricon published that the tour garnered a total of 16,900
fans in attendance.[47]Due to this success, the concert will have an additional tour dates on July visiting a larger stadiums.[48][49]
This year, U-KISS has been chosen as Number 1 Hallyu group to watch out in Japan , while Kevin was chosen as Luckiest Hallyu Star of 2012.[50]Aside from album releases and concerts, Dongho and Hoon have also been cast in the new movie-for-TV series Holy Land/Holiday that deals with rebellion of high school students.[50][51] [52] The group was also chosen to sing the theme song for a Japanese anime, Stormy Night (Secret Friends).[53]
ALL ABOUT UKISS
History
Pre-debut
U-KISS was first formed as a six member boy-group in 2008. Kim Kibum and Kevin Woo were former members of the boy band Xing. Kim Kibum left the group in early 2007 while Kevin Woo left the group four months before the debut of U-KISS. The other five members were all individually selected by NH Media through auditions.
Debut
U-KISS debuted in Japan on August 15, 2008 at the Power of Atamix 08. The group released their first mini album, New Generation, (N-Generation) on September 3, 2008, with the main track, "Not Young". U-KISS later debuted in South Korea on August 28, 2008, with a performance of "Not Young" on Mnet's M! Countdown and a release of their first music video.
2009
In 2009, U-KISS has been considered for a 150 billion KRW worth collaboration-project between two nations, Japan and South Korea. It was revealed that a popular entertainment company, Yoshimoto Group in Japan invested 150 billion KRW to groom U-KISS to be an internationally-known group. The reason behind this is their quality as a group with multilingual members: Alexander can converse in seven languages -Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean and English; Eli is good in English, Korean and Mandarin; the maknae Dongho can articulate in Korean and Mandarin; Kevin in English while Kibum can speak Japanese.
All About U-KISS, New member and mini-albums
U-KISS released their second mini-album on February 11, 2009, called Bring It Back 2 Old School with its title song, "I Like You". On the same day, a music video for I Like You was released with an old-school theme inspired by the 80's.[6] They also performed their carrier single live in various music shows. U-KISS becomes sensation in Thailand pulling 5-days straight fan meetings in promotion with their album Bring It Back 2 Old School, they also won on an online voting in Thailand beating the Wonder Girls. After their promotional cycle for "Bring It Back 2 Old School", U-KISS starred in their very first variety show, All About U-KISS.
In 2009, Kevin Woo joined Arirang's radio show Pops in Seoul hosting the 'All About You' segment alongside co-host Isak N Jiyeon. Shortly after, Alexander was invited to host the show too.[7] In April that same year, Eli also became an MC of MBC's show, Fusion. In late 2009, U-KISS released a third mini-album titled ContiUkiss on November 5, 2009. Lee Kiseop, a new member, joined the group during the promotion of this mini-album with their carrier single, Man Man Ha Ni. This song is often known as U-KISS' breakthrough song as it helped them to make their names known in the Korean entertainment industry.> U-KISS held their first fan meeting titled "Only 4 U" to celebrate their 500th days in the industry, that was sponsored by GomTV.
Lee Kiseop appeared in a variety show known as Uljjang Shidae 2 or Ulzzang Generation 2 (Pretty Boys and Girls Season 2) with fellow member Soo Hyun also guest starring in an episode. Dong Ho. the youngest of the group has made many appearances on many variety shows at the end of 2009, helping to promote U-KISS. Such shows include The Invincible Baseball Team and Idol Maknae Rebellion. Dongho is the most active member of the group and has been invited in many other shows. He has been thanked for helping the group to be more well-known.
Kevin and Alexander were featured in Brave Brother's song, "Finally" wherein a music video for the track was released a few weeks after. Members Eli and Kibum also starred in the Thai drama Autumn's Destiny. However, the drama was aired in Thailand only. As both Eli and Kibum could not speak Thai, their voices were dubbed. The drama aired its premiere episode on January 16, 2010.
2010 Activities
First full-length album and Other Activities
On January 18, 2010, U-KISS formally opened their official fan club, KissMe with an official color of Pearl Pink.
Before the release of their first full-length album, television station MBC stated that U-KISS would star in a new variety show called U-KISS' Vampire, which later premiered on January 22, 2010. In the show, the members moved into a dormitory that they stayed during the whole duration of filming. They were sorted into groups according to their blood types. Alexander, Kibum, Eli and Kevin were grouped into the Blood Type O group. Soo Hyun and Kiseop were grouped into the Blood Type A group while remaining member, Dongho, into the Blood Type B group. U-KISS Vampires aim was to reveal the true identities of each member according to their different blood types.
Their first full-length album, Only One, was released on February 3, 2010. The song "Without You," the title track, was first released on January 27, 2010 as a digital single but later, their managing company decided that they would promote Bingeul Bingeul, in which it became another hit like its predecessor "Man Man Ha Ni". Their full-length album, Only One topped Hanteo Charts, Hot Tracks, Syn-nara Records and Evan Records in just one day making it U-KISS greatest achievement to date. It became their highest chart-topping single in the Philippines which resulted in visits to the country with mall shows and a successful first concert. On April 15, 2010, shortly after their successful mall shows in the Philippines, U-KISS started promotions for their follow up song from their Only One album, titled "Mworago" (What). A music video was taped, and a teaser released, but remained unreleased to date, due to unknown reasons.
U-KISS also starred in their next reality-variety show titled Chef's Kiss. In this variety show, the members opened a real restaurant which they named U-KISS Steak House. The seven members were split into teams and each week, they competed among themselves to decide which team would be chosen to cook in the restaurant that week. Chef's Kiss aired its last episode on July 30, 2010 and was one of the highest-rated show.
U-KISS in Asian Cities and First Solo Concert
Premiere Entertainment Philippines Inc. (PEP) brought U-KISS to Manila for a series of special mall shows from March 26–28, 2010. The group visited SM North Edsa, SM Megamall and SM City Pampanga. This was in line with the promotion of their album Only One and the group's solo concert in the Philippines in June.[8]
On June 19, 2010, Geneses Dream Entertainment brought U-KISS to Malaysia for a fan meeting held in Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Later that year, U-KISS returned to Philippines and joined fellow Korean entertainer Rain as guests in his concert, titled "Intensity" in the Philippines at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on September 11, 2010. This was their third visit to Philippines.[9]
On November 30, 2010, U-KISS went to Mongolia to perform a special on Arirang's music programm, M Wave concert.[10] It was held in Mongol Palace Ulaanbaatar. This concert celebrated the 20th anniversary of the friendship between Korea and Mongolia.[11][12][13]
Due to their success in the Philippines, U-KISS held a concert at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines. The show was originally scheduled on May 29, 2010 but later postponed to June 14, 2010 due to some delays and problems regarding the venue. U-KISS arrived in Manila on June 13, 2010 and had several television guestings as they appeared in a Philippine Sunday Music Show Party Pilipinas and also participated in the celebration of Independence Day in the Philippines where they performed Bingeul Bingeul and Man Man Ha Ni.[14] They also appeared in a showbiz-oriented show, Showbiz Central under GMA Network to promote their group and their new album. The concert was titled U-KISS First Kiss Tour in Manila.[15] U-KISS is the second Korean group to stage a concert in Araneta Coliseum, the first being Super Junior.
On August 2, 2010, U-KISS member Alexander and Kevin were nominated once again to host Arirang's M-Wave program in both Korean and English. On November 19, 2010, as part of their fourth mini-album, Break Time promotions, U-KISS visited Singapore to perform at The Kings of Freedom Concert held at the Bedok Reservoir Park.
U-Kiss successfully held their very first independent Japan concert on December 6, 2010 in Osaka with over 3,000 fans in attendance.[16]
Break Time: The Fourth Mini Album
Main article: Break Time
U-Kiss released their fourth mini-album, Break Time, on October 4, 2010, in South Korea. It included five new songs and instrumental versions of two of the new songs in the album. The album contained a 50-page photograph book and a photo card of either any of the seven members or one of the group. Three days after the release of the album, it topped the Hanteo charts. The teaser for the "Shut Up!!" music video was scheduled to be released on the afternoon of October 3, 2010. But it was later pushed back to October 4, 2010.
U-Kiss performed "Shut Up!!," the title track of their mini-album, on Mnet's M! Countdown on October 7, 2010. The full music video was released on October 7, 2010.[17]
2011 Activities
U.S Debut, Dongho's Acting Career and others
Members Shin Dongho, Eli, and Ki Seop have been cast for MBC every1’s special new sitcom, titled 'Real School' which is 40-episode long sitcom series, for which they will play three high school students who board at an ‘English Village’ in an attempt to crack their fear of speaking English. Its pilot episode aired on January 10, 2011. Meanwhile, Dongho was cast to act in his ever first drama, Royal Family under MBC, as Jo Byung Joon. Dongho has also since played in several films, including The Villain & Widow and My Black Mini Dress.
In early 2011, the management announced that U-KISS was planning to debut in United States. The group recorded over 100 tracks to be sorted-out for their upcoming US album.[18] But news regarding this debut vanished as Alexander and Kibum reported to depart from the group. Alexander and Kibum left the band on February 23, 2011.< A couple of days after the original members Alexander and Kibum left U-KISS, NH Media introduced two new members, Kim Jae Seop and Yeo Hoon Min.[19] Kim Jae Seop is also known as AJ and Yeo Hoon Min, as Hoon. Before debuting in U-KISS, AJ was a former member of the South Korean boyband Paran which was also under the management of NH Media. With the two new members, U-KISS made their comeback on March 30 with their new album, Bran New Kiss. They literally became an overnight sensation with the release of Bran New Kiss by placing first on many online music charts. A music video for their single, "0330" was released on the same day. The new U-KISS performed "0330" live, on the next day March 31 on M! Countdown.
In May 17, 2011 U-KISS along with other groups such as Super Junior and Girl's Day performed for Korea-Taiwan Friendship Concert held at the TICC Taiwan. The group performed their hit single Shut Up!.[20]
The group also performed "0330" on the 2011's Dream Concert on May 28, 2011. They also walked on the red carpet held at the same day on Seoul World Cup Stadium. The performance was televised on June 10, 2011.
On February 28, U-KISS began filming a movie with Jay Park, Kim Soo Ro and Park Ye Jin with a working title, Mr. Idol. This will be the group's first movie and will be shown in theaters on August.
Dongho will also be starring in a 3D animation movie titled Hong Gil Dong 2084 as the voice of the lead character, Hong Gil Dong which will have its premiere on August 18. The production company stated "Dongho has a cute face with versatile talents[...] thus having a fanbase that consists of both younger and older generations[...] bold personality especially resembles the animation's character, Hong Gil Dong". It took 3 years to accomplish 'Hong Gil Dong 2084' which costs reaching 36 billion won.
South Korea’s KBS program Music Bank held a live event at the Tokyo Dome on July 13 entitled “K-POP FESTIVAL: MUSIC BANK in TOKYO”. U-KISS was one of the 15 Korean groups who performed in the said event.[21][22] U-KISS is considered one of the busiest K-Pop boybands because of their engagement on various shows and concerts, also, the group is one of the 10 Koreans to perform at the Korean Music Wave 2011 which was held in Singapore on July 15.[23] U-KISS performed their hit singles Bingeul Bingeul, Man Man Ha Ni, 0330 and the first full performance of Everyday.[24] Aside from their performance, lead singer Kevin also act as an MC for the show.[25] The group also held a public fanmeeting on June 10 , 2011 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Japan debut and success
On December 10, 2010, they released a full Japanese album called First Kiss which was a compilation of all their songs from their debut album up until their Break Time album. First Kiss placed second on Oricon daily charts on the day of its release.
On May 2011, U-KISS formally signed under Avex Japan for their Japanese debut. They are soon to release the Japanese version of Bran New Kiss on August 24, 2011 while the group's first ever Japanese album will be released in December of the same year. On June 7, U-KISS along with fellow K-Pop artists held a concert-for-a-cause dubbed as Seoul-Osaka Music of Heart 2011 to help victims of the Japan earthquake tragedy. From June 8, 2011, the group went to stay in Japan for 3 months to prepare for their official Japanese debut by which they are eyeing to set themselves on the Oricon Chart. U-KISS also performed for the KPOP Premium Concert on June 25, 2011 that was held Live at Zepp Fukuoka. On July 7, 2011 U-KISS appeared on "Radio Kyoto KBS".[26] They also appeared on a weekly show, "Made in BS Japan" from June 15 to July 20 episodes.
They showed how powerful the hallyu wave is by garnering thousands of fans in Nagoya. According to NH Media and Avex Japan, 5,000 fans gathered in Nagoya for a fan meeting while 10,000 fans assembled in Tokyo.[4] U-KISS is set on another fan meeting in Osaka on the 30th and is expected as a sold-out show also.[5] They also received good reviews by appearing on a preview event of the movie My Black Mini Dress, which Dongho acted in. U-KISS maknae, Dongho act as a lead role for an upcoming movie Don’t Cry Mommy, and is expected to premiere soon in Japan.[4][27]
The Japanese version of their album, Bran New Kiss was released on August 24, 2010. It debuts at Rank #5 in the Oricon chart, while it climbs at Rank #3 on the following days.[28] Avex Japan also reported that the group will have their first Japan major concert in Osaka on 2012.
Return to Korea, Neverland: Second Full-length Album and Asia Tour
Main article: Neverland (U-KISS album)
U-KISS being busy with their Japanese promotions, they announced that they will be back in Korea on September with their second full album. The group will be working with the best sound engineers in Korea and Japan together with an American producer while using top-notch facilities in Osaka, Japan.[29] Representatives announced, “Composers from Korea, United States, and Japan [...] in Japan right now to help the members with the recordings.”[5]
It’s been revealed that U-KISS will also be collaborating with fellow NH Media artist- Paran to be included in the album. The album will be released on September 1, 2011.[30] U-KISS released a teaser for their second full-length album entitled Neverland on August 25, while their promotional single, "Someday" was released on August 26, 2011. Meanwhile, the carrier single "Neverland" was released on September 1, 2011 along with album and a music video through M-Net.[31]
U-KISS has announced that they’ll be taking “Neverland” to six different countries in the coming month which grants Kissmes request from all over Asia.[32] The group recently received 15 invitations from different countries all over the world as a part of their promotions for “Neverland”.[32] U-KISS has decided therefore to set out on a 15,000 km journey across Asia, right in the middle of their promotions.[32] Starting with Malaysia on September 24, China on the 27th, and Taiwan on October 3.[32] They’ll still be attending music programs in Korea as well as several concert events in Changwon, Mokpo, and Gumi.[32] The tour then continues as they will also visit Thailand, while Philippines on the latter date of October will serve as the last stop for the tour.[32]
U-KISS Concert Series and Taiwan Fan meet
According to NH Media, the company is planning to bring U-KISS to various cities in Asia to promote Bran New Kiss. U-KISS is supposed to be the first Korean Group to visit the island state of Brunei until it was postponed and then cancelled for an unknowned reason.[33] The group will also visit Taiwan for a special show dubbed as "Kiss U & Me Taiwan Fanmeeting" on November 19, 2011.[34][35] It will be held inside the Chung-Cheng Hall at the National Taipei University of Technology.[35] This was organized by All Access Network Communication Co., Ltd., and Crown Communication Co., Ltd (全通網傳播有限公司、一冠傳播有限公司) and sponsored by NH Entertainment Media Agency, DBM Media and Starry Sky Media.[35] The group is also scheduled to visit Malaysia as part of their Asia tour.
U-KISS is also set to hold a concert in the North America region. Aside from that, they are also set to perform on various countries in Asia. According to NH Media, the boys will perform in United States, Canada, Japan, Thailand, China and Singapore at the end of the year.[36]
Members
Current members
Soohyun (Shin Soohyun) (Hangul: 신수현) Born on March 11, 1989. Shin Soohyun is the newly appointed leader and main vocalist of the group. Previously, Soohyun was a trainee under JYP Entertainment and also a Good Entertainment trainee. He is the power vocalist of the group, as he is noted for his powerful singing style. He has two sisters, one older and one younger. His father passed away when he was in the second grade of Junior high school. His specialities are R&B, dancing, soccer, and piano.
Kiseop (Lee Kiseop) (Hangul:이기섭) Born on January 17, 1991. He is a vocalist and the main dancer of the group. Kiseop is known for being an Ulzzang Eoljjang ‘best face’ in Korea. His special ability is martial arts (Taekwondo), Beat boxing, dancing and acting. He loves photography and lists it as one of his hobbies. He is living with his parents and older sister who are all Buddhist. Kiseop joined U-KISS in 2009 with the release of Man Man Ha Ni, which made the group become a seven-membered group.
Main article: Lee Kiseop
Eli (Kim Kyoung Jae) (Hangul: 김경재) Born on March 13, 1991. His English name is Ellison, which his nickname Eli derives from. He is the main rapper and vocalist of the group. Eli was born in Washington, D.C. and is fluent in English. He studied abroad in Beijing and can speak Mandarin fluently. His family consists of his parents, older sister, and younger sister. He is a Christian. His specialities are Taekwondo and Kung Fu.
Main article: Kim Eli
AJ (Kim Jae Seop) (Hangul:김재섭) Born on June 4, 1991. He is better known as AJ, and is the second addition to the group after Alexander and Kibum's departure from the group. AJ is fluent in Korean and English as he went to an international school in Korea before. Formerly he was the youngest member of the group Paran. Due to the other members leaving for the army or pursuing solo activities, the group virtually disbanded, with no formal announcement. He currently goes to Columbia University. AJ is the lead rapper, vocalist, and dancer in U-KISS.
Hoon (Yeo Hoon Min) (Hangul:여훈민) Born on August 16, 1991. He is known as Hoon, and is the first addition to the group after Alexander and Kibum's departure from the group. He is one of the two lead vocalist. Before joining the group, Hoon had a solo career and previously released one album. He is currently attending Dong Guk University majoring in theater. Hoon is also a Taekwondo athlete, and briefly made a cameo in SBS's drama Athena as a bodyguard of President.
Kevin (Woo Sung Hyun) (Hangul:우성현), Born on November 25, 1991. Korean name: Woo Sunghyun (Hangul:우성현). Kevin is the other lead vocalist and the second main vocalist of the group. He was born in Danville, California, United States and is fluent in English. He attended Monte Vista High School. Before debuting with U-KISS in 2008, he debuted in 2006 with a rotational group called XING alongside his former group-mate Marumir otherwise known as Kibum until he left the group and joined U-KISS. Kevin is well known for his flexibility and ability to cover girl group dances. He was the host of Arirang TV's radio show Pops in Seoul with group-mates Eli and Alexander. His specialities are popping dance, guitar, and piano. He has one older sister, and he is a Christian.
Main article: Kevin Woo
Dongho (Shin Dongho) (Hangul: 신동호) Born on June 29, 1994. He's the youngest member of the group. Dongho is the lead rapper, lead dancer, vocalist and maknae of the group. Dongho can communicate in Mandarin because he studied in Beijing, China at a young age. Currently Dongho is attending Hanrim Entertainment Arts School. Dongho is the most active member of the group, and participated in a number of projects such as acting in dramas and multiple variety shows. Because of his activities, the other members stated that Dongho is the one who makes U-KISS receive more popularity and are thankful to Dongho because of that. Recently, Dongho gained a lot of attention after his cameo in the movie "My Black Mini Dress" with Yoo In Na.
Main article: Shin Dongho
Past members
Alexander Lee Eusebio (Hangul:알렉산더) Born on July 29, 1988. Alexander was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Macau from multinational parents. His father is half Portuguese, half Chinese and his mother is Korean. Alexander is well known as an idol who can speak seven languages: Cantonese, English, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese. He is a Christian. He was formerly a rapper for the group.
Kibum (Hangul: 김기범) Born on December 29, 1990. Kibum was formerly a vocalist of the group. He left the group after his company terminated his contract. Kibum is famously known as being the younger brother of SS501's Kim Hyung Jun before debuting with U-KISS. Kibum, along with group-mate Kevin, was a member of the group XING. He used the stage name Marumir when he was in XING. One year after XING's debut, Kibum decided to leave for a better future. Kibum is known for his cheerful and witty personality. Kibum can speak Korean, Japanese, and conversational English. Kibum will be debuting in Japan as a solo artist under the stage name, Allen.
Pre-debut
U-KISS was first formed as a six member boy-group in 2008. Kim Kibum and Kevin Woo were former members of the boy band Xing. Kim Kibum left the group in early 2007 while Kevin Woo left the group four months before the debut of U-KISS. The other five members were all individually selected by NH Media through auditions.
Debut
U-KISS debuted in Japan on August 15, 2008 at the Power of Atamix 08. The group released their first mini album, New Generation, (N-Generation) on September 3, 2008, with the main track, "Not Young". U-KISS later debuted in South Korea on August 28, 2008, with a performance of "Not Young" on Mnet's M! Countdown and a release of their first music video.
2009
In 2009, U-KISS has been considered for a 150 billion KRW worth collaboration-project between two nations, Japan and South Korea. It was revealed that a popular entertainment company, Yoshimoto Group in Japan invested 150 billion KRW to groom U-KISS to be an internationally-known group. The reason behind this is their quality as a group with multilingual members: Alexander can converse in seven languages -Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean and English; Eli is good in English, Korean and Mandarin; the maknae Dongho can articulate in Korean and Mandarin; Kevin in English while Kibum can speak Japanese.
All About U-KISS, New member and mini-albums
U-KISS released their second mini-album on February 11, 2009, called Bring It Back 2 Old School with its title song, "I Like You". On the same day, a music video for I Like You was released with an old-school theme inspired by the 80's.[6] They also performed their carrier single live in various music shows. U-KISS becomes sensation in Thailand pulling 5-days straight fan meetings in promotion with their album Bring It Back 2 Old School, they also won on an online voting in Thailand beating the Wonder Girls. After their promotional cycle for "Bring It Back 2 Old School", U-KISS starred in their very first variety show, All About U-KISS.
In 2009, Kevin Woo joined Arirang's radio show Pops in Seoul hosting the 'All About You' segment alongside co-host Isak N Jiyeon. Shortly after, Alexander was invited to host the show too.[7] In April that same year, Eli also became an MC of MBC's show, Fusion. In late 2009, U-KISS released a third mini-album titled ContiUkiss on November 5, 2009. Lee Kiseop, a new member, joined the group during the promotion of this mini-album with their carrier single, Man Man Ha Ni. This song is often known as U-KISS' breakthrough song as it helped them to make their names known in the Korean entertainment industry.> U-KISS held their first fan meeting titled "Only 4 U" to celebrate their 500th days in the industry, that was sponsored by GomTV.
Lee Kiseop appeared in a variety show known as Uljjang Shidae 2 or Ulzzang Generation 2 (Pretty Boys and Girls Season 2) with fellow member Soo Hyun also guest starring in an episode. Dong Ho. the youngest of the group has made many appearances on many variety shows at the end of 2009, helping to promote U-KISS. Such shows include The Invincible Baseball Team and Idol Maknae Rebellion. Dongho is the most active member of the group and has been invited in many other shows. He has been thanked for helping the group to be more well-known.
Kevin and Alexander were featured in Brave Brother's song, "Finally" wherein a music video for the track was released a few weeks after. Members Eli and Kibum also starred in the Thai drama Autumn's Destiny. However, the drama was aired in Thailand only. As both Eli and Kibum could not speak Thai, their voices were dubbed. The drama aired its premiere episode on January 16, 2010.
2010 Activities
First full-length album and Other Activities
On January 18, 2010, U-KISS formally opened their official fan club, KissMe with an official color of Pearl Pink.
Before the release of their first full-length album, television station MBC stated that U-KISS would star in a new variety show called U-KISS' Vampire, which later premiered on January 22, 2010. In the show, the members moved into a dormitory that they stayed during the whole duration of filming. They were sorted into groups according to their blood types. Alexander, Kibum, Eli and Kevin were grouped into the Blood Type O group. Soo Hyun and Kiseop were grouped into the Blood Type A group while remaining member, Dongho, into the Blood Type B group. U-KISS Vampires aim was to reveal the true identities of each member according to their different blood types.
Their first full-length album, Only One, was released on February 3, 2010. The song "Without You," the title track, was first released on January 27, 2010 as a digital single but later, their managing company decided that they would promote Bingeul Bingeul, in which it became another hit like its predecessor "Man Man Ha Ni". Their full-length album, Only One topped Hanteo Charts, Hot Tracks, Syn-nara Records and Evan Records in just one day making it U-KISS greatest achievement to date. It became their highest chart-topping single in the Philippines which resulted in visits to the country with mall shows and a successful first concert. On April 15, 2010, shortly after their successful mall shows in the Philippines, U-KISS started promotions for their follow up song from their Only One album, titled "Mworago" (What). A music video was taped, and a teaser released, but remained unreleased to date, due to unknown reasons.
U-KISS also starred in their next reality-variety show titled Chef's Kiss. In this variety show, the members opened a real restaurant which they named U-KISS Steak House. The seven members were split into teams and each week, they competed among themselves to decide which team would be chosen to cook in the restaurant that week. Chef's Kiss aired its last episode on July 30, 2010 and was one of the highest-rated show.
U-KISS in Asian Cities and First Solo Concert
Premiere Entertainment Philippines Inc. (PEP) brought U-KISS to Manila for a series of special mall shows from March 26–28, 2010. The group visited SM North Edsa, SM Megamall and SM City Pampanga. This was in line with the promotion of their album Only One and the group's solo concert in the Philippines in June.[8]
On June 19, 2010, Geneses Dream Entertainment brought U-KISS to Malaysia for a fan meeting held in Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Later that year, U-KISS returned to Philippines and joined fellow Korean entertainer Rain as guests in his concert, titled "Intensity" in the Philippines at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on September 11, 2010. This was their third visit to Philippines.[9]
On November 30, 2010, U-KISS went to Mongolia to perform a special on Arirang's music programm, M Wave concert.[10] It was held in Mongol Palace Ulaanbaatar. This concert celebrated the 20th anniversary of the friendship between Korea and Mongolia.[11][12][13]
Due to their success in the Philippines, U-KISS held a concert at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines. The show was originally scheduled on May 29, 2010 but later postponed to June 14, 2010 due to some delays and problems regarding the venue. U-KISS arrived in Manila on June 13, 2010 and had several television guestings as they appeared in a Philippine Sunday Music Show Party Pilipinas and also participated in the celebration of Independence Day in the Philippines where they performed Bingeul Bingeul and Man Man Ha Ni.[14] They also appeared in a showbiz-oriented show, Showbiz Central under GMA Network to promote their group and their new album. The concert was titled U-KISS First Kiss Tour in Manila.[15] U-KISS is the second Korean group to stage a concert in Araneta Coliseum, the first being Super Junior.
On August 2, 2010, U-KISS member Alexander and Kevin were nominated once again to host Arirang's M-Wave program in both Korean and English. On November 19, 2010, as part of their fourth mini-album, Break Time promotions, U-KISS visited Singapore to perform at The Kings of Freedom Concert held at the Bedok Reservoir Park.
U-Kiss successfully held their very first independent Japan concert on December 6, 2010 in Osaka with over 3,000 fans in attendance.[16]
Break Time: The Fourth Mini Album
Main article: Break Time
U-Kiss released their fourth mini-album, Break Time, on October 4, 2010, in South Korea. It included five new songs and instrumental versions of two of the new songs in the album. The album contained a 50-page photograph book and a photo card of either any of the seven members or one of the group. Three days after the release of the album, it topped the Hanteo charts. The teaser for the "Shut Up!!" music video was scheduled to be released on the afternoon of October 3, 2010. But it was later pushed back to October 4, 2010.
U-Kiss performed "Shut Up!!," the title track of their mini-album, on Mnet's M! Countdown on October 7, 2010. The full music video was released on October 7, 2010.[17]
2011 Activities
U.S Debut, Dongho's Acting Career and others
Members Shin Dongho, Eli, and Ki Seop have been cast for MBC every1’s special new sitcom, titled 'Real School' which is 40-episode long sitcom series, for which they will play three high school students who board at an ‘English Village’ in an attempt to crack their fear of speaking English. Its pilot episode aired on January 10, 2011. Meanwhile, Dongho was cast to act in his ever first drama, Royal Family under MBC, as Jo Byung Joon. Dongho has also since played in several films, including The Villain & Widow and My Black Mini Dress.
In early 2011, the management announced that U-KISS was planning to debut in United States. The group recorded over 100 tracks to be sorted-out for their upcoming US album.[18] But news regarding this debut vanished as Alexander and Kibum reported to depart from the group. Alexander and Kibum left the band on February 23, 2011.< A couple of days after the original members Alexander and Kibum left U-KISS, NH Media introduced two new members, Kim Jae Seop and Yeo Hoon Min.[19] Kim Jae Seop is also known as AJ and Yeo Hoon Min, as Hoon. Before debuting in U-KISS, AJ was a former member of the South Korean boyband Paran which was also under the management of NH Media. With the two new members, U-KISS made their comeback on March 30 with their new album, Bran New Kiss. They literally became an overnight sensation with the release of Bran New Kiss by placing first on many online music charts. A music video for their single, "0330" was released on the same day. The new U-KISS performed "0330" live, on the next day March 31 on M! Countdown.
In May 17, 2011 U-KISS along with other groups such as Super Junior and Girl's Day performed for Korea-Taiwan Friendship Concert held at the TICC Taiwan. The group performed their hit single Shut Up!.[20]
The group also performed "0330" on the 2011's Dream Concert on May 28, 2011. They also walked on the red carpet held at the same day on Seoul World Cup Stadium. The performance was televised on June 10, 2011.
On February 28, U-KISS began filming a movie with Jay Park, Kim Soo Ro and Park Ye Jin with a working title, Mr. Idol. This will be the group's first movie and will be shown in theaters on August.
Dongho will also be starring in a 3D animation movie titled Hong Gil Dong 2084 as the voice of the lead character, Hong Gil Dong which will have its premiere on August 18. The production company stated "Dongho has a cute face with versatile talents[...] thus having a fanbase that consists of both younger and older generations[...] bold personality especially resembles the animation's character, Hong Gil Dong". It took 3 years to accomplish 'Hong Gil Dong 2084' which costs reaching 36 billion won.
South Korea’s KBS program Music Bank held a live event at the Tokyo Dome on July 13 entitled “K-POP FESTIVAL: MUSIC BANK in TOKYO”. U-KISS was one of the 15 Korean groups who performed in the said event.[21][22] U-KISS is considered one of the busiest K-Pop boybands because of their engagement on various shows and concerts, also, the group is one of the 10 Koreans to perform at the Korean Music Wave 2011 which was held in Singapore on July 15.[23] U-KISS performed their hit singles Bingeul Bingeul, Man Man Ha Ni, 0330 and the first full performance of Everyday.[24] Aside from their performance, lead singer Kevin also act as an MC for the show.[25] The group also held a public fanmeeting on June 10 , 2011 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Japan debut and success
On December 10, 2010, they released a full Japanese album called First Kiss which was a compilation of all their songs from their debut album up until their Break Time album. First Kiss placed second on Oricon daily charts on the day of its release.
On May 2011, U-KISS formally signed under Avex Japan for their Japanese debut. They are soon to release the Japanese version of Bran New Kiss on August 24, 2011 while the group's first ever Japanese album will be released in December of the same year. On June 7, U-KISS along with fellow K-Pop artists held a concert-for-a-cause dubbed as Seoul-Osaka Music of Heart 2011 to help victims of the Japan earthquake tragedy. From June 8, 2011, the group went to stay in Japan for 3 months to prepare for their official Japanese debut by which they are eyeing to set themselves on the Oricon Chart. U-KISS also performed for the KPOP Premium Concert on June 25, 2011 that was held Live at Zepp Fukuoka. On July 7, 2011 U-KISS appeared on "Radio Kyoto KBS".[26] They also appeared on a weekly show, "Made in BS Japan" from June 15 to July 20 episodes.
They showed how powerful the hallyu wave is by garnering thousands of fans in Nagoya. According to NH Media and Avex Japan, 5,000 fans gathered in Nagoya for a fan meeting while 10,000 fans assembled in Tokyo.[4] U-KISS is set on another fan meeting in Osaka on the 30th and is expected as a sold-out show also.[5] They also received good reviews by appearing on a preview event of the movie My Black Mini Dress, which Dongho acted in. U-KISS maknae, Dongho act as a lead role for an upcoming movie Don’t Cry Mommy, and is expected to premiere soon in Japan.[4][27]
The Japanese version of their album, Bran New Kiss was released on August 24, 2010. It debuts at Rank #5 in the Oricon chart, while it climbs at Rank #3 on the following days.[28] Avex Japan also reported that the group will have their first Japan major concert in Osaka on 2012.
Return to Korea, Neverland: Second Full-length Album and Asia Tour
Main article: Neverland (U-KISS album)
U-KISS being busy with their Japanese promotions, they announced that they will be back in Korea on September with their second full album. The group will be working with the best sound engineers in Korea and Japan together with an American producer while using top-notch facilities in Osaka, Japan.[29] Representatives announced, “Composers from Korea, United States, and Japan [...] in Japan right now to help the members with the recordings.”[5]
It’s been revealed that U-KISS will also be collaborating with fellow NH Media artist- Paran to be included in the album. The album will be released on September 1, 2011.[30] U-KISS released a teaser for their second full-length album entitled Neverland on August 25, while their promotional single, "Someday" was released on August 26, 2011. Meanwhile, the carrier single "Neverland" was released on September 1, 2011 along with album and a music video through M-Net.[31]
U-KISS has announced that they’ll be taking “Neverland” to six different countries in the coming month which grants Kissmes request from all over Asia.[32] The group recently received 15 invitations from different countries all over the world as a part of their promotions for “Neverland”.[32] U-KISS has decided therefore to set out on a 15,000 km journey across Asia, right in the middle of their promotions.[32] Starting with Malaysia on September 24, China on the 27th, and Taiwan on October 3.[32] They’ll still be attending music programs in Korea as well as several concert events in Changwon, Mokpo, and Gumi.[32] The tour then continues as they will also visit Thailand, while Philippines on the latter date of October will serve as the last stop for the tour.[32]
U-KISS Concert Series and Taiwan Fan meet
According to NH Media, the company is planning to bring U-KISS to various cities in Asia to promote Bran New Kiss. U-KISS is supposed to be the first Korean Group to visit the island state of Brunei until it was postponed and then cancelled for an unknowned reason.[33] The group will also visit Taiwan for a special show dubbed as "Kiss U & Me Taiwan Fanmeeting" on November 19, 2011.[34][35] It will be held inside the Chung-Cheng Hall at the National Taipei University of Technology.[35] This was organized by All Access Network Communication Co., Ltd., and Crown Communication Co., Ltd (全通網傳播有限公司、一冠傳播有限公司) and sponsored by NH Entertainment Media Agency, DBM Media and Starry Sky Media.[35] The group is also scheduled to visit Malaysia as part of their Asia tour.
U-KISS is also set to hold a concert in the North America region. Aside from that, they are also set to perform on various countries in Asia. According to NH Media, the boys will perform in United States, Canada, Japan, Thailand, China and Singapore at the end of the year.[36]
Members
Current members
Soohyun (Shin Soohyun) (Hangul: 신수현) Born on March 11, 1989. Shin Soohyun is the newly appointed leader and main vocalist of the group. Previously, Soohyun was a trainee under JYP Entertainment and also a Good Entertainment trainee. He is the power vocalist of the group, as he is noted for his powerful singing style. He has two sisters, one older and one younger. His father passed away when he was in the second grade of Junior high school. His specialities are R&B, dancing, soccer, and piano.
Kiseop (Lee Kiseop) (Hangul:이기섭) Born on January 17, 1991. He is a vocalist and the main dancer of the group. Kiseop is known for being an Ulzzang Eoljjang ‘best face’ in Korea. His special ability is martial arts (Taekwondo), Beat boxing, dancing and acting. He loves photography and lists it as one of his hobbies. He is living with his parents and older sister who are all Buddhist. Kiseop joined U-KISS in 2009 with the release of Man Man Ha Ni, which made the group become a seven-membered group.
Main article: Lee Kiseop
Eli (Kim Kyoung Jae) (Hangul: 김경재) Born on March 13, 1991. His English name is Ellison, which his nickname Eli derives from. He is the main rapper and vocalist of the group. Eli was born in Washington, D.C. and is fluent in English. He studied abroad in Beijing and can speak Mandarin fluently. His family consists of his parents, older sister, and younger sister. He is a Christian. His specialities are Taekwondo and Kung Fu.
Main article: Kim Eli
AJ (Kim Jae Seop) (Hangul:김재섭) Born on June 4, 1991. He is better known as AJ, and is the second addition to the group after Alexander and Kibum's departure from the group. AJ is fluent in Korean and English as he went to an international school in Korea before. Formerly he was the youngest member of the group Paran. Due to the other members leaving for the army or pursuing solo activities, the group virtually disbanded, with no formal announcement. He currently goes to Columbia University. AJ is the lead rapper, vocalist, and dancer in U-KISS.
Hoon (Yeo Hoon Min) (Hangul:여훈민) Born on August 16, 1991. He is known as Hoon, and is the first addition to the group after Alexander and Kibum's departure from the group. He is one of the two lead vocalist. Before joining the group, Hoon had a solo career and previously released one album. He is currently attending Dong Guk University majoring in theater. Hoon is also a Taekwondo athlete, and briefly made a cameo in SBS's drama Athena as a bodyguard of President.
Kevin (Woo Sung Hyun) (Hangul:우성현), Born on November 25, 1991. Korean name: Woo Sunghyun (Hangul:우성현). Kevin is the other lead vocalist and the second main vocalist of the group. He was born in Danville, California, United States and is fluent in English. He attended Monte Vista High School. Before debuting with U-KISS in 2008, he debuted in 2006 with a rotational group called XING alongside his former group-mate Marumir otherwise known as Kibum until he left the group and joined U-KISS. Kevin is well known for his flexibility and ability to cover girl group dances. He was the host of Arirang TV's radio show Pops in Seoul with group-mates Eli and Alexander. His specialities are popping dance, guitar, and piano. He has one older sister, and he is a Christian.
Main article: Kevin Woo
Dongho (Shin Dongho) (Hangul: 신동호) Born on June 29, 1994. He's the youngest member of the group. Dongho is the lead rapper, lead dancer, vocalist and maknae of the group. Dongho can communicate in Mandarin because he studied in Beijing, China at a young age. Currently Dongho is attending Hanrim Entertainment Arts School. Dongho is the most active member of the group, and participated in a number of projects such as acting in dramas and multiple variety shows. Because of his activities, the other members stated that Dongho is the one who makes U-KISS receive more popularity and are thankful to Dongho because of that. Recently, Dongho gained a lot of attention after his cameo in the movie "My Black Mini Dress" with Yoo In Na.
Main article: Shin Dongho
Past members
Alexander Lee Eusebio (Hangul:알렉산더) Born on July 29, 1988. Alexander was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Macau from multinational parents. His father is half Portuguese, half Chinese and his mother is Korean. Alexander is well known as an idol who can speak seven languages: Cantonese, English, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese. He is a Christian. He was formerly a rapper for the group.
Kibum (Hangul: 김기범) Born on December 29, 1990. Kibum was formerly a vocalist of the group. He left the group after his company terminated his contract. Kibum is famously known as being the younger brother of SS501's Kim Hyung Jun before debuting with U-KISS. Kibum, along with group-mate Kevin, was a member of the group XING. He used the stage name Marumir when he was in XING. One year after XING's debut, Kibum decided to leave for a better future. Kibum is known for his cheerful and witty personality. Kibum can speak Korean, Japanese, and conversational English. Kibum will be debuting in Japan as a solo artist under the stage name, Allen.
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