[BIRTHDAY BIOS] Kingdom's 'communication king' Mujin celebrates 23rd birthday

K-pop

Published: 20 Nov. 2023, 09:19 Updated: 20 Nov. 2023, 09:34

[BIRTHDAY BIOS] Kingdom's 'communication king' Mujin celebrates 23rd birthday

Mujin of boy band Kingdom, the winner of Celeb Confirmed's November birthday poll [GF ENTERTAINMENT]

In a galaxy of talented stars that shine in K-pop, birthdays are one of the biggest festivities for fans to get together and remember just how much they love their dearest artists. To add to the celebration, the Korea JoongAng Daily’s entertainment brand Celeb Confirmed will take votes from fans on their favorites from stars born in the respective month and dive into their careers, achievements and more in the newest series Birthday Bios.

As this month's winner of Celeb Confirmed’s K-pop birthday vote, Mujin of boy band Kingdom was voted No. 1 among November-born stars.

Mujin, the sweet ray of sunshine from boy band Kingdom, was born on Nov. 20 as the oldest child of his family in Yongin, Gyeonggi, with the birth name Ko Seong-ho.

The artist, who debuted in February 2021 as a member of seven-member boy band Kingdom, is known as the group's bright and bubbly energizer, and is famous for his consistent and sincere communication with the band’s fan club, Kingmaker.

Mujin began dreaming of becoming a K-pop idol, as the profession is called in Korea, after watching boy band EXO perform and being in awe of their talent. But he was active in the world of music long before then — his mother majored in music, and he participated in choir activities at his church.

Mujin of boy band Kingdom [GF ENTERTAINMENT]

In high school, he declared to his parents that he wanted to be an idol. His parents initially opposed the idea, but changed their minds when their son got a nod from JYP Entertainment's auditions.

Mjuin could not join the agency because he lost his phone and saw the admission text too late, but fate brought him to GF Entertainment to be a member of Kingdom. To be precise, it was Arthur — a Kingdom member with whom Mujin had trained with at a different agency — who led him to GF Entertainment, and to where he is now.

And the rest is history. Kingdom debuted on Feb. 18 with the EP “History of Kingdom: Part I. Arthur.” Ever since then, the band has released albums under the title “History of Kingdom” and its fictional universe, where each of the band's seven members is a king of different kingdoms in different timelines, aiding each other's quests to become the true king.

Boy band Kingdom [GF ENTERTAINMENT]

Mujin’s turn came last March with Kingdom's sixth EP, “History of Kingdom: Part VI. Mujin,” which revolved around its titular member and his “kingdom of cherry blossom.”

But even more so than then cherry blossom king, Mujin is known as the “communication king” among Kingdom's members and fans. He often shares self-recorded vlogs with fans and sends them messages through online platforms. He has also produced and released his own music via SoundCloud, which fans can listen to for free.

"Thank you, Kingmakers, for making me the winner of Celeb Confirmed's November birthday vote," Mujin told the Korea JoongAng Daily. "It feels like a great gift that I've received from Kingmakers for this special day. I'll take this love and always be the Mujin that returns the love I've received from everyone."

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]