Kim Jin Hwan, known professionally as Jay, is a South Korean singer, dancer, and member of iKON (아이콘). He dropped out of high school but later passed the High School Graduation Certification Examination.

He joined YG Entertainment (YG엔터테인먼트) as a trainee in 2011 and became part of the agency's Team B. The team was completed when the 6th member was introduced in late 2012. Then, in 2013, he participated in the Mnet reality survival show "WIN: Who Is Next", competing against other trainees in Team A for the chance to debut as a group. Ultimately, Team B lost, and Team A ended up debuting as WINNER.

In June 2014, Team B appeared in the reality survival program "Mix & Match", a follow-up of the original show, in order to determine the final members of YG's second project group. He was already confirmed as a member (along with Bobby and B.I), but he was involved in the selection process of the remaining members.

After several delays, he finally made his debut in September 2015 as iKON's main vocalist and lead dancer with their first album, "Welcome Back". They already had a fanbase in South Korea, Japan and other countries in Southeast Asia, so they quickly became a successful rookie idol group, winning first places in music shows, holding concerts and fan meetings, and ranking high in all major song/digital charts in the country.

In June 2019, he became the group's leader following B.I's departure.

In December 2022, all members ended their contracts with YG Entertainment after 7 years. Fans were fearful about a possible disbandment, but 2 days later, all signed with 143Entertainment (143엔터테인먼트) to continue group activities.

He made his debut as a solo artist in June 2023 with the digital single "Paradise". One month later, he enlisted for his mandatory service on July 20, 2023, and was discharged on April 19, 2025.

(Source: MyDramaList) Edit Biography