Koo Ja Myung is a South Korean singer and former soccer player. He graduated from Joongdong High School and he played soccer at a high level since he was in middle school. He represented his country in the U-14 national team and was labeled as a rising star. He was promoted to the U-17 national team in 2007 but a shoulder injury and 3 subsequent surgeries prevented him from attending the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria. He decided to retire and changed his goals to becoming a singer.

In 2012, he participated in "Star Audition: The Great Birth 2" and quickly impressed the judges with his vocal skills. He was mentored by legendary singer Lee Seon Hee and managed to win the competition. In 2014, he joined "Cool Kiz on the Block" due to his soccer past but, just a few weeks after joining, he was involved in a car crash while under the influence of alcohol. As a result, he was banned from appearing on public networks and his participation on the show was edited. He decided to enlist for his mandatory military service trying to deflect all the negative attention he was getting.

After being discharged in late 2016, he considered quitting the entertainment industry but decided to continue and made an appearance on "King of Mask Singer" after his suspension was lifted on MBC. In 2020, he entered "Mr. Trot Season 1" and advanced to the team mission before his appearance was edited again as apparently the suspension was still valid in TV Chosun, KBS, SBS, JTBC, and a few more networks.

(Source: Korean = NamuWiki || Translation = MyDramaList) Edit Biography