Kim Jong-in (Korean:김종인;born January 14,1994),known professionally as Kai (카이),is a South Korean singer,actor,and dancer. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Exo,its subunit Exo-K,and South Korean supergroup SuperM. He debuted as a soloist on November 30,2020,with his first extended play (EP) Kai. Apart from his musical career,Kai has also starred in various television dramas such as Choco Bank (2016),Andante (2017),and Spring Has Come (2018). He is recognized for his dancing in South Korea and K-pop.[1]
Kai was born on January 14,1994,[9] in Suncheon,South Korea,as the youngest member of his family,with two older sisters.[10][unreliable source?] Despite his parents initially wanting him to learn Taekwondo and the piano,Kai began to train in ballet while in third grade after watching The Nutcracker,[11] and started jazz dancing when he was eight years old in the fourth grade of elementary school. His father,now deceased,was the most important benefactor of his encounter with dance,which was of great significance to his life,according to a film about his growth story featured in Gucci's 2019 film series "The Performers".[12] Kai attended high school at School of Performing Arts Seoul,from which he graduated in 2012.[13]
In 2007,encouraged by his father,Kai participated in and won SM Entertainment's Youth Best Contest and signed with the company at the age of thirteen years old. He then began training in hip-hop dance.[14] On December 23,2011,SM announced Kai as the first member of the company's upcoming boy group,Exo.[15] He made his first televised performance alongside fellow Exo members Luhan,Chen and Tao as well as other SM artists at the year-end music program SBS Gayo Daejeon on December 29,2011.[16] The group officially debuted in April 2012 and has since gained significant popularity and commercial success.
In October 2012,Kai participated in the promotional group Younique Unit alongside labelmates Eunhyuk,Henry,Hyoyeon,Taemin and Luhan. The group released a single titled "Maxstep" as part of the collaboration between SM Entertainment and Hyundai.[17] Later in December 2012,he joined the dance group SM The Performance,along with fellow member Lay,TVXQ's Yunho,Super Junior's Eunhyuk and Donghae,Shinee's Minho and Taemin.[18] The group first made its appearance at the event SBS Gayo Daejeonon December 29,and performed their single "Spectrum". The single was officially released the next day.[19] In August 2014,Kai was featured in the song "Pretty Boy" from Shinee member Taemin's debut album.[20]
2016–2019:Acting career and SuperM
Kai at the Lotte Family Concert in Seoul,June 2018
In January 2016,Kai made his acting debut as the male lead in the web drama Choco Bank,[21][22] which achieved record-breaking viewership.[23] In December 2016,he starred in two episodes of the special web drama 7 First Kisses which was produced by Lotte Duty Free.[24]
In January 2017,Kai was announced to be starring as the male lead in the KBS teen drama Andante,playing a high school student.[25][26] In February 2017,he was cast in the Japanese drama Spring Has Come,based on the Japanese novel of the same name.[27] The drama marks the first time a non-Japanese actor taking a lead role on a drama produced by the broadcasting station Wowow.[28]
In 2018,Kai was cast as Ato in the KBS melodrama The Miracle We Met.[29] When asked why Kai was cast,the show's writer stated,"Since Ato himself is from the divine realm,we cast an actor with the image of a male god."[30] For his performance,Kai was nominated for Best New Actor at the 32nd KBS Drama Awards.[31]
On August 7,2019,Kai was confirmed to be a member of SuperM,a "K-pop supergroup" created by SM Entertainment in collaboration with Capitol Records. The group's promotions are scheduled to begin in October and are aimed at the American market.[32][33] SuperM debuted with the group's self-titled debut EP on October 4,2019.[34]
2020–2022:Solo debut and variety activities
On July 3,2020,SM Entertainment announced that Kai's first solo album was currently under production with the goal of being released in the second half of 2020.[35] On November 30,2020,Kai released his debut extended play Kai and its lead single "Mmmh".[36] The album peaked at number 2 on the Gaon Album Chart and has been certified Platinum by the KMCA.[37]
On November 30,2021,Kai released his second extended play Peaches and its lead single of the same name.[38] The album peaked at number 3 on the Gaon Album Chart and has also been certified Platinum.[39]
In February 2022,a new original variety show Kai's Bucket List was announced with five episodes released. In the show,Kai goes on a trip to Gangwon-do with friends and enjoys various extreme sports,camping,water activities,and spending time healing.[51] In December 2022,Kai participated in the release of the song "Hot &Cold" alongside other SM Entertainment artists Red Velvet's Seulgi,Aespa's Karina and NCTJeno for the 2022 Winter SMTOWN:SMCU PALACE album.[52]
In January 2023,Kai conducted the solo concert tour KAI Japan Special Live 2023 in three cities in Japan.[53] In February 2023,SM Entertainment confirmed that Kai plans to release a new solo album Rover on March 13.[54] On March 13,Kai released his third extended play Rover and its lead single of the same name.[55] For Rover,Kai won his first music show award as a solo artist on Music Bank,[56] followed by a second award on Show!Music Core.[57]
On May 4,2023,SM Entertainment announced that Kai would have a fan meeting titled,"Kai's aKAIve",at YES24 Live Hall on May 9 at 19:00 (KST) and also broadcast live on Exo's official YouTube channel,two days before he enlisted to the military.[58][59]
On February 14,2024,SM Entertainment subsidiary Studio Realive and AmazeVR released "LYNK-POP The VR Concert –Kai",a virtual reality concert filmed before Kai started his military enlistment. The VR concert was released exclusively in theaters at Megabox COEX in Seoul and ran for three weeks. On the opening day,the film boasted a high seating rate of 74.62%,and even recorded a repeat viewing rate of nearly 15% from the first day of release.[60] It garnered a positive response online,recording over 300 blog reviews and near-perfect scores,including a 10-point rating from Megabox audiences,a 98% re-watch rate in an internal survey,and a 99.9% recommendation rate. The Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri watched the film while visiting Seoul.[61]
2025–present:Solo and group activities
On February 11,2025,a day after Kai's discharged from the military,he hosted a special live broadcast on Exo's YouTube,TikTok,and Weverse accounts titled Kai:Happily Ever After.[62]
On February 17,2025,Kai was announced as the new host of the web variety show Changing Majors,a program where Kai visits different universities across South Korea and experiences various departments firsthand.[63] The sixth season recorded 103.52 million cumulative views and Kai's voice impression scenes throughout the 88th episode became a trending meme.[64]
On March 5,it was reported that Kai was set to release his fourth EP in April 2025,with music video scheduled to film next week.[65] On April 3,Kai released the pre-release single Adult Swim,which was promoted at M Countdown[66] and the SBS Inkigayo UNICON concert at the Tokyo Dome.[67] On April 21,2025,Kai released his fourth extended play Wait On Me and its lead single of the same name,his first album after a two-year hiatus due to military enlistment.[68]
Starting in May 2025,Kai embarked on his first solo concert tour KAION,performing in 10 cities in Asia and six cities in North America.[69] The tour concluded with three encore shows in Seoul from September 26–28th.[70]
On July 7,2025 Kai performed at the Waterbomb Festival in Seoul for the second time.[71]
On November 5,2025,Kai was featured in the song Waterfalls from TVXQ member U-KNOW's first full-length album.[72]
In January 2026,Kai was announced as one of the MCs for a new SBS talk show 아니근데진짜!.[73] On January 19,2026,Kai joined his group Exo for the release of their 8th full-length album Reverxe.[74] He will participate in Exo's upcoming concert tour EXO PLANET #6 - EXhOrizon,which will begin with three shows in Seoul from April 10–12,2026.[75]
Public image and influence
Kai is a notable figure and influence in K-pop,both as a member of Exo and as a soloist. He has been referred to as the "idol of idols"[76] for being cited as a role model and influence for many K-pop idols,including NCT Wish Yushi,[77]SF9Yoo Taeyang,[78]Kang Daniel,[79] and ZerobaseoneHan Yu-jin.[80] He has been noted as a major K-pop soloist,with W Korea stating "Kai deserves to be called the standard of group and solo activities" for his successful career as both a soloist and group member.[81]
Kai's dancing skills and on-stage expressions have been recognized by key figures. Choreographers Bada Lee and Choi Youngjoon named him among the best dancers in K-pop.[82][83]Girls' Generation Hyoyeon said Kai impressed her since his trainee days at SM Entertainment.[84] One of the animators of the film Kpop Demon Hunters mentioned referencing Kai's facial expressions to bring the character of Saja Boys Jinu to life.[85]
Several of Kai's solo performances have gone viral.[86] His solo performance during Exo's Love Shot stage at the 2018 SBS Gayo Daejeon was named legendary[87] and the stage video has since accumulated over 30 million views.[88] In 2018,his solo fancams for Exo's Love Shot[89] and Tempo[90] went viral with millions of views accumulated.[91] In 2023,the choreography for the single Rover,known as the "Rover Challenge",[92] went viral with several celebrities doing the challenge.[93]
Kai has been noted as one of K-pop's biggest fashion influencers.[94] In 2019,British magazine GQ ranked Kai 7th in their list of "The 50 best-dressed men of 2020",the only K-pop artist to appear on the list[95] and named him the "world’s best-dressed K-pop star".[96] Teo van den Broeke,Style And Grooming Director of British GQ,said,"Easily the most enigmatic and stylish of his fellow K-pop sensations,the young member of Exo has a way with colour and fabric that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to achieve. What’s more,in my opinion,he wears Gucci better than Harry Styles and Jared Leto together,and that’s saying something."[97] Also in 2019,British Vogue named him among the most stylish men in the world.[98]
In December 2021,Glamour selected Kai as one of the "10 biggest style icons of 2021",the only Korean to appear on the list.[99][100]Lyst placed Kai 4th on their 2021 Power Dressers list.[101]Rolling Stone included him in a list of "25 most stylish musicians of 2022".[102] He's also been named the "master of crop-tops" for his frequent use of crop-tops in stage costumes.[103] After his appearance at Prada's SS26 show at Milan Fashion Week in May 2025,he was named the week's 5th top influencer for generating an Earned Media Value (EMV) of $2.19 million.[104]
In March 2018,Kai starred in Levi Strauss Korea's 2018 spring campaign,LIVE IN LEVI'S.[110] Also in March,he starred in a digital pictorial and video campaign with actress Lee Yeon-hee to advertise the Solati Moving Hotel,a joint project between Hyundai Motor Company and SM Entertainment.[111] In May,he attended his first Gucci show in France wearing the men’s Fall 2018 collection,and Vogue named him the star of the show[112] and British Vogue named him the best dressed.[113]
In September 2019,Kai was named the global brand ambassador for the Italian high-endluxuryfashionhouseGucci and starred in their 2019 Fall/Winter eyewear advertising campaign.[114] In December,Gucci released a short film[115] about Kai's life,as part of their "The Performers" series in collaboration with Vogue.[116] In March 2020,Kai starred in Gucci's 2020 Spring/Summer eyewear campaign with the Chinese actress Ni Ni.[117] In 2021,Kai participated in a campaign to model Gucci's Aria collection.[118] In 2022,Gucci unveiled a Chuseok collection through the campaign "Homecoming with Gucci",modelled by Kai.[119]
In October 2020,Kai became the first male Muse forBobbi BrownCosmetics.[120] On November 1,2020,Kai appeared in the online showcase "TUCSON Beyond Drive," a collaboration between Hyundai Motor Company and SM Entertainment,where he presented a music performance titled "Follow Your Hidden Light" that combines K-pop and AR technology.[121]
On September 14,2021,the city of Seoul announced that they selected Kai as the face of the brand and a global ambassador for SeoulFashion weekSpring 2022.[122] In November 2021,Instagram Korea launched its "#JustLikeItGram" campaign to encourage users to make reels,with Kai serving as one of the ambassadors.[123]
In January 2022,Charmzone Mask selected Kai as their new model,"hoping that it will deliver a youthful and trendy image of Charmzone's premium mask products".[124] In February,it was reported Charmzone had sold 17 million masks.[125] Later that year,Kai was also selected to model for the global outdoor brand Black Yak alongside singer IU[126] as well as a model for their BCC collection.[127]
In February 2022,Kai became the muse forYves Saint LaurentBeauty.[128] For his first digital pictorial for the brand,he advertised their Touche Éclat Glow-Pact cushion in Marie Claire Korea magazine.[129] In May,he advertised their All Hours Foundation in Vogue Korea.[130] He attended pop-up events for the brand in Seoul in 2022[131] and 2023.[132] In September,he attended a launch event in Paris for the brand's LIBRE perfume,hosted by singer Dua Lipa.[133][134] While in Paris,Vogue Korea accompanied him to shoot a digital pictorial and video to promote the LIBRE perfume.[135] In May 2023,a digital pictorial was released in Elle Korea where Kai advertised the perfumes LIBRE Eau de Toilette and Mon Paris Eau de Toilette Lumière.[136]
In September 2022,Kai together with Hwasa became brand ambassadors for the South Korean health and beauty brand,Olive Young.[137]
In May 2025,Kai modelled the Versace Eros Energy Eau de Parfum in ElleKorea.[138] He also attended a pop-up for the launch of Versace Eros Energy at a department store on May 28th.[139] In June,he attended the Prada 2026 Spring/Summer menswear fashion show at Milan Fashion Week.[140] In October,Lacoste chose Kai as the model for their 2025 F/W season and tennis collection,with a digital pictorial released in GQ Korea.[141] He also attended the Lacoste Spring/Summer 2026 Collection on October 5,2025 in Paris,France.[142]
Kai x Gucci capsule collection
In 2021,Gucci released the capsule collection KAI x Gucci,designed by then creative director Alessandro Michele. A portion of the collection's proceeds went to support the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation.[143] It marked the first time Gucci has worked with a Korean celebrity on a collection.[144]
The collection was pre-released in Korea at special pop-up stores and then various products from the collection were available at selected Gucci stores and the official Gucci Korea online store.[145] Kai attended launch events at the special pop-up stores[146][147] and covered Esquire Korea magazine[148] and Monotube magazine[149] to promote the collection. A digital pictorial and video campaign with Kai was also released,[150] along with a installation of massive bear balloons throughout Seoul,created by pop artist Im Ji-bin.[151]
A social media campaign was also launched to encourage participants to use a Kai x Gucci filter,and once the goal of 10,000 videos was reached,Gucci donated 100 million KRW to ChildFund Korea.[6] The collection quickly sold out and online searches for Gucci surged 264% following its release.[152]
Philanthropy
In 2017,Kai participated in a charity bazaar to support single-mother families by donating personal items for auction.[13] In December 2017,Kai was chosen as the cover model for December's issue of The Big Issue,a magazine known for helping the homeless. The magazine sold out 20,000 copies within the first two days,and until now,80,000 copies have been sold,which records the highest number of copies sold since the magazine's start in July 2010.[153] Alongside other Korean male celebrities,Kai participated in an episode of the SBS educational program 그것이알고싶다 that aired December 9,2017,which centered on the topic of sexual violence.[18]
In 2020,the Korean Committee for UNICEF announced a campaign with Kai to encourage participants to donate relief supplies to children in need around the world in time for Christmas.[17] Also in 2020,Kai donated 50 million KRW to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and support the victims.[7]
In 2023,Kai met a fan suffering from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia through the Make-A-Wish Foundation Korea.[1] In 2025,Kai donated 50 million KRW to the nonprofit organization Community Chest of Korea to be used for emergency relief efforts,including housing and livelihood support for victims of wildfires in the Yeongnam region.[2]
Other activities
In March 2021,Kai was the audio guide for an art exhibition in Seoul honoring pop artistAndy Warhol,recording commentary content for approximately 20 works of art in the exhibition.[154]
Personal life
Military service
On May 3,2023,SM Entertainment announced through Exo's official fan club that Kai would have to fulfill his military mandatory service as a social service worker on May 11.[155] He was officially discharged from service on February 10,2025.[156]
↑"Adult Swim" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 31 and 186 on the Circle Download Chart and the Circle BGM Chart, respectively.[171][172]
↑Hwang, Hyo-jin (May 1, 2012). Exo-K: My name is 카이, 세훈[Exo-K: My name is Kai, Sehun]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
↑SM 신인티저 공개 두팀 베일벗다, 신비로운 멤버 카이(KAI)만 공개[SM unveils first member, Kai, of mysterious rookie group]. Newsen (in Korean). December 23, 2011. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
↑꽁꽁 감춰뒀던 SM 소속 신예그룹 Exo 'SBS 가요대전' 통해 공개[S.M.'s rookie group Exo made debut in the SBS Gayo Daejun]. Newsen (in Korean). December 29, 2011. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
↑Kim, Min-ji (July 3, 2020). [단독] 엑소 카이, 데뷔 8년 만에 솔로 데뷔...하반기 앨범 발매[[Exclusive] EXO Kai makes solo debut 8 years after debut... Album release in the second half of the year]. News1 (in Korean). Seoul. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
↑Jeon, Hyo-jin (November 11, 2020). 엑소 카이, 솔로 데뷔...30일 'Kai' 발매 [공식][EXO's Kai, solo debut... Released 'Kai' on the 30th [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020– via Naver.
↑Jo, Hye-jin (November 11, 2021). 엑소 카이, 1년 만에 솔로 컴백...30일 새 앨범 발매[EXO Kai, solo comeback after 1 year... New album release on the 30th] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021– via Naver.
↑Kim, Ji-hye (May 4, 2023). [팝업★]엑소 카이, '급 입대' 이틀 전 팬들 만난다..무료 팬미팅 결단[[Pop-up ★] EXO's Kai, meets fans two days before his 'rapid enlistment'..free fan meeting decision]. Herald POP (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023– via Naver.
↑Lee, Min-ji (February 11, 2025). '소집해제' 엑소 카이, 오늘(11일) 라이브 방송으로 팬 소통['Discharged' Exo Kai, communicates with fans through live broadcast today (11th)]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved March 5, 2025.
↑Lee, Seung-hun (March 5, 2025). 단독]'소집해제' 엑소 카이, 4월 전격 컴백..다음주 MV 촬영 돌입[[Exclusive] EXO Kai, who was discharged from the military, will make a surprise comeback in April..Starts filming MV next week]. Star News (in Korean). Retrieved March 5, 2025.
↑geeh20@mtstarnews.com, 허지형 (January 28, 2026). "엑소, 4월 단독 콘서트 투어 '엑소라이즌' 개최". 스타뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved February 6, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
↑엑소 카이, 블랙야크 BCC 모델 발탁 (in Korean). February 5, 2021. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
↑엑소 카이, 입생로랑 뷰티와 설레는 첫 만남. Marie Claire Korea (in Korean). February 18, 2022. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
↑"엑소(EXO) 카이, 뷰티풀 챠밍 프린스 니니[뉴스엔TV]". 엑소(EXO) 카이, 뷰티풀 챠밍 프린스 니니[뉴스엔TV] - 손에 잡히는 뉴스 눈에 보이는 뉴스 - 뉴스엔 (in Korean). January 18, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
↑Bae, Hyo-joo (May 3, 2023). "엑소 컴백 준비했으나.." 카이, 5월11일 입대→사회복무요원 대체 복무[공식]["I prepared for EXO's comeback.." Kai, enlisted on May 11 → alternative service as social worker [Official]]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023– via Naver.
↑Hwang, Mi-hyun (February 10, 2025). 완전체 엑소 곧 보나...카이, 오늘 소집해제 [N디데이][See you soon for the complete EXO... Kai is demobilized today [N D-Day]]. News1 (in Korean). Seoul. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
"週間 アルバムランキング 2021年12月27日付"[Oricon album charts for December 27, 2021] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
"週間 アルバムランキング 2023年04月10日付"[Oricon album charts for April 10, 2023] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
"週間 アルバムランキング 2025年06月09日付"[Oricon album charts for June 9, 2025] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
↑2020년 12월 Album Chart[December 2020 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
↑Seo, Mi-kyung (March 2, 2017). 엑소 카이, 日드라마 '봄이 왔다' 첫 주연 발탁[EXO Kai gets his first lead role in the Japanese drama 'Spring Has Come']. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
↑MBC 연예. MBC News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
↑Hwang, So-young (July 12, 2021). [단독] 넷플릭스 '신세계로부터' 제작..이승기·카이 등 출연[[Exclusive] Netflix 'From the New World' production..Lee Seunggi, Kai, etc.]. JTBC (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
↑Ahn, Yoon-ji (August 19, 2021). 탁재훈, 웹예능 '대부님' 출연..뮤지·김종민·카이와 의기투합[공식][Tak Jae-hoon, appearing in the web entertainment 'The Godfather'..Musi, Kim Jong-min, and Kai [Official]]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
↑【APMA 2021】亚洲流行音乐大奖2021年度获奖名单(完整版)[Asian Pop Music Awards 2021 Winners List (Full Version)]. Sina Weibo (in Chinese). November 30, 2021. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
↑【APMA 2021】亚洲流行音乐大奖2021年度入围名单[(APMA 2021) Asian Pop Awards Shortlisted for 2021]. Sina Weibo (in Chinese). November 30, 2021. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
↑Kim, Ga-Young (July 19, 2022). 엑소 카이·주현영, 남녀신인예능인상 [청룡시리즈어워즈][EXO Kai · Joo Hyun-young, Male and Female New Artist Award [Blue Dragon Series Awards]] (in Korean). Edaily. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022– via Naver.
↑Jo, Yoon-kyung (December 31, 2018). [2018 KBS 연기대상] 김권·박성훈·박세완·설인아 신인상 수상[[2018 KBS Drama Awards] Kim Kwon, Park Seong-hoon, Park Se-wan, Seol In-ah Rookie of the Year Award] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022– via Naver.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
