Draft:Hongjoong

Kim Hong-joong (born November 7, 1998), mononymously known as Hongjoong, is a South Korean singer, rapper and songwriter. He rose to prominence as the leader and main rapper of the boy group Ateez in 2018. As of June 2024, he has 132 songs credited under his name on the KOMCA.

Name
Hongjoong's name in Hanja is written as "" meaning "to be the centre of the wide world". His father gave him the name so that he wouldn't stay trapped in a small world.

Early life
Kim Hongjoong was born November 7, 1998, in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He attended Dongan High School before enrolling at the Global Cyber University. He wrote his first song when he was 16 years old.

2016–2017: Pre-debut
Hongjoong sent a letter and a mixtape to his current label, KQ Entertainment, expressing interest in becoming an in-house composer. He initially became the first trainee of the company because of his admiration for Block B, a group managed under the same label.

In 2017, Hongjoong was one of the trainees who passed the audition for the JTBC survival reality show Mix Nine. He ranked No. 7 on the "Just Dance" showcase but was eliminated in the tenth episode, with a final ranking of 42.

He was introduced as a member of the pre-debut group "KQ Fellaz" along with seven others, all of whom are now part of the boy group Ateez. During the pre-debut reality show KQ Fellaz American Training, the group released a song composed and produced by Hongjoong titled "From".

2018–present: Debut with Ateez and more
On October 24, 2018, Hongjoong officially debuted as the leader and main rapper of KQ Entertainment's first boy group "Ateez" with the debut EP Treasure EP.1: All to Zero. The group has since released four studio albums, eleven extended plays and twenty-four singles. They also have several awards, accolades and achievements to their name. This includes achieving No.1 on the Billboard 200, the first South Korean musical act to have three different releases chart in the top ten of the UK Official Album Chart in a single year, being the first K-pop boy group to perform at Coachella, and the first K-pop group to headline at the Mawazine festival.

From March 2020 to May 2022, Hongjoong released songs by famous artists that he covered and interpreted in his own style under the project name "BY. HONGJOONG". The covered songs included "Space Oddity" by David Bowie, "Purple Rain" by Prince, "Black or White" by Michael Jackson, "모처럼" by Yoon Jong-shin, "Numb" by Linkin Park, and "Lemon Tree" by Fools Garden.

Hongjoong and fellow Ateez member Yunho were selected as the new DJs for MBC's Idol Radio Season 3, which aired from September 8, 2022 to December 27, 2023.

On October 27, 2022, on behalf of Hongjoong's birthday, it was announced that he would hold his first film photo exhibition titled "From November 7, 1998" at the GALLERY99 in Seoul from November 1 to 7. Each visitor could accumulate up to 5,000 points, which was converted into cash and donated to charity.

On October 18, 2023, Hongjoong announced his photo exhibition "Walker A", held from November 3 to 9 at the Frottage Gallery in Seoul. The exhibition introduces the viewer to the other side of the world. It showcases the singer who took a break from his busy, daily life and became 'A' - a person wandering the streets aimlessly. On November 8, he released his self-composed song, "A Walker".

On March 11, 2024, Singer Chungha released her digital single "EENIE MEENIE" featuring Hongjoong, who also participated in writing and composing the song. She also mentioned Hongjoong in multiple interviews acknowledging him for his artistry and rapping skills.

Fashion
On March 6, 2023, Hongjoong attended the Balmain Homme 2023 Fall/Winter show presented at the Paris Fashion Week. Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of the fashion house named Hongjoong as one of his inspirations.

On September 5, 2023, Hongjoong was named as one of the ambassadors for the renowned French luxury fashion house, Balmain. The fashion brand dubbed him "The Balmain Prince". He also attended the brand's Spring 2024 show in Paris.

On June 21, 2024, Hongjoong attended the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus show in Paris.

Philanthrophy
Since his debut, Hongjoong has actively contributed to the "Polished Man" campaign by consistently painting his pinky fingernail. This led to fans creating fundraising pages on the Polished Man's website, resulting in the collection of hundreds of dollars in 2019 and early 2020. Later in 2020, the group Ateez were announced as the ambassadors for the campaign. As of July 2021, the funds amassed through this collaboration with Polished Man have surpassed $30,000.

In November 2022, Hongjoong donated ₩10 million to World Vision Korea under the name "Atiny", the group's fan base. According to the NGO, the contribution is designated to provide support for the Dreaming Children project.

In November 2023, it was reported that he donated ₩50 million to the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation. This donation aims to support children diagnosed with cancer and other incurable diseases. The sum was raised from the proceeds of "Walker A" ticket sales and his added monetary contribution to the cause.

In May 2024, it was reported that Hongjoong donated ₩50 million to the NGO 'World Vision' in honor of the Children's Day celebrated in Korea. This contribution aims to support youth who take care of family members with illnesses or disabilities. Additionally, it has been revealed that in March of the same year, he donated another ₩50 million to the World Vision Global Drinking Water Project, intended to provide communities worldwide with access to clean water, sanitation and more. Moreover, on May 20, he was appointed to the 'Bob Pierce Honor Club', an accolade designated for major donors who have contributed over ₩100 million to the NGO and have displayed empathy towards various global issues.

Composition credits
All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.