Hoshi (South Korean singer)

Kwon Soon-young (born June 15, 1996), professionally known as Hoshi, is a South Korean singer and dancer. Managed by Pledis Entertainment, he is a member of the boy group Seventeen, the leader of its performance team, and part of its subunit BSS. Hoshi released his first solo mixtape, Spider, on April 2, 2021.

Early life
Kwon Soon-young was born in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Hoshi attended Maseok High School and then enrolled in Hanyang University.

2011-2014: Pre-debut
Hoshi joined Pledis Entertainment in late 2011, where he received training for the next four years. In 2013, he appeared on Seventeen TV, an online reality show that introduced Pledis' trainees and showed potential members of the boy group Seventeen before their official debut. The show was broadcast periodically on Ustream, where the trainees showed themselves training, singing, creating choreographies, and playing games. The online show, titled Like Seventeen, also included participation in concerts.

2015–present: Seventeen and solo activities
In 2015, Hoshi debuted as a member of the South Korean boy group Seventeen with the extended play 17 Carat on May 29. Alongside members Seungkwan and DK, Hoshi formed a subunit of Seventeen, BSS or BooSeokSoon, a common nickname for the three members. The group released their debut single "Just Do It" on March 21, 2018.

On April 2, 2021, Hoshi released his first solo mixtape, Spider. Hoshi participated in the overall production process of the song, including lyrics and performance. In 2023, Hoshi and his bandmate Joshua were cast in TVING's reality show Bro and Marble in Dubai alongside Yoo Yeon-seok, Lee Dong-hwi, Kyuhyun, Jee Seok-jin, Jo Se-ho and Lee Seung-gi.

Philanthropy
In March 2020, it was known that Hoshi personally donated million (US$42,694) to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association. The donation will be used to purchase quarantine supplies for the underprivileged affected by COVID-19 and to support medical staff and volunteers. In April 2020, Hoshi's father Kwon Hyuk-doo visited on his behalf the administrative welfare center in Hwado-dong, Namyangju, and delivered million worth of eco-friendly sterilized water to the Gyeonggi Community Chest of Korea. On October 29, 2020, Maseok High School in Gyeonggi Province announced that Hoshi had donated ₩23.1 million in scholarships for enrolled students in need.

According to the Gyeonggi Northern Social Welfare Community Chest, Hoshi donated million to the Namyangju Welfare Foundation on June 10, 2021, and joined the Honor Society, a club of high-value donors of love. Hoshi's donation was held to commemorate his 26th birthday and he joined the sponsorship activities after hearing that more and more neighbors were in need of help in the community. The amount will be used for underprivileged such as abused children, single-parent families, disabled and more, through care centers in Namyangju.

In December 2021, Namyangju City delivered a plaque of appreciation to Hoshi for his contribution to revitalizing the donation culture. "I sincerely thank Hoshi, a donation angel who does not forget the community and spreads good influence through various methods and continuous donations," said Choi Dae-jip, head of the Hwado Sudong Administrative Welfare Center, who delivered a plaque of appreciation on behalf of Namyangju Mayor Cho Kwang-han.

Composition credits
All credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association unless stated otherwise.