Hwang Hyun-jin (Korean: 황현진; born March 20, 2000), knownmononymously asHyunjin, is a South Korean rapper, dancer and singer. He is a member of the South Korean boy bandStray Kids, formed byJYP Entertainment in 2017. Hyunjin has contributed to the group both as a performer and a lyricist.
Aside from his work with Stray Kids, Hyunjin has collaborated with other artists, such asTroye Sivan andYeji ofItzy. He has also worked as a television presenter, hosting the weekly Korean music programShow! Music Core from 2019 to 2021. In addition to his music career, Hyunjin has worked as a brand ambassador for luxury brands, such asVersace,Cartier, and Givenchy Beauty.
Hwang Hyun-jin was born on March 20, 2000, inSeoul, South Korea.[1][2]
Hyunjin had no dance training prior to becoming a trainee idol.[3] He was scouted on the street by aJYP Entertainment agent during his third year of middle school, while shopping with his mother.[4]
During his traineeship, in late 2017, Hyunjin appeared on theMnet survival showStray Kids, a contest centered on the formation of JYP Entertainment's new idol group.[9] By the time the show premiered on October 17, Hyunjin had been a trainee for two years.
After being confirmed as part of the group's line-up, Hyunjin was credited as a lyricist for the song "4419".[10] This track was performed alongsideBang Chan andSeungmin during the survival show as part of his effort to avoid elimination.[11] JYP Entertainment later included all songs performed by Stray Kids during the show in their pre-debut EP titledMixtape.[12] He officially debuted withStray Kids on March 25, 2018, with EPI Am Not through a debut showcase.[13]
In 2019, Hyunjin was announced as one of the presenters of the weekly chart showShow! Music Core, alongsideSF9'sChani andGugudan'sMina,[14] serving as co-host from February 16, 2019, to February 20, 2021 (episodes 621 through 714). In December 2019, he joinedKBS's project group Bbangbbangz withYoon Sanha,Choi Bomin, andLee Daehwi, performing covers likeGOT7's "Just Right" andRed Velvet's "Psycho" onMusic Bank.[15][16] He also made his acting debut in the web seriesA-Teen 2 with a cameo appearance in the final episode, alongside fellow Stray Kids memberI.N the same year.[17]
From February to June 2021, Hyunjin was placed on a temporary hiatus due to school bullying allegations,[18] and resumed regular activities with the group in July.[19][20] During his hiatus, he was absent from participating in the majority of Stray Kids' appearances onKingdom: Legendary War, appearing only in their introduction round performance. He made his first reappearance by featuring in the music video for the group's release, "Mixtape: Oh," on June 26, 2021.[21]
In July 2024, together with his bandmates, it was announced Hyunjin had renewed his group contract with JYP a year earlier than expected, extending Stray Kids' affiliation with the label.[27]
Hyunjin's dance skills have been noted for their precision and expressiveness. Additionally, Jack Lau inSouth China Morning Post described Hyunjin's voice as soft and soothing, demonstrating versatility beyond rapping.[3] He is not only known for his dancing but also showcases his skills as both a rapper and singer, contributing to the group's sound and performance style. In addition to his dancing and rapping skills Hyunjin is a skilled visual artist, he has shared many of his personal paintings on social media.[28]
The emotions in the lyrics I write are something only I know. In some ways, you might feel like I'm twisting my lyrics in a complicated way. I like writing lyrics that leave room for interpretation. I also get the most enjoyment from listening to someone else's music and interpreting it in my own way. So in terms of the 'style' aspect that you mentioned, I think I try to keep the melody easy-listening and the lyrics deep. I don't know how much that will be conveyed, but my songs have to be enjoyable for me to listen to.
Behind Stray Kids' production team, 3RACHA (bandmates Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han), Hyunjin is the fourth most accredited songwriter of the group, with 29KOMCA credits as of January 2025.[30] He has contributed to various B-side tracks, including four sub-unit songs "Wow" in 2020, "Taste"[31] and "Muddy Water" in 2022,[32] and "Red Lights" in 2021. He was also the primary songwriter for "DLMLU" from Stray Kids' full-length Japanese album,The Sound,[33] and "Cover Me" from their EPRock-Star.[34][35]
Hyunjin has been recognized for his contributions as a songwriter, particularly for his work on songs with emotive melodies and lyrics.[31]
As of September 2024, Hyunjin had made nine contributions to Stray Kids' YouTube-based portfolio project,SKZ-Record/Player. These included the original solo songs "Little Star" (꼬마별), "Ice Cream" (stylised as ice.cream), "Contradicting", "Long for You",[36] and "Hey You".[37] "Little Star" (under the new title, "miss you"), "Ice Cream", and a new song, "Love Untold", were included in Stray Kids' digital compilation album,SKZ-Replay, released in December 2022. The remainder of his originalSKZ-Record/Player songs are yet to see wider release.[38] He also has collaborated with bandmate I.N for the original duet "미제 (untitled)",[39] one group dance performance withLee Know andFelix,[40] and two solo dance performances he choreographed, one to "Play with Fire" bySam Tinnesz featuring Yacht Money in 2022,[41] and another to "When the Party's Over" byBillie Eilish in 2020.[42]
As of September 2024, Hyunjin is known to have several unreleased songs, including the solo song "Mic & Brush"[43] that he performed during Stray Kids'5-Star Dome Tour.
Hyunjin was placed consistently inTumblr's "K-Pop Stars of the Year", ranking 28th in 2018,[46] 18th in 2019,[47] 19th in 2020,[48] 9th in 2021,[49] and 6th in 2022.[50] Hyunjin was ranked fifth inBillboard's 2024 K-Pop Artist 100.[51]
Hyunjin has also been named "K-Pop's Performance Leader" via an article in October 2021, after his dance performance for Studio Choom's Artist of the Month for October was released.[52] Hyunjin is also credited with revitalizing the long haired trend for male K-pop idols after going viral for his cover of "Psycho" byRed Velvet onKBS'Music Bank.[53]
In February 2023, Hyunjin was named one of the five top entertainers in Korea onForbes Korea's "Top 30 under 30" list making him the youngest at that time.[54] On March 13, 2024, fashion magazineVogue Business mentioned Hyunjin as the celebrity with the highest SNS engagement rate overall for the 2024 Fall Winter fashion week season (at over 37%) during theVersace's Fall-Winter 2024 fashion show.[55][56]
Together with bandmate and fellow DanceRacha memberLee Know, Hyunjin featured in the April 2020 issue ofArena Homme+ Korea.[60] He was featured again in the magazine's February 2021 issue, alongside bandmateFelix, also part of Stray Kids' dance line.[61]
In 2021, Hyunjin, Lee Know, and Felix endorsed the Earthbeat sneaker forEtro.[62] On August 31, 2022, together with bandmate Felix, Hyunjin attended theTod's Seoul event at Loop Station Iksun.[63] In April 2024, Hyunjin attended a Kilian Paris event[64] in support of endorsing the brand inW Korea.[65] In May 2024, he made hisMet Gala debut withStray Kids as guests ofTommy Hilfiger,[66][67] making them the first K-pop group to attend together wearing custom outfits by the same designer.[68][69]
On September 5, 2022, Hyunjin andFelix attended theYSL Beauty XDua Lipa event in Paris.[63] In May 2023, following his meeting with Lipa, Hyunjin was subsequently became one of 60 guests invited toCannes for Dua Lipa's debut fashion show, "La Vacanza", a collaboration withVersace.[70][71]
In July 2023, he also attended the opening of Versace's "La Vacanza" pop-up store in Seoul.[72][73] Later that month, Hyunjin was announced as a global brand ambassador for Versace,[74][75] making him the first South Korean and Asian male ambassador for the brand.[76] The partnership led to Versace designing multiple bespoke pieces for him, including outfits he wore to perform with Stray Kids at the2023 VMAs,Lollapalooza Paris,[77] and the band's5-Star Dome Tour.[78] Hyunjin has also featured Versace designs in Stray Kids' music videos, including "S-Class".[79] In 2024, the brand provided Hyunjin with custom outfits for Stray Kids'Dominate World Tour.[80][81]
He was the face of Versace's Holiday 2023 advertising campaign.[82][83] After a minor car accident delayed a planned appearance in September 2023,[84][85] Hyunjin attended his firstMilan Fashion Week as part of his ongoing collaboration with the brand in February 2024.[71][86] In September 2024, he attended his second Milan Fashion Week, participating in the showcase for Versace's spring-summer 2025 collection.[87]
In June 2023, Hyunjin modelled forCartier as the cover star ofEsquire Korea.[88] He modelled for the brand again in May 2024, as the cover model forElle Korea.[89]
In September 2024, Hyunjin was announced as a brand ambassador for Cartier,[90][91] with a modeling feature for the brand in the October 2024 issue ofEsquire Korea.[92]
In February 2025, Hyunjin was announced as an ambassador forGivenchy Beauty, with a modeling feature for the brand in the March 2025 issue ofMarie Claire Korea.[93]
On February 16, 2023, it was reported that Hyunjin donated₩100 million (US$76,589.47) through theinternational relief organization, The Promise, to aid the relief efforts following theearthquake in Turkey and Syria.[94] His contributions made him appointed as a member of the honors club on March 30.[95]
In November 2023, he participated in a fundraising event for the "Love Your W" campaign byW Korea to raise awareness about breast cancer.[96][97]
In 2024, to celebrate his birthday, he donated₩100 million (US$76,589.47) to the Snail of Love, a social welfare organization that provides hearing-impaired people with artificial cochlear surgery and hearing aids to help them find sound, supports social adaptation of hearing children, and provides education to improve public awareness.[98]
In July 2022, Hyunjin sustained a hand injury impacting his participation in Stray Kids'Maniac World Tour.[99]
In September 2023, Hyunjin, alongside bandmatesLee Know andSeungmin, received medical attention following a minor road accident, resulting in the modification of a planned Stray Kids performance atGlobal Citizen Festival.[84][85]
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^Im, Ra-ra (June 26, 2020).'빵빵즈'(이대휘-윤산하-현진-보민), 레드벨벳 '싸이코' 커버 무대 공개..."연습때 처음 먹은 건 눈꽃빙수" ['Bbang Bbangs' (Lee Dae-hwi - Yoon San-ha - Hyun-jin - Bomin) reveal Red Velvet's 'Psycho' cover stage... "The first thing I ate during practice was snowflake shaved ice"].Top Star News. Archived fromthe original on September 27, 2022. RetrievedNovember 5, 2024.
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^Young, Hana (December 21, 2022)."스트레이 키즈, 멤버 전원이 직접 작업한 솔로곡 수록한 디지털 앨범 발매" [Stray Kids releases digital album featuring solo songs written by all members].Chosun Biz (in Korean).Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. RetrievedOctober 5, 2024.
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^Song, Il-seop (December 6, 2021).방탄소년단 정국, 전세계 팬들이 뽑은 '2021년 최고의 K-POP스타' 4년 연속 1위 [BTS Jungkook, ranked 1st for 4 consecutive years as 'Best K-POP Star of 2021' by fans around the world].My Daily. RetrievedNovember 10, 2024.
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^Lee, Ye-ji (February 3, 2021)."스트레이 키즈의 두 소년" [Two boys from Stray Kids].Arena Homme+ Korea (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2024.
^Jung, Yongwon (April 25, 2024)."스키즈 현진, 킬리안 파리 창립자 킬리안 헤네시 만나다" [SKZ Hyunjin meets Kylian Paris founder Kylian Hennessy].Single List (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2024.
^Lee, Hyun-jung (March 13, 2024)."스트레이 키즈 현진 Vol.4 화보 선공개" [Stray Kids Hyunjin <W> Vol.4 pictorial pre-release].W korea (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2024.
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^Imaru."지금, 그 무엇보다 반짝이는 현진이 응시하는 것 - STAR" [Now, more than anything else, what Hyunjin is staring at is].ELLE (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2024.
^KONDO, REONA (September 13, 2024)."Stray Kidsのヒョンジン、カルティエのアンバサダーに就任!" [Stray Kids' Hyunjin appointed as Cartier ambassador!].Vogue Japan (in Japanese).Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2024.
^오기쁨 (September 13, 2024)."까르띠에 보이, 현진" [Cartier Boy, Hyunjin].Vogue korea (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2024.
^Kim, Young-eun (March 30, 2023).스키즈 창빈·현진, 아너스클럽 위촉...1억원 기부 [Stray Kids Changbin and Hyunjin are appointed to the Honors Club... Donated 100 million won].Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean).Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. RetrievedApril 4, 2024.
^W (December 15, 2023)."RM, 제니, 현진 등 LoveYourW 참석 셀럽 8팀 더블유 Vol.1 화보 선공개" [RM, Jennie, Hyunjin, and 8 other Celebrities Attending LoveYourW Vol.1 Pictorial Preview].W korea (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 26, 2024.
^W (December 21, 2023)."별들이 내려앉은 밤, LOVE YOUR W 2023 – 2" [The night the stars fell, LOVE YOUR W 2023 – 2].W korea (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2024.
^"스트레이 키즈 현진, 청각장애인 위해 1억 기부.. "음악의 즐거움 함께"" [Stray Kids Hyunjin donates 100 million won for the hearing impaired... "Together with the joy of music"].Osen (in Korean). April 4, 2024.Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. RetrievedApril 4, 2024 – viaThe Chosun Ilbo.
