Michael (FANS - One Night Only ⭐🎉)
Early and SEVENTEEN’s Debut Story
Back in 2012, Pledis Entertainment began teasing a new boy group through a YouTube series called Seventeen TV. In the series, you could see trainees practice live on UStream, working through their skills in what would become an unusually long journey to debut.
The said group was supposed to launch in 2013, but financial struggles at the company kept pushing things back.
Some trainees left during the delays, while the remaining members kept training as if their debut could happen any day.
As luck would have it, the surviving trainees appeared on Seventeen Project: Debut Big Plan, a seven-episode series on MBC Music.
Unlike typical survival shows, this wasn’t about eliminating members; instead, they had to work together to overcome challenges.
The show ended with a one-hour live showcase on May 26 2015, making SEVENTEEN the first male K-pop group to debut with a broadcast event like that.
Well, the rest is history.
Fun fact: The group’s name comes from a simple equation: 13 members + 3 units + 1 team = SEVENTEEN. Those three units (hip-hop, vocal, and performance) each have their own leaders and specialties.
Profiles of All SEVENTEEN Members
While we’re at it, let us do a little deep dive on all 13 members of SEVENTEEN alongside their background and role in the group.
Also, you can check out all our SEVENTEEN events that have happened in TGV Events!
1. S.Coups (에스쿱스)
Image Source: Weverse Magazine
- Birth Name: Choi Seung-cheol (최승철)
- Birthday: Aug 8 1995
- Height: 178 cm
- Weight: 65 kg
S.Coups is the leader of SEVENTEEN, which is both a role and a responsibility he’s carried since before the group even debuted.
His stage name is a mashup of his real name Seungcheol and “coup d’état,” meaning a great success. It’s ambitious, sure, but he’s had six years of training to back it up.
He was born in Daegu and joined Pledis Entertainment back in 2010. That’s a long time to wait for anything, let alone your debut. He was originally supposed to debut with NU’EST, but plans changed. He ended up leading SEVENTEEN instead.
In 2023, he had surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament and took time off to recover. That injury later exempted him from mandatory military service. He returned to full activities in early 2024.
Aside from music, he is also involved in fashion and endorsements now—Loewe, Boss, NARS Cosmetics. He walked his first runway in 2025 and even attended the Met Gala!
2. Jun (준)
Image Source: KBS YouTube
- Birth Name: Wen Junhui (文俊辉)
- Birthday: Jun 10 1996
- Height: 177 cm
- Weight: 60 kg
Jun’s path to SEVENTEEN reads like something out of a film.
Helps that he actually was in films before K-pop was even on his radar. Born in Shenzhen, China, he started acting at two years old.
Yes, two.
By the time most kids are figuring out how to use a spoon, Jun was already booking commercials. Funnily enough, his childhood dream was to become the next Jackie Chan!
In 2012, at sixteen, Jun moved to South Korea to train under Pledis Entertainment. The transition wasn’t exactly smooth. He’d spend his days at Korean language school, then head straight to the practice room at night to dance and sing. It’s the kind of schedule that would make most people collapse, but Jun kept going.
He debuted with SEVENTEEN on May 26, 2015, as part of the Performance Team. Jun can speak Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean, and plays piano, which has earned him the nickname “big beauty” amongst Chinese fans.
In 2024, he took a break from group activities to focus on acting projects in China, including a role alongside Jackie Chan in The Shadow’s Edge.
Pssst, TGV Cinemas has an amazing list of Chinese movies heading to the big screens!
3. Joshua (조슈아)
Image Source: SBSKPOP X INKIGAYO YouTube
- Birth Name: Hong Ji-soo (조슈아)
- Birthday: Dec 30 1995
- Height: 177 cm
- Weight: 60 kg
Joshua’s story started in Los Angeles, where he grew up as a fully Korean-American kid before everything changed during a regular day in Koreatown.
In 2013, a Pledis Entertainment scout spotted him at a local event, and just like that, the eighteen-year-old moved to Seoul to train. Two years later, he debuted with SEVENTEEN as part of the Vocal Team.
Plus, he has also worked with Laneige alongside fellow member Seungkwan, and became a Givenchy Beauty ambassador in 2023,
He also represents the luxury cashmere brand, Barrie. Fashion houses like Marni have invited him to runway shows in Tokyo and Paris.
Beyond modeling, Joshua’s released covers through Apple Music’s Home Session series and co-hosted a summer radio show with Vernon.
4. Mingyu (민규)
Image Source: The Hollywood Reporter
- Birth Name: Kim Mingyu (김민규)
- Birthday: Apr 6 1997
- Height: 181 cm
- Weight: 65 kg
Mingyu’s the kind of guy who got scouted just leaving his middle school. A Pledis staff member spotted him on the street, and that was that.
He joined the company in 2011, trained for about four years, and became part of SEVENTEEN when they debuted in 2015.
In SEVENTEEN, Mingyu works as a rapper in the Hip-Hop Team. But he’s also become known for his work as a songwriter, contributing to over 45 tracks since his debut.
Fun Fact: He’s the tallest member of SEVENTEEN and handles some of the group’s hair styling duties. He’s got his driver’s license, he’s friends with BTS’s Jungkook, and he shares a dorm with Wonwoo.
5. DK / Dokyeom (도겸)
Image Source: Twitter @hourly dokyeom
- Birth Name: Lee Seok-min (이석민)
- Birthday: Feb 18 1997
- Height: 179 cm
- Weight: 66 kg
DK joined Pledis Entertainment in late 2011 after auditioning with three songs that showed off his range—YB Band’s “Peppermint Candy,” 2AM’s “This Song,” and the Korean version of “This Is the Moment”.
He was inspired to pursue music after watching South Korean singer Yoon Do-hyun perform.
As one of SEVENTEEN’s main vocalists, DK is known for his warm lower register, emotional depth, and crystal-clear high notes.
He’s been praised by critics and fans alike for his vocal skills, which extend well beyond the group’s music. He’s lent his voice to several Korean drama OSTs and made his musical theatre debut in 2019 as King Arthur in XCalibur.
6. The8 (디에잇)
Image Source: Namu Wiki
- Birth Name: Xu Minghao (徐明浩)
- Birthday: Nov 7 1997
- Height: 178 cm
- Weight: 65 kg
Before joining Pledis Entertainment, Minghao was actually doing martial arts and racking up medals as a kid. He even appeared on Chinese TV programs back in 2008 and 2010, which honestly feels like a different lifetime now.
When he moved to Korea to become a trainee, he had to learn a whole new language and adapt to a completely different environment.
He debuted with SEVENTEEN in May 2015 after training for a few years. Since then, he’s carved out his own lane where he mentored on the Chinese survival show Youth With You alongside Jolin Tsai.
He also writes and produces his own music now, with tracks that feel personal and reflective. His stage name might sound mysterious, but really, it’s just the number 8, which is lucky in Chinese culture.
7. Seungkwan (승관)
Image Source: SBS
- Birth Name: Boo Seung-kwan (부승관)
- Birthday: Jan 16 1998
- Height: 174 cm
- Weight: 58 kg
Seungkwan was born in Busan but grew up in Jeju, which makes him the island boy of the group.
His journey to SEVENTEEN started when Pledis Entertainment scouts noticed a video he’d uploaded of himself singing Big Mama’s “Year.”
Seungkwan is part of SEVENTEEN’s Vocal Team, where his powerful voice really gets to shine. He’s also in the BSS sub-unit alongside Hoshi and DK, and more recently became part of DK X Seungkwan (also called DxS), which debuted in Jan 2026 with the mini album Serenade.
As of 2026, Seungkwan lives alone. He’s carved out his own space while still being deeply connected to his members and the work they do together.
Fun Fact: Seungkwan’s personality type is listed as ENTP or ENFP, depending on which test you’re looking at.
8. Dino (디노)
Image Source: SEVENTEEN YouTube
Birth Name: Lee Chan (이찬)
Birthday: Feb 11, 1999
Height: 174 cm
Weight: 56 kg
Dino is SEVENTEEN’s youngest member and serves as the main dancer, sub-vocalist, and lead rapper in the Performance Team.
His father ran a dance academy, and Dino grew up training there. He competed nationwide with his dad’s dance crew, IS Crew, and won the grand prize at the Jeonju Youth Dance Competition. That’s where a Pledis Entertainment representative spotted him.
Before joining Pledis in 2012, Dino appeared on several Korean television programs, including SBS’s Live Today 1 and even auditioned for MBC’s Star Audition: The Great Birth 2 in 2011. He was around 12 or 13 when he became a trainee.
Despite being the youngest, Dino has choreographed many of the group’s performances. His Dino’s Danceology series showcases his skills outside of group activities, including 11 entries as of 2024.
9. Vernon (버논)
Image Source: Namu Wiki
- Birth Name: Hansol Vernon Chwe
- Birthday: Feb 18 1998
- Height: 178 cm
- Weight: 62 kg
Vernon’s got one of those origin stories that feels almost too perfect for a K-pop member.
Born in New York City to a Korean father and American mother, he moved to Seoul when he was five. A typical bicultural childhood that would eventually shape him into one of SEVENTEEN’s most distinct voices.
Three years of training later, he debuted with SEVENTEEN on May 26, 2015, as part of the group’s Hip-Hop Team and serves as their main rapper, bringing a blend of Korean-American perspective to the group’s sound.
He’s contributed to over 90 songs as a songwriter, making him the member with the second-most writing credits after Woozi.
His musical influences lean toward punk rock (Green Day, Avril Lavigne) and hyperpop (he’s a big Charli XCX fan), which you can hear in tracks he’s worked on.
He released his first official solo mixtape “Black Eye” in December 2022, and even collaborated with Charli XCX herself on a remix of “Beg for You.”
10. Jeonghan (정한)
Image Source: RNX News
- Birth Name: Yoon Jeong-han
- Birthday: Oct 4 1995
- Height: 178 cm
- Weight: 65 kg
You’ll find Jeonghan in SEVENTEEN’s Vocal Team, where he serves as a lead vocalist. His nickname is “Angel,” which works on two levels that are honestly kind of perfect: his birthday reads as 10/04 (천사 in Korean, meaning angel), and people genuinely think he looks like one..
In his youth, Jeonghan went to Hyangnam High School as a natural science major and later enrolled in a master’s degree at Anyang University, studying K-pop and business administration.
In June 2024, he formed a sub-unit with Wonwoo called JxW (or JEONGHAN X WONWOO). Their single album This Man broke first-week sales records for a K-pop sub-unit within four days.
He’s known for being mischievous yet caring toward both members and fans. Quite popular in Japan, he’s worked with brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Acqua di Parma, and Paul Smith.
11. Wonwoo (원우)
Image Source: Weverse
- Birth Name: Jeon Won-woo
- Birthday: Jul 17 1996
- Height: 178 cm
- Weight: 65 kg
Wonwoo is the member who quietly observes everything, then hits you with a perfectly timed comment when you least expect it.
Born in Changwon, he joined Pledis Entertainment back in 2011 and spent four years training before debuting with SEVENTEEN in 2015.
He’s part of the Hip-Hop Team, which makes sense once you hear that distinctively deep voice of his. He has a voice that could read a grocery list and somehow make it sound introspective.
Living with his roommate, Mingyu, Wonwoo’s the type who genuinely enjoys staying home. Video games are his thing, and he’ll stream them on Weverse for fans, because apparently, he’s also a massive T1 esports fan.
He’s contributed to over 35 songs in SEVENTEEN’s discography, mostly for the Hip-Hop unit. And yes, he practices hapkido, has a fear of birds, and cannot eat seafood.
12. Woozi (우지)
Image Source: HitPaw
- Birth Name: Lee Ji-hoon (이지훈)
- Birthday: Nov 22, 1996
- Height: 165 cm
- Weight: 54 kg
Born in Busan, Woozi joined Pledis Entertainment after a successful audition and trained for several years before debuting with SEVENTEEN in May 2015.
Woozi worked closely with producer Bumzu from early in his trainee days, which shaped his approach to music production.
He graduated from Hanyang University and later enrolled in a Master’s degree at Anyang University in 2022. The Korea Music Copyright Association made him a full member in 2019.
In Jan 2022, he released his first solo mixtape Ruby, with a lead single written entirely in English. It hit number one on iTunes in 18 regions.
He’s also written for other artists like Ailee, NU’EST W, and I.O.I. In 2021, he became the youngest person to win Best Producer at the Asia Artist Awards.
13. Hoshi (호시)
Birth Name: Kwon Soon-young
Birthday: June 15 1996
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Hoshi is the performance team leader of SEVENTEEN, and the mastermind behind those impossibly complex choreographies.
Born in Namyangju, South Korea, he joined Pledis Entertainment back in 2012 after training for about four years before debut.
Hoshi is also part of the special sub-unit BSS alongside Seungkwan and DK. He also formed Hoshi X Woozi, a newer sub-unit with bandmate Woozi that debuted in Mar 2025.
Hoshi has become a brand ambassador for several companies, including d’Alba skincare, Jongga kimchi (yes, kimchi), and Diesel.
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