Overview of Seventeen

Seventeen (SVT) is a South Korean boy band formed by Pledis Entertainment. The thirteen-member K-Pop boy group consists of S. Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. They have conquered a large cult following since their debut on May 26, 2015, with the mini album 17 Carat.

Seventeen is known as one of the top self-producing boy bands, with the members involved in songwriting, music production, and choreographing, among other aspects of their music and performances. Though the group has thirteen members, the members are split into different units: hip-hop, vocal, and performance teams.

The hip-hop team is comprised of S. Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Vernon. The vocal team is comprised of Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, DK, and Seungkwan. Hoshi, Jun, The8, and Dino belong to the performance team. S. Coups, Hoshi, and Woozi serve as the leaders of each unit, with S. Coups serve as the overall leader of Seventeen. Various international and domestic media outlets have labelled them “K-Pop Performance powerhouse,”  “Performance ings,” and “Theatre Kids of K-Pop.”.

The name is derived from “13 members + 3 units + 1 group,” expressing how thirteen individuals from three different sub-units come together to form one powerful group.

History, Formation & More

2013–2015: Formation, Seventeen TV, and Seventeen Project

In 2013, they appeared in regular live broadcasts of Seventeen TV series. Before their debut, Seventeen appeared in the reality show ‘Seventeen Project: Big Debut Plan’ on MBC from May 2 to 26, 2015.

2015: Successful debut, 17 Carat, and Boys Be

The group debuted on May 26, 2015, with the extended play (EP) ’17 Carat’. Their debut became the longest-charting K-pop album of the year in the US and the only rookie album to appear on Billboard’s 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015 list.

On September 10, 2015, Seventeen released their second EP, ‘Boys Be’, which became the year’s highest-selling rookie album. Later, the team earned group awards at the Golden Disc Awards, Seoul Music Awards, and Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards.

The 2015 four-show concert series in Seoul, titled “Like Seventeen—Boys Wish” was held from December 24 to 26 as a year-end celebration. Later, the team also held two more concerts in February 2016.

2016: Love & Letter, Going Seventeen

On April 25, 2016, the team released its first studio album, ‘Love & Letter’. The album charted on the Oricon Weekly Pop Album Chart in Japan and was later re-released on July 4 with the lead single song ‘Very Nice’. On December 5, 2016, they released their third EP, ‘Going Seventeen’, with the lead single “Boom Boom”.

2017: Al1, First World Tour, and Teen, Age

The group embarked on a concert tour in 2017 called “17 Japan Concert: Say The Name #Seventeen” from February 15 to 24. In the same year, in May, they released their fourth EP, ‘Al1’. The lead single ‘Don’t Wanna Cry’ from ‘Al1’ became the band’s first song to reach 200 million views on YouTube. Once they completed their first world tour, the group released their second studio album, ‘Teen, Age’ on November 6.

2018: Japanese Debut, You Make My Day, and Ideal Cut Tour

Following the release of a special album titled ‘Director’s Cut’ on February 5, 2018, Seventeen officially debuted in Japan on May 30 with their first Japanese EP, ‘We Make You’. On July 26, 2018, they released their fifth Korean EP, ‘You Make My Day’. Time magazine included Seventeen on their list of the six best K-pop groups to know.

2019: You Made My Dawn, Second World Tour, and An Ode

Seventeen released their sixth EP, ‘You Made My Dawn’ on January 21, 2019. With additional tracks, on May 29, they released the first Japanese single, ‘Happy Ending’, and it peaked at number one on the Oricon Daily Singles Chart.

Once their world tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Seventeen released the digital single ‘Hit’ on August 5 and the third studio album ‘An Ode’ on September 16.

2020: International Recognition, Heng:garæ, and Semicolon

On April 1, the group released their second Japanese single, ‘Fallin’ Flower’, and later on May 13, their documentary series ‘Hit The Road’ graced the YouTube screens. Their seventh EP, ‘Heng:garæ’ on June 22, made them million sellers, as one million copies were sold in under one week.

Seventeen released their second Japanese EP, ’24H’ on September 9. On October 19, they released their second special album, ‘Semicolon’.

2021: US Promotions, Not Alone, and ‘Power of Love’ project

On January 6, 2021, Seventeen made their US television debut on CBS ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’. The group released their third Japanese single, ‘Not Alone’, on April 21. Seventeen announced their ‘Power of Love’ project as well as the release of their eighth EP, ‘Your Choice’, on May 18 through a concept trailer video. On October 22, they released their ninth EP, ‘Attacca’.

2022: Team SVT project, ‘Face the Sun’

On March 24, 2022, Seventeen announced their ‘Team SVT’ project. On April 15, Seventeen released an English-language digital single titled ‘Darl+ing’ ahead of their fourth studio album, ‘Face the Sun’ on May 27. They also released their first film, ‘Seventeen Power of Love: The Movie’, in worldwide theatres on April 20 and 23.

On July 18, 2022, Seventeen released the repackaged version of their fourth studio album, ‘Sector 17’. Later, on November 9, they released their third Japanese EP, ‘Dream’.

2023–Present, Seventeenth Heaven

The group released their tenth extended play, ‘FML’, on April 24 with two lead singles. Seventeen re-released eight of their previous out-of-print albums on June 16. The eleventh extended play, Seventeenth Heaven, was later released on October 23.

Members

Hip-hop team

S.Coups

S. Coups is a rapper, sub-vocalist, and the leader of the hip-hop unit and group Seventeen. His real name is Choi Seungcheol, and he was born on August 8, 1995, and raised in Daegu, South Korea. S. Coups is the oldest of the group, serving as a mentor.

Wonwoo

Wonwoo is a rapper and sub-vocalist in the hip-hop unit of Seventeen. His real name is Jeon Wonwoo, and he was born on July 17, 1996, in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. The smart Wonwoo is known for wearing glasses all the time in the group since he is nearsighted.

Mingyu

Mingyu is a lead rapper and sub-vocalist in the hip-hop group Seventeen. His real name is Kim Ming-yu and he was born on April 6, 1997, in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He is the tallest member of the group. He was discovered on the way home from school for his looks and was asked to audition.

Vernon

Vernon is a lead rapper and sub-vocalist in the hip-hop unit of Seventeen. His real name is Chwe Hansol and he was born on February 18, 1998, in New York City. He’s half-American and moved to Korea when he was five years old. Though he is trained as a vocalist, he writes the raps for Seventeen’s songs.

Vocal team

Jeonghan

Jeonghan is one of the main vocalists in the vocal unit of Seventeen. His real name is Yoon Jeong-han, and he was born on October 4, 1995, in Seoul, South Korea. He was street-casted and joined the company in 2013. Jeonghan is known to be a prankster in the group with a caring attitude. Fans often refer to him as the group’s Loki.

Joshua

Joshua is another main vocalist in the vocal unit of Seventeen. His real name is Joshua Hong, and he was born on December 30, 1995, in Los Angeles, California. He was known in school for his musical talent. He moved overseas to South Korea and became a Pledis trainee for two years.

Woozi

Woozi is the lead vocalist, producer, and leader of the vocal unit of Seventeen. His real name is Lee Ji-hoon, and he was born on November 22, 1996, in Busan, South Korea. He, along with Pledis producer BUMZU, produces and composes the majority of Seventeen’s songs. He has instrumental skills, and he is mostly seen in his studio, at the gym, or watching anime.

DK / Dokyeom

DK, or Dokyeom, is a lead vocalist in the vocal unit of Seventeen. His real name is Lee Seok-min, and he was born on February 18, 1997, in Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He introduces himself as Pizza Boy for his love for the dish and is known for his powerful vocals.

Seungkwan

Seungkwan is the lead vocalist in the vocal unit of Seventeen. His real name is Boo Seung-kwan, and he was born on January 18, 1998, in Jeju Island, South Korea. He was discovered through a singing video that his teacher posted online, and a Pledis employee reached out to him for an offer.

Performance team

Jun

Jun is a main dancer and sub-vocalist in the performance unit of Seventeen. His real name is Wen Junhui, and he was born on June 10, 1996, in Shenzen, China. He was a child actor back in his home country and starred in Chinese dramas. He auditioned for Pledis in 2013 and joined the group as a trainee.

Hoshi

Hoshi is a sub-vocalist, dancer, and leader of the performance unit in Seventeen. His real name is Kwon Soon-young, and he was born on June 15, 1996, in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He joined in 2011 and is known for being the self-proclaimed tiger of the group. Hoshi choreographs nearly all of Seventeen’s performances.

The8

The8 is a lead dancer and sub-vocalist in the performance unit of Seventeen. His real name is Xu Minghao (Seo Myungho in Korean), and he was born on November 7, 1997, in Haicheng, Anshan, China. He is the only member of the group to serve the shortest training period. The8 has a very calming presence and enjoys having tea at times when he is stressed.

Dino

Dino is the main dancer and sub-vocalist in the performance unit of Seventeen. His real name is Lee Chan, and he was born on February 11, 1999, in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. He auditioned in 2012 and was a trainee for three years. This youngest man is the master of dance and song; he has written most of the songs on Seventeen’s albums.

Discography 

• Always Yours (2023)
• Face the Sun (2022)
• An Ode (2019)
• Teen, Age (2017)
• Love & Letter (2016)

Awards

• Golden Disc Awards 2024
  Album of the Year Daesang (Grand Prize), ‘FML’
  
• MAMA Awards 2023
  Best Dance Performance Award
  
• Japan Record Awards 2022
  Special International Music Award
  
• Culture Ambassador Award 2022
  Building K-cultural Bridges
• MTV Video Music Awards 2022
  Push Performance of the Year
• MTV Europe Music Awards 2022
  Best Push Act
  Best New Act
• MAMA Awards 2022
  Best Dance Performance Award
• Newsis K-EXPO Cultural Awards 2021
  Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award
  
• Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards 2020
  Prime Minister’s Commendation
  
• MAMA Awards 2018
  Best Dance Performance Award
• MAMA Awards 2017
  Best Dance Performance Award
• Show Champion 2016
  Title of the music show, ‘Pretty U’

Interesting Facts about Seventeen 

1. The group debuted in 2015.
2. Before Seventeen was officially named, the group members and trainees were collectively called “Pledis Boys”.
3. The group as a whole is made up of 13 members, broken up into three sub-units: hip hop sub-unit, vocal sub-unit, and performance sub-unit.
4. The name Seventeen is the average age of all the members of the group when they first got together, and it’s the sum of all the group’s parts.
5. Their debut EP 17 became the longest-running album on the Billboard World Albums chart in 2015.
6. Jun is from Shenzhen and The8 is from Liaoning, China. Vernon was born in New York, and Joshua is from LA.
7. The8 mentored the second season of a Chinese reality competition, Idol Producer.
8. Fans think Vernon looks like Leonardo DiCaprio.
9. The Carat is the official name of their fan club.
10. Rose Quartz and Serenity are the club’s official colours.
11. The group is involved in writing and producing a lot of their music.
12. Seventeen’s biggest influences are their parents.
13. Seungkwan, Hoshi and DK from the group make up the group BooSeokSoon.

FAQs

1. How many members are in Seventeen?
   Seventeen consists of thirteen members: S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino.
2. What is special about Seventeen?
   Seventeen is considered a “self-producing” idol group, with the members involved in songwriting, music production, and choreographing.
   
3. Who is the smartest member of Seventeen?
   All thirteen members are smart in their way. However, during an episode, they all agreed that Wonwoo is the smartest.
4. What is the official Instagram ID of S.Coups?
   sound_of_coups
5. What is the official Instagram ID of Jeonghan?
   jeonghaniyoo_n
   
6. What is the official Instagram ID of Joshua?
   joshu_acoustic
   
7. What is the official Instagram ID of Jun?
   junhui_moon
   
8. What is the official Instagram ID of Hoshi?
   ho5hi_kwon
   
9. What is the official Instagram ID of Wonwoo?
   everyone_woo
   
10. What is the official Instagram ID of Woozi?
    woozi_universefactory
    
11. What is the official Instagram ID of DK?
    dk_is_dokyeom
    
12. What is the official Instagram ID of Mingyu?
    min9yu_k
    
13. What is the official Instagram ID of The8?
    xuminghao_o
    
14. What is the official Instagram ID of Seungkwan?
    pledis_boos
    
15. What is the official Instagram ID of Vernon?
    vernonline
    
16. What is the official Instagram ID of Dino?
    feat.dino