Biography of Youngjae
Choi Young-jae, popularly known as Youngjae, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He is the lead vocalist of the Korean boy group Got7.
Early Life and Education
He was born on 17 September 1996 in Mopko, South Korea. He started his love for music when he was young and used to sing with his older brother. When his brother enlisted in the military, he decided to professionally learn music. He continued his love for music by joining a practical music academy in his hometown, Mokpo.
Youngjae studied at Mokpo Technical High School majoring in shipbuilding machinery. Later in 2012, he moved to Seoul Korean Arts High School and graduated in 2015. He joined Seokyeong University, in the Department of Theater and Film and then graduated from International Cyber University. In 2021, he enrolled at Hanyang Cyber Graduate School.
He worked part-time to earn the necessary money. At the Mokpo Youth Music Festival, he won the Vocal Excellence Award in 2011. In 2013, JYP Entertainment held a closed audition and he was selected to become a trainee.
Career
After a month of training in Seoul, Youngjae was a part of the group project to form the JYPE new boy band. After the completion of 7 months of training, he became the main vocalist of the seven-member boy group, Got7. He made his debut with the single ‘Girls Girls Girls’ on 16 January 2014, from the band’s first EP ‘Got It?’. Youngjae mentioned his dream was to become a music therapist.
Since 2016, he has been a lyricist under the name Ars. He started with ‘Rewind’ in Got7’s extended play ‘Flight Log: Departure’. In 2017, he collaborated with Sanjoy and Elliot Yamin on the song ‘Victim of Love’. The following year he recorded with Park Ji-min for the track ‘I’m All Ears’ for the Life Insurance Social Philanthropy Foundation’s Youth suicide prevention campaign. It was released on 15 October 2018.
In 2020, along with Day6’s Young K, Youngjae became the new DJ of MBC Radio Idol Radio.
On 25 May 2020, Youngjae collaborated with Howlpot, a pet product design brand, he launched Ars X Coco which is a clothing store for people and dogs. The amount raised nearly to 15 million won was donated to Korea Animal Rights Advocates’s The Bom Center, a non-profit care centre for abandoned dogs. Youngjae competed in the Idol Star Dog Championships, a dog agility competition, which aired as a Chuseok special.
On 25 September 2020, he was cast in Netflix’s first Korean sitcom ‘So Not Worth It’. The series narrates the story of multicultural students living together in a college dorm. He also sang the OST for it. He was complimented by his character Sam, the son of the CEO of a food chain based in Australia. He was recognised for his acting, communication skills, vocalization, pronunciation and realistic portrayal of the character.
On 20 January 2021, he signed an exclusive contract with Sublime Artist Agency after the expiration of his contract. Youngjae was cast in ‘Midnight Sun’ with the lead role in the musical adaptation of the Japanese movie ‘A Song to the Sun’. ‘Midnight Sun’ was performed at the Kwanglim Arts Center. He released his version of ‘Meet Me When the Sun Goes Down’ was released on 9 April 2021. He collaborated with Lovelyz’ Kei for the single ‘Good-bye Days’.
Alongside Lim Na-young, he was selected as a campaign artist for Levi’s Red. He took part in Levi’s 501® Day Music Concert performing his self-written song ‘Lonely’, Sole’s ‘Ride’ and Christopher’s ‘Bad’.
For the web series ‘So I Married the Anti-fan’, he released the soundtrack ‘Pop Star’. His solo debut with his first extended play, ‘Colors from Ars’, with its title track ‘Vibin’. In collaboration with Korean casual brand Plac, he released a fall-winter clothes collection. He performed at We All Are One 2021, a K-pop cheering concert.
Youngjae played the lead role in the romantic comedy web series ‘Love & Wish’. The series is based on the webtoon of the same name and was released through domestic and overseas OTT platforms. He sang the original soundtrack ‘Day by Day’ for the same.
He released his digital single ‘Walk With Me’. Youngjae became the new fixed DJ of MBC Radio’s Best Friend. He released his second extended play ‘Sugar’, which topped at number 5 on the Circle Chart. His mini-concert tour was held in Manila, Singapore and Bangkok.
On 6 August 2022, Youngjae was awarded the Best Asia Artist and Actor Award at the Ganesha Awards. He was appointed Ambassador of Cultural Friendship and Tourism Promotion to ASEAN. In the collaborative project with Esquire Korea and casual fashion brand Covernat, Youngjae along with Yerin released the digital single ‘Colors’.
He released the digital single ‘Errr Day’ on 12 March 2023. Youngjae was a part of the line-up of the 10th-anniversary run of the musical ‘The Days’. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea named him the honorary ambassador of the Korea-Thailand Mutual Visit Years.
Achievements
Youngjae is a celebrated artist known for his popular singles and collaborations. He has won numerous awards and accolades. Here are some of his notable achievements:
- He was appointed Ambassador of Cultural Friendship and Tourism Promotion to ASEAN.
- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea named him the honorary ambassador of the Korea-Thailand Mutual Visit Years.
- At the Mokpo Youth Music Festival, he won the ‘Vocal Excellence Award’ in 2011.
- Youngjae won the ‘Best Radio DJ’ (2023) at the Brand of the Year Awards.
- Youngjae won the ‘Most Anticipated Radio DJ’ (2023) at the Korea First Brand Awards.
- In 2022, at the Ganesha Awards, he won the ‘Best Asia Artist and Actor Award’.
- At the 2023, WeTV Awards 2022, Youngjae won the ‘WeTV Artist Of The Year’ for his work ‘Love & Wish’.
- At the Line Melody Music Charts (2022), Youngjae won the ‘Black Melody Award for Most Downloaded Song’ (September) for his work ‘Irreplaceable’.
- In 2022, he won the ‘Rookie Award (Radio)’ at the MBC Entertainment Awards for the work ‘Best Friend’.
Personal Life
GOT7’s Youngjae was caught up in relationship rumours with singer Lovey.
WIKITREE reported they were in a relationship, but later Youngjae’s agency denied the dating rumours. The agency stated that they were colleagues in music and always cheered for each other.
Net Worth and Lifestyle
Youngjae’s net worth is estimated to be around 2-3 million US dollars.
The major source of his income comes from his solo artistry as a singer or an actor. He is a talented rapper, singer and artist and is also an excellent producer and composer. His hobbies are singing and playing the piano. He is focused on his career and is dedicated to his future endeavours. He has a lot of love and support. He has fans all over the world.
Awards
- Brand of the Year Awards (2023)
Best Radio DJ - Korea First Brand Awards (2023)
Most Anticipated Radio DJ - WeTV Awards 2022 (2023)
WeTV Artist Of The Year - Ganesha Awards (2022)
Best Asia Artist and Actor Award - Line Melody Music Charts (2022)
Black Melody Award for Most Downloaded Song (September) - MBC Entertainment Awards (2022)
Rookie Award (Radio) - WeTV Awards 2022 (2023)
WeTV Artist Of The Year
Interesting Facts about Youngjae
- Youngjae’s nickname is ‘Genius’ and ‘Sunshine’.
- Before their debut, he liked to sing with his brother.
- Youngjae was the last member to join GOT7.
- Youngjae’s motto is: “Practice as much as you sleep.”
- His favourite colour is red.
- Youngjae’s favourite sport is soccer.
- He is a perfectionist.
- He uses perfume from Mark Jacobs.
- Youngjae’s dorm partner used to be JB.
- Youngjae got 2 tattoos, one on his both upper arm/shoulder.
FAQ
- What is Youngjae’s real name?
Choi Young-jae - How old is Youngjae?
As of 2023, he is 27 years old. - Is Choi Young-jae single?
He is single and is not dating anyone. - What is Choi Young-jae Instagram ID?
