Park Jung-Min (; born: April 3, 1987)"Park Jung Min Official website".Retrieved 2013-06-16. is a South Korean singer, entertainer, actor, and a member of boyband SS501."SS501's Park Jung Min lives, fans misled by media gaffe" Channel News Asia. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-15 In 2009, Park made his musical debut in Grease as Danny Park, Joongang Daily. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-31 where he received the Best New Musical Talent award by the Golden Ticket Awards."Golden Ticket Voting/Nominees (2009)" Interpark. Retrieved 2012-11-21. He also had his acting debut as a main lead in Human Theater 2010.Human Theatre. MBC. South Korea, 2010. Television. In 2010, Park opened his own online shopping mall called Royal Avenue, with him as the CEO."Royal Avenue website".Retrieved 2013-06-16. ONstyle Magazine created a documentary about the shopping center named What Women Want.What Women Want. South Korea, 2010. Television. With the expiration of the contract, Park left DSP Media, who managed him as part of SS501 and joined CNr Media as a solo artist.Park Kun-ouc "SS501 Park Jung-min signs with new agency" 10 Asia. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-01 He made his debut as a soloist in January 2011 with single Not Alone,Park Jung Min. Not Alone. 2011. CD. and had his first Japanese drama entitled Love Song In August in 2011."Love Song In August Official Homepage" Lismo-drama.jp. Retrieved 2012-08-14. However, Park joined Yamaha A&R's Victor Entertainment eventually after successfully terminating his contract with CNr Media in 2012."SS501's Park Jung Min Sues Former Agency for 200 Million Won in Damages".EnewsWorld.Retrieved 2013-06-16. Park speaks Korean, Japanese, and Chinese fluently."박정민 "주중엔 한국어와 일본어, 주말엔 중국어 써요"".Daum.Retrieved 2013-06-25. On July 2, 2015, he started his two years of military duties as a public service worker and returned on July 1, 2017.
Biography Early life Park Jung-min was born on April 3, 1987, in Seoul, South Korea. His family consists of his parents and two siblings: one brother and one sister, neither of whom work in the entertainment industry."Posts in (Artist) Park Jung Min (SS501)".JPopAsia.Retrieved 2013-06-16.
He studied in the Department of multi-media images, Major in Acting at the Kyonggi University, where he was the student council president with fellow SS501 member Kim Hyung Jun."[아이돌 스타, 연예 산업 판 바꾸다 3040을 위한 아이돌 상식"] .Hankyung.Retrieved 2013-06-15. However, because of Kim Hyung Jun's constant absence from school due to his training with DSP Media, which later became their agency, Jung Min said that he had never met Kim before SS501 was formed.
Pre-debut Before his debut, Park was once a commercial model for condoms."Park JungMin and his Condom CF".Retrieved 2013-06-1. When he was 13 years old, he was scouted by an agency and was accepted by both DSP Media and S.M. Entertainment. At that time, S.M. Entertainment told him that they were preparing a new group, but that the group consisted of many members, which according to Park was probably Super Junior since he saw them rehearsing too. Park eventually chose DSP Media because he believed that he would debut faster through DSP.M!Pick by MNet. MNet. Seoul, 2005. Television."SS501's Park Jung Min almost debuted as a Super Junior member".Allkpop.Retrieved.2013-03-10
2005-2009: SS501 debut
Park Jung Min debuted as a member of SS501 on June 8, 2005, along with their debut album entitled Warning."DSP Media History" .DSPmedia.Retrieved 2013-06-16. Their second mini album, Snow Prince was released in late 2005, five months after their debut.SS501. Snow Prince. 2005. CD. During this time, they also established their official fan club name, "Triple S", and its fan club color, pearl green.Interview. SS501 2nd Fanmeeting & Triple S Fan Club Establishment. YTN Star News. Seoul, 19 Dec. 2005. Television. The group earned popularity right away as they won many rookie awards after their debut.
In 2006, Jung Min hosted radio program SS501's Youngstreet on Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) with fellow SS501 member, Heo Young Saeng beginning on May 1, 2006.SS501 Young Street. SBS. Seoul, KR, 2006. Radio. He, then, continued to host with Kim Kyu Jong, co-SS501 member, when Heo left the program on August 21 due to a throat condition requiring laryngeal surgery."SS501, The Main Vocal Concert Heo Young Saeng Laryngeal Surgery Postponed" Sports Seoul. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 2011-10-31 The SS501 members, except for Heo Young Saeng who was recovering from surgery, also lent their voices to the Korean version of 2006 animated film Pi's Story.
SS501 soon promoted their first studio album, which was released on November 10 entitled S.T 01 Now."DSP Discography 2006" .Retrieved 2013-06-18. In late 2007, they expanded their activities in the Japanese market to challenge themselves outside Korea with the release of their Japanese single Kokoro,"Kokoro (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)".YesAsia.Retrieved 2013-06-18. along with the establishment of "Triple S Japan". After the single debuted at number five,"Skull, TVXQ Hitting Overseas Charts" Korea Times. 7 August 2007. Retrieved 2011-11-02 they had two more successful releases in Japan entitled Distance and SS501. In around one year in Japan, they received the Newcomer Award by Japan Gold Disc Award in January 2008; this was the first time for Korean artists to receive this award."The 22nd Japan Gold Disk Award 2008" Retrieved 2013-03-05
Having built their foundation as artists in both countries, they continually released singles and albums back-and-forth such as Deja Vu in Korea"DSP Discography 2008" .Retrieved 2013-06-18. and Lucky Days in Japan, both released in 2008.
In 2008, he made his musical debut in Grease, playing the lead role, 'Danny Park', that the group had to stop their group activities for a short period of time. In 2009-2010, SS501 released All My Love,SS501. All My Love. 2009. CD. Solo Collection,SS501. Solo Collection. 2009. CD. Rebirth, and DestinationSS501. Destination. 2010. CD. consecutively before their contracts ended. In the meantime, he starred in his first acting career as a main lead entitled Human Theater 2010, playing himself as the main character in 2010.
2010-2011: leaving DSP Media and solo artist In June 2010, upon the expiration of Park Jung Min's contract with DSP Media, he signed with CNr Media on August 10, 2010, a company jointly set up by Taiwanese producer Comic-Ritz and Korean Roy Media, to embark on his solo career. CNr Media stated that SS501's activities are top priority in his contract and that they have not disbanded. He also signed with Sony Music Asia for his Asia activities after finalizing his contract on September 30,"SS501's Park Jung Min receives support from Taiwanese power players".Allkpop.Retrieved.05-09-13 and Yamaha Music Entertainment for his Japan activities which is revealed on September 17."Park Jung Min signs with Yamaha Music Entertainment".Allkpop.Retrieved.05-09-13 During this time, Park Jung Min and Kim Hyung Jun also attended the 21st Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan to present an award together with Ken Chu."SS501's Kim Hyung Joon and Park Jung Min at 21st Golden Melody Awards" .Allkpop.Retrieved.05-09-13
Park Jung Min was the first one to release a solo album, with his debut solo single, Not Alone, on January 20, 2011. His albums are distributed in Taiwan by Sony Music Taiwan. and he even visited Taiwan and Singapore to promote it.Tanu, Elrica (2011) "The cheeky side of Park Jung Min" Straits Times. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-15
In July 2011, he has been cast as the lead in Japanese mobile drama LISMO August's Love Song."Park Jung Min leaves for Taiwan to begin drama filming".Allkpop.Retrieved.05-09-13 He also contributed to KBS2's The Princess' Man OST in August, where he sang "Missing You" composed by Park Jung Wook."The Princess' Man OST (KBS TV Drama)".YesAsia.Retrieved 2013-06-20.
2012: Fondant Garden, lawsuit against CNr Media and Beautiful album In February 2012, Park starred alongside Jian Man Shu, Kingone Wang and Lia Lee, in a Taiwanese drama named Fondant Garden, playing the lead role of Park Hee Hwan.
Between April 2 and 7, Park participated in Dominic's Way fashion show during the 2012 Seoul Fashion Week, for designer Song Hye-myung, who designed SS501's clothes for their Destination mini album jacket. He was dressed as vdette in a dark angel attire with spreading wings. Four days later, on April 12, Park filed an injunction at Seoul Central District Court against his agency CNr Media to cancel his exclusive representation contract, citing improper distribution of profits. A source close to Park said:
According to another media source, Park departed from CNr Media in March 2012 but continued with his schedule in Japan on April 14 despite the injunction.
The decision of the court came on July 30, favoring Park Jung Min's case against CNR Media. With this decision, he is now free to promote in Korea and overseas regardless of his contract with CNR Media until the judgment on merits is issued, especially that if the contract was continued, Park Jung Min's career might be in danger. However, despite the lawsuit, he still continued to uphold his promise with his fans, attending all schedules set by CNR Media including promotions for the Taiwanese drama Fondant Garden."SS501's Park Jung Min Wins Case Against Agency for Cancellation of Contract".Enewsworld.Retrieved 2013-06-16. On October 10, his new agency, Yamaha A&R, announced that Park filled a two hundred million won lawsuit against his former agency, seeking compensation. Finally on May 22, the legal battle between Park and his former agency, CNr Media, has finally come to an end. It was said through a press release on May 28 that Park agreed to receive an amount that could be paid by his former agency since CNr Media is in poor financial status recently. Park Jung Min's attorney said:
After the lawsuit, Park Jung Min debuted in Japan using the name 'Romeo' under Victor Music. He released two albums, named Give Me Your Heart and Tonight's The Night in September and October respectively. Afterwards, he returned to Korea to continue his music career as 'Park Jung Min' and released his first self-produced single album entitled Beautiful. At the end of the year, he released a full length Japanese album Midnight Theatre back as Romeo. During his 'Face Off Concert' at the Tokyo Dome City Hall, however, he performed as both 'Park Jung Min' and 'Romeo'.
2013-present: International tours Park Jung Min attended and performed at the 2013 StarHub TVB Golden Viva Spectacular together with other K-Pop artists on February 9, that was initially filmed during the January 31 at the Seoul Student Jamsil Gymnasium. The performances were broadcast simultaneously in Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their Hong Kong fans."Performances from the 2013 'StarHub TVB Golden Viva Spectacular'" Allkpop. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-14
On February 14, he held a press conference at the Sony Music Square in Tokyo about his upcoming concert tour. He had eight performances in total, starting on March 19 in Fukoka, March 21 in Osaka, March 22 in Tokyo, and March 23 in Nagoya. His shows had a different concept, though: light/dark; good/bad concept. In particular, he performed by the name 'Park Jung Min' during the day, then changing his persona to 'Romeo' when the night comes."(K-pop) Park Jung Min to Hold Japanese Tour with Day and Night Concept""MNet". Retrieved. 2013-02-18