Kim Nam-joo (Korean김남주; born April 15, 1995), also known mononymously as Namjoo, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Apink. She made her solo debut on September 7, 2020, with her first single album Bird.

Kim Nam-joo
Born
Kim Nam-joo

(1995-04-15) April 15, 1995 (age 29)
Seoul, South Korea
EducationSungkyunkwan University
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
Musical career
GenresK-pop
InstrumentVocals
Years active
  • 2003–2008
  • 2011–present
Labels
  • IST
  • Choi Creative Lab
Member ofApink
Korean name
Hangul
김남주
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGim Nam-ju
McCune–ReischauerKim Namchu

Career

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Pre-debut

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Before debuting with Apink, she starred in a 2003 LG Electronics commercial at 6,[1] and in 2007 TV commercial at age 13.[2]

2011-present: Apink

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Kim performing in October 2013

Kim joined Cube Entertainment through the 2010 Cube Party auditions, subsequently transferring to its then-independent label A Cube Entertainment (now IST Entertainment), and was one of the last Apink members to be introduced before the group's debut. Kim debuted with Apink on Mnet's M! Countdown performing their songs "I Don't Know" (몰라요; Mollayo) and "Wishlist" which were included on their debut EP Seven Springs of Apink on April 21, 2011.[3] She is also one of the two members of Apink's sub-unit PINK BnN along with Yoon Bo-mi.[4]

On April 28, 2023, IST Entertainment announced that Kim did not renew her contract with the company but will still be part of the group.[5] On the same day, Kim signed an exclusive contract with Choi Creative Lab.[6]

2015–present: Solo activities

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In September 2015, she was cast in Naver TV's 8-episode web series Investigator Alice, where she portrayed detective Chun Yeon-joo.[7] She reprised her role in its second season, in 2016.[8]

In March 2015, Kim joined MBC's Tutoring Across Generations in place of Lee Tae-im,[9] but the show got cancelled on April 2 after episode 21 due to falling ratings.[10] Kim with fellow member Yoon Bo-mi appeared on Sugar Man as PINK BnN on October 20, 2015. In 2016, Kim and Apink co-member Yoon Bo-mi became the new MCs of Shikshin Road 2.[11] In the December 27 broadcast of King of Mask Singer, it was revealed that Kim was behind the mask "Good Daughter Shim Cheong".[12][13]

Between 2017 and 2018, Kim played the role of detective Oh Jin-kyung in Naver TV's Bad Boy Detectives, once again collaborating with the team behind Investigator Alice.[14]

In October 2017, Kim was cast in the lead role of Juliet Capulet in Sungkyunkwan University's production of Romeo and Juliet.[15]

On September 7, 2020, Kim made her solo debut with her first single album Bird.[16][17]

On May 24, 2022, musical producer Shinswave announced that Kim would be making her musical debut with popular stage show, Midnight Sun, as the female lead.[18] To promote the musical, she collaborated with stage member, Onew, to release "A Melody Called You (너라는 멜로디)," as well as the solo song, "Will Such A Day Come? (그런 날이 오게 될까?)."[19]

Other works

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Kim alongside groupmate Jung Eun-ji and Jang Hyun-seung, former member of Beast, released the single "A Year Ago" from the project A Cube For Season #White on January 3, 2013, to commemorate the success of their respective groups.[20]

In 2014, she performed "Seoul Lonely" with the hip-hop trio Phantom on several music programs.[21]

On June 2, 2015, she released a duet with BtoB's Yook Sung-jae entitled "Photograph", as part of Cube Entertainment's project single album A Cube For Season #Blue Season 2.[22]

Personal life

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Kim attended Seoul Performing Arts High School along with fellow Apink members Son Na-eun, Oh Ha-young, and former member Hong Yoo-kyung. She graduated in February 2014.[23] In 2015, Kim was accepted to Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Performance Arts.[24]

Discography

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Single albums

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List of extended plays, with selected chart positions and sales
Title Details Peak chart positions Sales
KOR
[25]
Bird 8
Bad
  • Released: March 19, 2024
  • Label: Choi Creative Lab
  • Formats: CD, digital download
14

Singles

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Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album
KOR
[28]
As lead artist
"Bird" 2020 [A] Bird
"Bad" 2024 Bad
Collaborations
"A Year Ago"
(with Eunji and Jang Hyun-seung)
2013 13 Acube For Season #White
"Photograph"
(with Yook Sung-jae)
2015 29 Acube For Season #Blue
As featured artist
"Sweet Now"
(Damiano feat. Namjoo)
2015 Dalda
Soundtrack appearances
"The Magic" 2015 Tom Little and The Magic Mirror OST
"Our Night is More Beautiful Than Your Day"
(우리의 밤은 당신의 낮보다 아름답다)
(with Bomi, LE, Chaeyeon, Seo In-young, Lee Seok-hoon, ₩uNo, Yang Da-il, Brother Su, Chancellor, Kang Min-hee)
2017 89 Merry Summer
"I Pray 4 You"
(with Bomi)
2017 School 2017 OST
"Shake"
(with Defconn)
Deep OST
"Stay With Me"
(feat. PULLIK)
2019 I Wanna Hear Your Song OST
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Videography

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Music videos

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Year Title Director Ref.
2020 "Bird" Minjun Lee, Hayoung Lee
(MOSWANTD)
[33]
"Bird" (Special Video) KOINRUSH [34]
2024 "Bad" 88 Gymnastic Heroes
(KEEPUSWEIRD)
[35][36]

Filmography

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Web series

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015–2016 Investigator Alice Chun Yeon-joo Lead role; 2 seasons [7]
2017–2018 Bad Boys Detective Oh Jin-kyung Lead role; 2 seasons [14]

Television shows

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Year Title Role Ref.
2016 Shikshin Road 2 Co-host [11]
2017 The Show Fan PD [37]
2022 Because It's My First New House Host [38]

Musical theatre

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Year Title Role Ref.
2017 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Capulet [15]
2022 Midnight Sun Hannah [39]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Bird" did not enter Gaon Digital Chart, but debuted and peaked at number 73 on Gaon Download Chart.[29]

References

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  1. ^ 우리 은지 욕 찰지네~ 광견돌 에이핑크가 아이돌등판에 왔다! | Apink | Dilemma | 딜레마 | IDDP | 정은지 윤보미 박초롱 김남주 오하영, retrieved February 17, 2022
  2. ^ Kim JiYeon (June 2, 2012). "A Pink's Kim Nam Joo was a Commercial Star as a Young Child". enewsWorld. Mwave. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  3. ^ "에이핑크 데뷔성공 "무공해 아이돌, 제2의 소녀시대 되나"" (in Korean). April 25, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  4. ^ Jung, Woo-chan (June 30, 2014). "에이핑크 유닛 '에이핑크BnN'…'마이달링' 민낯 홍보 나서" (in Korean). Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Lee, Tae-soo (April 28, 2023). 에이핑크, 정은지만 남고 소속사 IST 떠난다…"팀 활동 유지" [Apink, Jung Eun-ji will leave the agency IST... "Keeping the Team Active"]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Naver.
  6. ^ Lee, Nam-kyung (April 28, 2023). 박초롱·윤보미·김남주·오하영 전속계약, 초이크리에이티브랩과 체결 “앞으로도 에이핑크”(전문)[공식] [Cho-rong Park, Bo-mi Yoon, Nam-joo Kim, and Ha-young Oh signed exclusive contracts with Choi Creative Lab.]. MBN Star (in Korean). Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  7. ^ a b [단독] 에이핑크 남주, 웹드라마 ‘수사관 엘리스’ 출연…첫 촬영 시작 (in Korean). September 26, 2015. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  8. ^ Jin, Bo-yeon (June 8, 2016). "'수사관 앨리스2' 에이핑크 남주-조동혁 캐스팅… 시즌1 명 콤비의 부활" (in Korean). Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  9. ^ "A Pink′s Nam Joo Joins ′Tutoring Across Generations′ in Place of Lee Tae Im". Mwave. March 9, 2013. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  10. ^ MBC 측 "'띠과외' 폐지…예원·이태임 때문 아냐" (in Korean). Nate. April 2, 2015. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  11. ^ a b "[Photo] Apink′s Yoon Bo Mi and Kim Nam Joo are Pumped for ′Shik Shin Road′". Mwave. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  12. ^ Song, Michael (December 27, 2015). "Good Daughter Singer Simcheong Identity Revealed on King of Masked Singer". koogle.tv. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  13. ^ Kim, Dong-Joo. "Shim Chung on 'King of Mask Singer' found out to be Apink's Nam Joo". StarN News. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  14. ^ a b "'악동탐정스2' 오늘 첫방, 에이핑크 남주 "더 짙어진 캐릭터..유쾌해졌다"" (in Korean). September 19, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  15. ^ a b 에이핑크 김남주, 연극 무대 도전···‘로미오와 줄리엣’ 캐스팅 (in Korean). Naver. October 30, 2017. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  16. ^ 에이핑크 김남주, 9월 7일 솔로 데뷔 확정…아이들 소연과 손잡았다(공식) (in Korean). Naver. August 17, 2020. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  17. ^ '솔로출격' 에이핑크 김남주, 파격 뒷모습 예고..9월 7일 싱글 'Bird' 발표 확정[공식] (in Korean). Naver. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  18. ^ "Apink's Kim Nam-joo to make musical debut with 'Midnight Sun'". The Korea Times. March 24, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  19. ^ "태양이 지면 널 만나러 갈게. 2022 뮤지컬 '태양의 노래'". Melon (in Korean). Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  20. ^ "A Cube For season # White". Mwave. Mnet Media. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  21. ^ Kim Chan Mi (June 2, 2014). "Phantom Makes A Pink's Kim Nam Joo Cry with Hidden Camera". Newsen. Mwave. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  22. ^ "[Video] A Pink's Nam Joo and BTOB's Yook Sung Jae Get Together for a 'Photograph' in New Song". Mwave. June 2, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  23. ^ "A-Pink's Kim Nam Joo, 'I Just Graduated!". BNTNewsUK. February 13, 2014. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  24. ^ Jeon Ah Ram (February 2, 2015). "A Pink′s Kim Nam Joo Accepted into Sungkyunkwan University". Newsen. Mwave. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  25. ^ Peak positions on the Circle Album Chart:
  26. ^ Cumulative sales of Bird:
  27. ^ "Circle Album Chart – March 2024". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  28. ^ Charted songs:
  29. ^ "Bird". September 6–12, 2020. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  30. ^ Cumulative Sales of A Year Ago:
  31. ^ Cumulative sales of "Photograph":
  32. ^ Cumulative sales of "Our Night is More Beautiful Than Your Day":
  33. ^ "KIM NAM JOO - BIRD". Vimeo. September 10, 2020. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  34. ^ "Kim NamJoo 'BIRD'PERFORMANCE VIDEO". Vimeo. September 30, 2020. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  35. ^ Bad (Single Album) (photobook). Kim Nam-joo. South Korea: Choi Creative Lab, Kakao Entertainment. 2024. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  36. ^ Heroes, 88 Gymnastic (April 4, 2024). [MV] APINK Kim Nam Joo ‘BAD’. Retrieved April 19, 2024 – via Vimeo.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ "'더쇼 팬PD' 에이핑크 출격, 끝없는 매력 대 방출" (in Korean). July 24, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  38. ^ Oh Myung-eon (August 8, 2022). "채널 A 부동산 예능 '새집은 처음이라'…13일 첫 방송" [Channel A real estate entertainment 'Because it's my first new house'... First broadcast on the 13th] (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved August 8, 2022 – via Naver.
  39. ^ Jeong Hee-yeon (March 24, 2022). "뮤지컬 '태양의 노래' 온유-하성운→김남주-권은비 등 캐스팅 [공식]" [Musical ‘Song of the Sun’ Onew-Ha Sung-Woon → Kim Nam-Joo, Kwon Eun-Bi, etc. Casting [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Naver.
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