The lead vocalist of “Shinee,” one of the most popular South Korean bands of all time, Lee Jin-ki, well known by his stage name Onew, is a South Korean singer and actor. Even after hearing praise from his parents, he was not overly enthusiastic about pursuing a career in the entertainment industry as a young child. He was not extremely confident in his singing abilities. His change, however, took place during his senior year of high school. When his band Shinee’s EP “Replay” was released, he made his musical debut. He began his career through the “SM Academy Casting.” Shinee steadily rose to become one of the greatest Korean music groups ever. Onew was among the band members that quickly entered the acting industry. He made his acting debut in the TV drama “Dr. Champ” in 2010 and made his feature film debut in the documentary “I Am” in 2012. As he participated in numerous movies and TV shows, he continued to pursue his musical aspirations. Finally, Onew’s reputation as a very skilled actor was cemented with the 2016 drama “Descendants of the Sun.”
Early Childhood & Life
In Gyeonggi-do, Onew was born on December 14, 1989, into a family of entrepreneurs. Families in South Korea typically do not encourage their children to take risks with their jobs. Onew’s parents, however, were the complete opposite. He once struggled with confidence in his vocal abilities, but his parents always had it. They advised him to consider becoming a singer because they thought he had a decent voice. Onew, however, was not very interested in singing and only became aware of his talent after being praised by his friends and music instructors.
Onew was the only child in the family growing up, and his parents adored him. During one of his family vacations, he had his first musical experience. Little Onew adored the trot music that his parents frequently played in the car. This was the beginning of his inner musician. His parents discovered their son had a secret ability after hearing him sing those tunes.
No matter how hard his parents tried to keep him from feeling lonely, Onew was a lonely child. In elementary school, he frequently fantasized about being a scientist or an astronaut. But he quickly saw that he would need to put in a lot of study time for it. He made the decision to put an end to those hopes because he was not the studious sort. But as soon as he graduated from high school, he began looking for a respectable job route.
He soon started performing with nearby bands, and in 2006, the “SM Academy Casting” discovered him. Onew gave an audition and was quickly chosen by the firm as a musician. Lee Soo-man served as Onew’s coach as he continued to develop his talent. He had already developed as a singer by 2008. His path started when he was exposed to the group Shinee, which was part of SM.
Career of Onew
“Shinee,” a band, made its debut on the “SBS” music show “Ingikayo” in May 2008. The five-piece group made their live debut with the song “Replay,” which also served as the title of the EP that contained the song. The band’s first music award—the “Rookie of the Month” title at the “Cyworld Digital Music Awards”—was given out in conjunction with the EP’s simultaneous release and immediate success. At the 2008 Mnet 20’s Choice Awards, they later received the “Hot New Star Award.”
Their succeeding EPs made them famous across the country as well. In late 2009, their third EP’s lead track, “Ring Ding Dong,” was made available digitally. On the very first day, thousands of people downloaded it. The band received a “Golden Disk Award” in 2009 for the song, which also peaked at the top of various South Korean music charts.
Onew took his hand at composition in addition to singing, penning the words for the song “Your Name” from the band’s album “Lucifer.” Shinee appeared to be unstoppable after the album went on to become a big hit. The band kept receiving praise from both listeners and reviewers, and radios played their songs nonstop, turning them into a sort of national rage.
Onew ventured into other areas of the entertainment sector after experiencing great success in his singing career. Finally, he was named the MC of the 2010 variety program “Night Star,” after which he had an appearance in “Show! Music Core.” He made his television debut that same year in brief appearances on the shows “Dr. Champ” and “Athena: Goddess of War.” He also sang the song “Moonlight” for the drama “Miss Korea” in early 2014, and he also recorded the song “In Your Eyes” for the drama “To the Beautiful You.”
Then, in 2014, he made an appearance on the reality series “Laws of the Jungle” and participated in its Brazilian adaptation. He chose to leave, nevertheless, citing work obligations, in the middle.
In addition to his obligations to his music group, which continued to be his top priority, he experimented with a radio with “Kiss the Radio.” He was selected as the lead cast member of the online drama “Dating was the Easiest,” which was translated from a hugely successful webtoon of the same name, in 2015 after overcoming stiff competition from numerous performers.
Shinee, a band, never stopped winning fans’ hearts, not just in South Korea but also in Japan. The group frequently set out on “Shinee World” tours. Their fame peaked during the 2016 US and French leg of the “KCON tour.”
They were the only Korean artists to participate in the “Chinese Lunar New Year” event in 2015, which the band was also invited to by “MBC.” When their Japanese album “DxDxD” was published in 2015, it quickly rose to the top of the list of South Korean bands’ best-selling Japanese albums. Eventually, it reached the very top of the “Oricon” music chart and remained there for two weeks.
Onew appeared as the main cast member in the South Korean drama “Descendants of the Sun” in 2016. In addition to numerous honors in South Korea, the series also enjoyed great popularity in China. Onew received the “Newcomer Scene Stealer of the Year” prize at the “Scene Stealer Festival” that year.
Individual Life of Onew
Onew underwent surgery in June 2014 for vocal chord problems, which required him to refrain from singing for a few months after the procedure. He fully returned after getting better, sounding better than ever.
Onew and his band frequently plan performances to raise money for charity. He raised tons of rice from his followers to help feed the starving and impoverished children of North Korea, and he contributed 1.2 million won to the “Korean Heart Association.”
Onew has been dating the singer Jung-ah for a while. The well-known singer Luna is one of his several ex-wives from the entertainment business, according to rumors. Onew claims to be single right now.
Onew Net Worth
Onew is among the wealthiest and most well-known pop singers. Onew’s net worth is $5 million, per our analysis of data from sources like Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.