Winter
people-1-female-A-kpop idol-A-white outfit-B-stage performance-B-blue background-C-tongue out AESPA WINTER people-A-woman-A-blonde hair-A-white lace top-A-pearl and cross necklace

Winter

윈터
  • Korean Name:윈터
  • Birthday:January 1, 2001
  • Nationality:South Korean
  • Zodiac Sign:Capricorn
  • Height:163 cm
  • Blood Type:A
  • Occupation:Singer, Idol
  • Years Active:2020-Present
  • Agency:SM Entertainment
  • Education:High School Graduation Academic Qualification Examination
  • SNS:Instagram: @imwinter

Biography

WINTER is a South Korean singer, dancer, and performer. She is a member of the K-pop girl group aespa, formed by SM Entertainment, where she serves as lead vocalist and lead dancer. Known for her powerful vocals, charismatic stage presence, and versatile performance abilities, WINTER has been influential in solidifying aespa’s sound and identity in the global music scene.

Early Life and Education

WINTER was born Kim Min-jeong (김민정) on January 1, 2001, in Seosan, South Korea. She attended Seosan Elementary School, Seosan Middle School, and Shinsung High School. From a young age, she displayed an interest in singing, dancing, and performing, participating in school and local events before entering professional training.

She joined SM Entertainment as a trainee, where she trained extensively in vocals, dance, and performance for several years prior to her official debut. Her time as a trainee helped refine her technical skills and stage confidence, preparing her for activities in one of SM’s most ambitious girl group concepts.

Career

Pre-Debut and aespa Debut (2020–Present)

WINTER was officially revealed as the second member of the new SM Entertainment group aespa on October 28, 2020. She debuted with the group on November 17, 2020 alongside KARINA, GISELLE, and NINGNING with the single Black Mamba, which quickly drew attention for its futuristic concept and powerful choreography.

aespa’s concept revolves around a dual existence in both real life and a virtual world, featuring each member’s æ (avatar) counterparts – a unique storytelling device that distinguishes the group’s artistic identity.

Supergroup and Strategic Solo Discography

Winter’s career has been characterized by active participation in high-visibility solo and collaborative projects that strategically develop her personal brand outside of aespa’s demanding metaverse narrative.

Her membership in the supergroup Got the Beat starting in 2022 immediately positioned her alongside the most respected female idols in K-Pop. Beyond group activities, her individual discography is notably varied, demonstrating her agility across musical genres, ranging from powerful K-Pop collaborations to delicate ballad OSTs and official public theme songs.

In 2023, she released the single “Nobody” with Jeon Soyeon of (G)I-DLE and Liz of IVE. This track represented a significant inter-agency collaboration that achieved considerable commercial success, peaking at number 11 on the South Korean Download charts. She also collaborated with Bang Yedam on “Officially Cool” in 2024.

Winter has become a reliable vocalist for dramatic soundtracks, contributing to major South Korean dramas. These contributions include a duet with Ningning, “Once Again,” for the Our Blues OST (2022), which charted at 119 on the Gaon Digital Chart, as well as the solo tracks “Voyage” for the Castaway Diva OST (2023) and “With You” for the My Demon OST (2023).

Relationships

ENHYPEN’s Jungwon

On December 10, 2024, photos and a short video surfaced online claiming Winter and Jungwon were seen together at a whiskey bar in Cheongdam‑dong, Seoul. The post alleged they spent time together, then left separately Winter heading out first, followed shortly by Jungwon. The “evidence” included a masked man on a phone (claimed to sound like Jungwon) and a woman in a red tracksuit similar to one Winter had worn earlier prompting some fans to believe it was Winter.

On December 11, 2024, their respective agencies SM Entertainment (Winter’s agency) and BELIFT LAB (Jungwon’s agency) publicly denied the rumors, calling them “groundless.”

On December 12, 2024, Jungwon personally addressed the rumors during a live broadcast, explicitly denying that he was dating Winter and denying related claims that he smoked.

BTS’s Jungkook

Winter was the subject of widespread speculation in late 2025 regarding a possible romantic relationship with BTS member Jungkook. The rumors spread rapidly across social media platforms, fueled by alleged photographic evidence and circumstantial links.

Netizens presented several pieces of evidence, including the alleged similarity and placement of tattoos depicting three dog faces on both artists. Further claims involved matching casual wear, such as shorts, slippers, bracelets, and customized in-ear monitors. A minor but telling detail was the observation that both idols appeared to have manicured or polished their ring fingernails only one day apart.

The speculation was significantly amplified by reports that Jungkook, while serving his mandatory military duty, had attended an aespa concert an occurrence deemed highly unusual, given his reported history of not attending concerts by other girl groups under the HYBE umbrella. Additionally, some users suggested that a slight modification of Jungkook’s Instagram ID referenced Winter’s real name, Kim Min-jeong.

The reaction from the respective agencies, SM Entertainment and BigHit Music (HYBE), was highly unconventional. Both companies maintained an absolute silence regarding the rumors.

Fun Facts

  1. Winter chose her stage name because her birthday is in winter (January 1) and she has a clear and pure image.
  2. In Winter’s universe, her ability, Armamenter, is the “ability to wield weapons,” which was decided during a pre-debut interview.
  3. In music videos and teaser images, she is often shown in different poses alone, which led to speculation that she might be the “villain” in the storyline.
  4. Growing up, Winter had many relatives who were military personnel, which sparked her interest in the military. Interestingly, her older brother also commissioned as a military police officer in 2022. She once revealed that she dreamed of becoming a soldier before aspiring to be a singer because she thought soldiers were cool.
  5. She served as the vice president of her middle school in 9th grade.
  6. She was a dorm roommate with LE SSERAFIM’s Yunjin and Kep1er’s Kim Chaehyun during their trainee days and remains close friends. She is also friends with NMIXX’s Sullyoon; she was happy to meet Sullyoon on Bubble and even approached her to hug her.
  7. After joining SM, Winter sang BIGBANG’s “If You” at her first evaluation.
  8. Her role in the team is “bold,” reflecting how people describe her as daring despite her appearance. Her motto is “Let’s live as it flows.”
  9. As a trainee, she and Ningning focused on a pure and cute image, so they didn’t anticipate aespa’s concept.
  10. Among the members, Winter has changed her hairstyle the most. Others mostly bleach, dye, perm, or cut bangs, but Winter has experimented extensively.