Who is Yong Jun-hyung?
Yong Jun-hyung, also known mononymously as Junhyung, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. He debuted as a member of 2nd Gen K-pop boy group HIGHLIGHT (formerly BEAST) in 2009 but departed from the group in 2019. He is also active as a solo artist.
Yong Jun-hyung’s Biography
- Stage Name: Junhyung (준형)
- Birth Name: Yong Jae-soon (용재순) but legally changed to Yong Jun-hyung (용준형) in 6th grade
- Birthday: December 19th, 1989
- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
- Nationality: Korean
- Instagram: bigbadboii
- Threads: @bigbadboii
Yong Jun-hyung’s Career
- 2007: Pre-debut
In 2007, Yong Jun-hyung was in the amateur boy band XING, which included former U-KISS member Kevin Woo. At the time, he assumed the stage name of Poppin’ Dragon.
- 2009-2016: Debut as BEAST & Solo activities
In 2009, Yong Jun-hyung debuted as a member of the Cube Entertainment boy group BEAST (also known as B2ST) with the EP “Beast Is the B2ST” with the title track “Bad Girl”. At the time, the group boasted impressive sales that’s remarkable for a rookie at the time. They also bagged various rookie awards at year-end awards ceremony.
In 2010, as BEAST garnered significant attention with their 2nd EP “Shock of the New Era”, Yong Jun-hyung was featured as a rapper in songs by other artists, including HyunA’s debut single “Change”.
In 2012, Yong Jun-hyung released his first solo single, “Living Without You”. He also appeared as a cameo on the sitcom “Salamander Guru and The Shadows” and produced the solo EP “The First Collage” for fellow BEAST member Yang Yo-seob in the same year.
Yong Jun-hyung dropped his debut EP “Flower” in 2013.
- 2016-2018: Agency change & Further solo activities
In 2016, Yong Jun-hyung, along with his group BEAST, left Cube Entertainment and formed their own label, Around Us Entertainment. The group debuted under the new name of HIGHLIGHT.
At Around Us, Yong Jun-hyung released his first solo full-length album, “Goodbye 20’s”. He also became active in acting and variety shows, appearing as a cast member in the variety show “It’s Dangerous Beyond the Blankets” and starring in the K-drama “Coffee, Do Me a Favor”
- 2019-2021: Career hiatus
On March 2019, Yong Jun-hyung announced on Instagram that he was leaving HIGHLIGHT after his name was mentioned during Seungri’s notorious Burning Sun scandal. In 2021, he left Around Us Entertainment.
- 2022-present: Resume activities
In October 2022, Yong Jun-hyung dropped the EP “Loner”, marking his return to the entertainment industry. He has been releasing new music and holding solo concerts ever since.
Controversies & Personal Life
On March 11, 2019, the TV program “SBS Eight O’Clock News” incorrectly reported that Yong Jun-hyung was involved in the Burning Sun scandal and part of a group chatroom where musician Jung Joon-young shared hidden camera sex videos.
However, Yong Jun-hyung later clarified that he was not part of the group chatroom, but that he and Jung had a one-on-one chatroom with each other and received a video of Jung touching a body part of a woman. While the woman was filmed with conset, she did not consent to the video being shared, and Yong Jun-hyung did not report Jung Joon-young. The male artist was also later questioned as a witness in Jung Joon-young’s case.
In January 2024, Yong Jun-hyung was revealed to be dating HyunA, according to a post on HyunA’s Instagram. Due to the male artist’s past controversies, however, the relationship quickly faced intense opposition from fans. Nevertheless, the couple withstand criticisms well, as later on in July 2024, Korean media reported that HyunA and Yong Jun-hyung are preparing for marriage in October of the same year.
