Former Stray Kids member Kim Woojin is making a new start in his career. The 26-year-old K-pop idol will debut under SM Entertainment’s sub-label, Kustomade. But fans have been curious why Woojin left the rising group Stray Kids within a year of its debut.
Woojin’s K-pop journey began as a trainee at SM Entertainment. But later, he joined JYP Entertainment in 2017 and participated in Mnet’s survival show, Stray Kids. He became a part of the nine-member winners’ lineup and debuted with Stray Kids.
Woojin leaves Stray Kids in 2019
After joining Stray Kids in 2018, Woojin’s departure from the group in 2019 shocked fans. JYP Entertainment announced Woojin would leave the group before releasing the mini album Clé: LEVANTER. The official statement read: “Woojin has left Stray Kids due to personal circumstances and has terminated his contract. Up until now, he was a Stray Kids member. We apologize for troubling many fans with this sudden news.”
After leaving Stray Kids for ‘personal reasons,’ Woojin made his solo debut under the newly formed music agency 10x Entertainment. Woojin released his pre-debut digital single, “Still Dream,” on July 8, 2021. Later, he debuted with the mini-album The Moment: A Minor in August 2021. The debut album sold over 15,448 copies within a week of its release in South Korea, ranking at number 7 on the Circle Album Chart.
Since his solo debut, Woojin has released two extended plays and several singles and sung for famous K-dramas like Reborn Rich, King The Land, and Let Me Be Your Knight. The singer also ventured into acting and snagged the lead role in the HBO MAX fantasy series My Magic Closet.
Woojin became the first K-pop idol to play a lead role in an HBO MAX series. In the drama, he plays the role of Kyung Min, a fictional boy band member. His life changed dramatically when he met a teenage girl who discovered a teleportation portal in a closet.
