Kim Jin-woo

Kim Jin-woo (김진우), known professionally as JINU, is the eldest member and lead vocalist of WINNER. Since the group's 2014 debut under YG Entertainment through survival show WIN: Who Is Next, his lighter vocal tone has served as the counterweight to the group's rap-heavy arrangements. Tracks like Really Really and LOVE ME LOVE ME lean on that contrast.

His 2019 solo debut JINU's HEYDAY confirmed he could carry a release alone, framing him as a performer with enough tonal control to move outside the group format. After completing military service, he rejoined WINNER for the 2025 IN OUR CIRCLE concert at Olympic Hall in Seoul, performing alongside Kang Seung Yoon and Lee Seung-hoon.

The bigger pivot came in acting. Jin-woo made his film debut in the 2025 thriller Commission, playing a psychopath serial killer called Hannya-gun in a dark-web murder story produced by PAN Entertainment. The role was deliberately against type, trading his soft idol image for something unsettling. The film premiered at BIFFF 2025 before its July 2025 Korean theatrical release. That shift positions Jin-woo for a second career lane that does not depend on WINNER's group schedule.