# Kim Woo-sung (김우성) (singer)
**Kim Woo-sung** (김우성), known professionally as **Woosung** and by his American name Sammy, is a Korean-American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known as one of the lead vocalists and guitarists of the South Korean indie rock band [The Rose](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-rose-band), which he joined at its debut on August 3, 2017 with the single "Sorry"[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about). He has also built a solo career, beginning with the 2019 mini album *WOLF*, and runs his own label, Woolfpack[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about) • [2](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbenjamin/2022/03/17/woosung-details-moving-from-k-pop-star-to-hands-on-independent-artist-it-is-not-easy/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993; American name Sammy; raised in Southern California[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about) • [3](https://www.therosedoc.com/about-the-rose) |
| Band role | Lead vocalist and guitarist of The Rose; the band debuted August 3, 2017 with "Sorry", which reached No. 14 on Billboard's World Digital Songs Sales chart[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about) • [4](https://www.grammy.com/news/korean-indie-rock-group-the-rose-interview-new-album-dual-videos/) |
| Solo releases | *WOLF* (2019), *GENRE* (2021), *MOTH*, and the remix album *4444: Reborn* (2025)[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about) • [5](https://news.nate.com/MediaList?cp=ez&date=20250110&mid=n1101&page=3&type=c) |
| Television | Season 1 of SBS's *K-Pop Star*; fourth place on JTBC's *Superband* in 2019[6](https://v.daum.net/v/NH41oE32cY) • [7](https://www.newspim.com/news/view/20190722000771) |
| Military service | Did not serve in the South Korean military; his three bandmates enlisted while he pursued solo work[3](https://www.therosedoc.com/about-the-rose) • [19](https://www.vice.com/en/article/woosung-solo-moth-korean-band-the-rose-music/) |
| Chart milestones | No. 1 on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart; The Rose's *DUAL* reached No. 83 on the Billboard 200[8](https://woosungofficial.com/) • [9](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/woosung-mn0004035533) |
| Festivals | Lollapalooza in Chicago (2023, Bacardi Stage) and Coachella (2024)[10](https://www.mullettarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Rose-Coming-to-Mullett-Arena-on-July-27-2025.pdf) |
## Early life and K-Pop Star
Woosung was born in 1993[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about). Sources differ on his birthplace: AllMusic lists Los Angeles, California[9](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/woosung-mn0004035533), while the companion site for the band's documentary states he was born in South Korea and raised in [Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-california)[3](https://www.therosedoc.com/about-the-rose). He returned to Korea after finishing high school to compete in the TV competition series *K-Pop Star*[3](https://www.therosedoc.com/about-the-rose). A 2019 interview with bnt News dates his appearance to the 2012 first season of the SBS program, where his distinctive vocal tone drew attention from viewers[6](https://v.daum.net/v/NH41oE32cY); NME places the appearance in 2011[11](https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/kim-woosung-lazy-interview-new-solo-album-kard-bm-jae-day6-collaboration-2987648). He has said that his ambition to be a singer was not large at the time, and that the show was what opened his eyes to music; in the five years afterward he worked to develop his skills, at one point working in Korea as an English instructor while pursuing music[6](https://v.daum.net/v/NH41oE32cY) • [12](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=614824).
## The Rose
Before The Rose, Woosung was the bassist and backup vocalist for Windfall, a band formed around Dojoon, Jaehyeong, and Hajoon, who had met busking in the Hongdae area of Seoul; Woosung was added last, completing the lineup that became The Rose[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about) • [4](https://www.grammy.com/news/korean-indie-rock-group-the-rose-interview-new-album-dual-videos/). The band made its official debut on August 3, 2017 with the soft-rock ballad "Sorry", which Woosung wrote[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about) • [4](https://www.grammy.com/news/korean-indie-rock-group-the-rose-interview-new-album-dual-videos/). The song reached No. 14 on Billboard's World Digital Songs Sales chart and was named among Billboard's best K-pop songs of 2017[4](https://www.grammy.com/news/korean-indie-rock-group-the-rose-interview-new-album-dual-videos/).
The group's early EPs *Dawn* and *Void* placed in Billboard's "Next Big Sound," "World Digital Song Sales," and "World Albums" charts, and *Void* reached No. 1 on the US iTunes K-Pop Albums chart[13](https://kpopconcerts.com/exclusives/interview-woosung-lazy/). In 2018 Billboard named The Rose one of five "new K-pop artists to watch"[3](https://www.therosedoc.com/about-the-rose).
**Hiatus, military service, and return.** In 2020 the members filed a lawsuit to terminate their contract with their agency, and the three Korean nationals enlisted for mandatory military service[14](https://www.jaehakim.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/The-Rose_-Come-Back-to-Me_-K-Culture-with-Jae-Ha-Kim.pdf). Woosung did not serve, instead returning to the United States to pursue solo work while his bandmates completed their service[3](https://www.therosedoc.com/about-the-rose) • [19](https://www.vice.com/en/article/woosung-solo-moth-korean-band-the-rose-music/). The band returned in October 2022 with *HEAL*, its first full-length studio album, built around a healing theme drawn from stories shared with their fan base, the Black Roses[4](https://www.grammy.com/news/korean-indie-rock-group-the-rose-interview-new-album-dual-videos/) • [15](https://www.whrb.org/archive/interview-rose/). Their second studio album, *DUAL*, followed in September 2023 and reached No. 83 on the Billboard 200[4](https://www.grammy.com/news/korean-indie-rock-group-the-rose-interview-new-album-dual-videos/) • [9](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/woosung-mn0004035533). The band now releases music on its own label, named Windfall after its pre-debut band, and has performed at [Lollapalooza](https://www.edgepedia.org/lollapalooza) in Chicago in 2023 and at Coachella in 2024[4](https://www.grammy.com/news/korean-indie-rock-group-the-rose-interview-new-album-dual-videos/) • [10](https://www.mullettarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Rose-Coming-to-Mullett-Arena-on-July-27-2025.pdf).
## Solo career
Woosung made his solo debut on July 25, 2019, during the band's hiatus for military service, with the mini album *WOLF* and the single "FACE"[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about) • [16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI6OD4VJssM). *WOLF* charted in the Korean Top 20[9](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/woosung-mn0004035533). That same year he finished fourth on JTBC's band competition *Superband*, where he was noted for a distinctive presence across the rounds; he described the show as a different color from The Rose, that of the solo artist Woosung[7](https://www.newspim.com/news/view/20190722000771).
His single "Lazy" followed in 2021, ahead of his first full-length solo album *GENRE*, which he released under his own independent label, Woolfpack[11](https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/kim-woosung-lazy-interview-new-solo-album-kard-bm-jae-day6-collaboration-2987648) • [17](https://www.nme.com/news/music/woosung-first-full-length-album-genre-interview-grown-mature-the-rose-3114695). In a 2022 Forbes interview, Woosung described the hands-on independent operation: he built a team for publicity, management, and legal work, and personally uploaded the *GENRE* files for online distribution, checking the information before pressing "Next"[2](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbenjamin/2022/03/17/woosung-details-moving-from-k-pop-star-to-hands-on-independent-artist-it-is-not-easy/). He toured North America as an opening act on [Epik High](https://www.edgepedia.org/epik-high)'s 29-date tour[2](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbenjamin/2022/03/17/woosung-details-moving-from-k-pop-star-to-hands-on-independent-artist-it-is-not-easy/). The *MOTH* EP followed, and he reunited with The Rose during his Korean show on the MOTH EP Showcase Tour[1](https://www.officialtherose.com/about). In January 2025 he released the remix album *4444: Reborn* through online music sites[5](https://news.nate.com/MediaList?cp=ez&date=20250110&mid=n1101&page=3&type=c).
## Collaborations and recognition
His official site lists a No. 1 on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart and performances at Coachella and Lollapalooza among his milestones, and notes work beyond music including voice acting[8](https://woosungofficial.com/).
His vocal tone is a recurring point of commentary. [Teen Vogue](https://www.edgepedia.org/teen-vogue) describes his singing voice as "husky yet smooth modulation, immediately recognizable in any song"[18](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-rose-woosung-shares-hard-earned-wisdom-mindset-interview). In a 2019 interview he framed his aim in musical terms: he wanted to make music that people could relate to[6](https://v.daum.net/v/NH41oE32cY).
## References
1. [About, The Rose official site](https://www.officialtherose.com/about)
2. [Woosung Details Moving From K-Pop Star To Hands-On Independent Artist, Forbes (Jeff Benjamin, 2022)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbenjamin/2022/03/17/woosung-details-moving-from-k-pop-star-to-hands-on-independent-artist-it-is-not-easy/)
3. [About The Rose, The Rose: Come Back to Me documentary site](https://www.therosedoc.com/about-the-rose)
4. [South Korean Rockers The Rose Are Ready To Show The World Their Duality, GRAMMY.com (2023)](https://www.grammy.com/news/korean-indie-rock-group-the-rose-interview-new-album-dual-videos/)
5. [더로즈 김우성, 리믹스 앨범 '4444: Reborn' 발매, 비즈엔터 via 네이트 뉴스 (2025)](https://news.nate.com/MediaList?cp=ez&date=20250110&mid=n1101&page=3&type=c)
6. [인터뷰: 더로즈 김우성 "사람들이 공감할 수 있는 음악 하고 싶다", bnt뉴스 (2019)](https://v.daum.net/v/NH41oE32cY)
7. [스타톡: '슈퍼밴드' 김우성 인터뷰, 뉴스핌 (2019)](https://www.newspim.com/news/view/20190722000771)
8. [WOOSUNG official site](https://woosungofficial.com/)
9. [Woosung biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/woosung-mn0004035533)
10. [About The Rose, Mullett Arena event program (2025)](https://www.mullettarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Rose-Coming-to-Mullett-Arena-on-July-27-2025.pdf)
11. [Woosung talks creation of new single 'Lazy', NME (2021)](https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/kim-woosung-lazy-interview-new-solo-album-kard-bm-jae-day6-collaboration-2987648)
12. [오디션 출신 밴드 보컬 인터뷰, 톱스타뉴스](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=614824)
13. [Woosung on His New Single "Lazy", K-Pop Concerts](https://kpopconcerts.com/exclusives/interview-woosung-lazy/)
14. [The Rose: Come Back to Me review, K-Culture with Jae-Ha Kim](https://www.jaehakim.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/The-Rose_-Come-Back-to-Me_-K-Culture-with-Jae-Ha-Kim.pdf)
15. [An Interview with The Rose, WHRB (2022)](https://www.whrb.org/archive/interview-rose/)
16. [김우성(WOOSUNG) - "FACE" Official Music Video, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI6OD4VJssM)
17. [Woosung on first full-length album 'GENRE', NME (2021)](https://www.nme.com/news/music/woosung-first-full-length-album-genre-interview-grown-mature-the-rose-3114695)
18. [The Rose's Woosung Shares Hard-Earned Wisdom in New Mindset Series, Teen Vogue (2021)](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-rose-woosung-shares-hard-earned-wisdom-mindset-interview)
19. [Woosung on His New EP ‘MOTH’ and What’s Next for The Rose](https://www.vice.com/en/article/woosung-solo-moth-korean-band-the-rose-music/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › East and Southeast Asian pop scenes › K-pop and the Korean popular music scene › Artists, groups, and people: K-pop and the Korean popular music scene › Korean hip hop, indie, rock, trot, and pre-idol pop*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license