# Park Ji-hoon (박지훈)
**Park Ji-hoon** (박지훈; born 1999) is a South Korean singer and actor who first gained national recognition by finishing second on the Mnet survival program *Produce 101 Season 2* in 2017 and debuting in the project boy group [Wanna One](https://www.edgepedia.org/wanna-one), and who has since built a parallel career as a solo artist and a film and television actor under YY Entertainment.[1](https://linktr.ee/parkjihoon529) • [2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1999, Seoul, South Korea[1](https://linktr.ee/parkjihoon529) • [2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) |
| Breakthrough | Second place on *Produce 101 Season 2* (2017); Wanna One debut 7 August 2017 with the EP *1X1=1 (To Be One)*[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) |
| Solo debut | Mini album *O'Clock*, 26 March 2019, lead single "L.O.V.E"[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) • [3](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190326010200315) |
| Agencies | Maroo Entertainment (2017–2024); YY Entertainment (2024–present)[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) |
| Signature acting role | Yeon Si-eun in *Weak Hero Class 1* and *Weak Hero Class 2* (Netflix); King Danjong in the 2026 film *The King's Warden*[4](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/weak-hero-class-2-cast/) • [5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260429004300315?section=culture%2Fk-pop) |
| 2026 music return | Single album *Re:flect*, 29 April 2026, his first release in three years[5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260429004300315?section=culture%2Fk-pop) |
| Fandom | MAY (메이)[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) |
## Early career as a child actor
Park entered the entertainment industry as a child actor, appearing in the 2006 MBC historical drama *Jumong* at the age of seven, and worked in dramas, films, advertisements, and musicals before his idol career.[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) • [6](https://weekly.donga.com/coverstory/article/all/11/1046104/1) He trained under Maroo Entertainment for roughly one year and nine months as part of the company's pre-debut trainee team i-Teen before joining *Produce 101 Season 2* in 2017.[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon)
## Wanna One and the Produce 101 breakthrough
On *Produce 101 Season 2*, a 2017 Mnet audition program in which viewers voted for the members of a new boy group, Park finished second in the final ranking and debuted with Wanna One on 7 August 2017 through the mini album *1X1=1 (To Be One)*.[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) • [7](https://news.sbs.co.kr/amp/news.amp?news_id=N1008420946) Even before the show aired, a few seconds of him winking in the program's promotional video earned him the nickname "wink boy" among prospective fans, and fellow contestants voted him first in a visual top 11.[6](https://weekly.donga.com/coverstory/article/all/11/1046104/1) His catchphrase "Save you in my heart" became one of the era's biggest memes.[8](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/others/20260525/from-danjong-oppa-to-military-cook-drama-park-ji-hoons-second-act-is-exploding)
Wanna One promoted until concluding activities with a final concert in January 2019.[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) In 2026, Park reunited with the other members on a reality show, the group's first on-screen reunion in seven years, and said in an interview that he would like the group to reunite again in ten years.[9](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/from-k-pop-idol-to-sought-after-actor-park-ji-hoon-is-everywhere-right-now-and-for-good-reason/12515724) • [10](https://www.starnewskorea.com/en/star/2026/06/04/2026060315510041130)
## Solo music career
Park began his solo career on 26 March 2019 with the mini album *O'Clock* and the lead single "L.O.V.E", saying at his debut showcase that he wanted to meet fans quickly and "prove that I can make it on my own".[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) • [3](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190326010200315) The album's closing track "Young 20", an R&B song, was composed by his former bandmate Lee Dae-hwi and co-written by Lee and Park.[3](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190326010200315) His second EP, *360*, followed in December 2019.[11](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20191204009400315)
He released steadily through the 2020s, reaching his sixth mini album *The Answer* in 2022 and his seventh, *Blank or Black*, in April 2023.[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) After his Maroo Entertainment contract expired in 2024, he signed with YY Entertainment later that year.[2](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon) • [12](https://v.daum.net/v/XVBfwB1me8) On 29 April 2026 he returned to music with the single album *Re:flect*, his first release in three years, containing three tracks: the lead single "Bodyelse", a mid-tempo pop dance track, plus "Watercolor" and the pop ballad "I Can't Hold Your Hand Anymore".[5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260429004300315?section=culture%2Fk-pop) He supported the release with the fan concert RE:FLECT on 30 and 31 May 2026 at KINTEX in Goyang, followed by an Asia fan-con tour.[8](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/others/20260525/from-danjong-oppa-to-military-cook-drama-park-ji-hoons-second-act-is-exploding) • [13](https://hitkultr.com/artists/park-jihoon)
## Acting career
Park's first adult acting role came in the JTBC historical drama *Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency* (2019), his first lead role, which topped drama cast hot-topic lists for eight consecutive weeks.[3](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190326010200315) • [14](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/park-ji-hoon/) He followed with the dramas *Love Revolution*, *At a Distance, Spring Is Green* (2021), and *Love Song for Illusion*, for which he won Excellent Actor (mini series) at the 2024 KBS Drama Awards.[8](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/others/20260525/from-danjong-oppa-to-military-cook-drama-park-ji-hoons-second-act-is-exploding) • [15](https://asianwiki.com/Park_Ji-Hoon_%281999%29)
**Weak Hero.** His role as Yeon Si-eun in *[Weak Hero Class 1](https://www.edgepedia.org/weak-hero-class-1)* is widely credited with changing public perception of him: the darker, emotionally intense character helped him shed his youthful idol image and attracted global streaming audiences on Netflix, and he returned for *[Weak Hero Class 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/weak-hero-class-2)* in 2025.[8](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/others/20260525/from-danjong-oppa-to-military-cook-drama-park-ji-hoons-second-act-is-exploding) • [4](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/weak-hero-class-2-cast/)
**The King's Warden.** In February 2026 Park played the deposed Joseon-era king Danjong in the historical film *[The King's Warden](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-kings-warden)* (also reported under the title *The Man Who Lives with the King*), directed by Jang Hang-jun. The film surpassed 16 million moviegoers, and Korean viewers began calling him "Danjong oppa" as clips spread online.[5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260429004300315?section=culture%2Fk-pop) • [8](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/others/20260525/from-danjong-oppa-to-military-cook-drama-park-ji-hoons-second-act-is-exploding) • [16](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202604011532007) He also completed filming the TVING original series *The Legend of the Army Cook*, scheduled for release in May 2026.[17](https://www.soompi.com/article/1822961wpp/park-ji-hoon-to-make-solo-comeback)
## Public standing in 2026
In the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute's April 2026 big-data analysis of boy group individual brand reputation, Park ranked first, ahead of [Jimin](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimin) and Jung Kook of BTS, with a Brand Reputation Index of 14,004,945, up 7.77 percent from March; keyword analysis highlighted "The King's Warden", "RE:FLECT", and "Bodyelse", and the positive ratio was 93.51 percent.[18](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/hot-issues/12020617) Commentators describe his 2026 position as a rare case of an idol sustaining music, television, and film activity simultaneously rather than letting one lane replace another.[8](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/others/20260525/from-danjong-oppa-to-military-cook-drama-park-ji-hoons-second-act-is-exploding) • [13](https://hitkultr.com/artists/park-jihoon)
## References
1. [PARK JI HOON 박지훈 Official Linktree](https://linktr.ee/parkjihoon529)
2. [Park Jihoon (Wanna One) profile, kpopping](https://kpopping.com/profiles/idol/Park-Jihoon)
3. [Ex-Wanna One member Park Ji-hoon swings open solo career, Yonhap News Agency (26 March 2019)](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190326010200315)
4. [Meet the Cast of 'Weak Hero Class 2', Marie Claire](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/weak-hero-class-2-cast/)
5. [Park Ji-hoon returns as singer with 1st release in 3 years, Yonhap News Agency (29 April 2026)](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260429004300315?section=culture%2Fk-pop)
6. ['입덕'하고픈 '워너원'은 누구?, 주간동아](https://weekly.donga.com/coverstory/article/all/11/1046104/1)
7. [Park Ji-hoon on Wanna One Reunion, SBS News](https://news.sbs.co.kr/amp/news.amp?news_id=N1008420946)
8. [From 'Danjong oppa' to military cook drama, Park Ji-hoon's second act is exploding, The Korea Times (25 May 2026)](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/others/20260525/from-danjong-oppa-to-military-cook-drama-park-ji-hoons-second-act-is-exploding)
9. [From K-pop idol to sought-after actor: Park Ji-hoon is everywhere right now, Korea JoongAng Daily](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/from-k-pop-idol-to-sought-after-actor-park-ji-hoon-is-everywhere-right-now-and-for-good-reason/12515724)
10. [Park Ji-hoon: "I was worried that Wanna One's reunion might be calculated...", STARNEWS (4 June 2026)](https://www.starnewskorea.com/en/star/2026/06/04/2026060315510041130)
11. [Park Ji-hoon returns with seductive second EP '360', Yonhap News Agency (4 December 2019)](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20191204009400315)
12. [워너원 출신 박지훈, YY엔터와 전속계약, Daum News](https://v.daum.net/v/XVBfwB1me8)
13. [Park Jihoon – RE:FLECT Fancon Soloist and Actor, HITKULTR](https://hitkultr.com/artists/park-jihoon)
14. [Park Ji-hoon | Booking Agent, MN2S](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/park-ji-hoon/)
15. [Park Ji-Hoon (1999), AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/Park_Ji-Hoon_%281999%29)
16. ['Danjong Oppa' Park Ji-hoon, will he also succeed as a singer, Sports Kyunghyang (1 April 2026)](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202604011532007)
17. [Park Ji Hoon To Make Solo Comeback, Soompi (5 March 2026)](https://www.soompi.com/article/1822961wpp/park-ji-hoon-to-make-solo-comeback)
18. [Wanna One's Park Ji-hoon Tops Boy Group Individual Reputation Ranking, Maeil Business (MK) (18 April 2026)](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/hot-issues/12020617)
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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 › Project groups, units, idol bands, solo idols, localized, and virtual groups*
*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