Artist Profile
- Full Name: Kevin Woo
- Native Name: 우성현
- Nicknames: Kevin
- Birthday: Nov 25, 1991 (34 years old)
- Blood type: O
- Height/Weight: 180 cm (5'11) / 59 kg (130.1 lbs)
- Gender: Male
- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
- MBTI: ESFP
- Birthplace: Danville, California, United States
- Nationality: Korean-American
- Profession: Singer, Songwriter, Television Host, Actor
- Language Skills: Korean, English
- Current Agency: FC ENM, Japan Music Entertainment (Japan), UTA (Global)
- Debut: 2006 (XING); 2008 (U-KISS); 2018 (solo Japan)
- Fandom: KLOVER
- Years Active: 2006–present (20 years)
- Group: UX1
Kevin Woo, Korean name Woo Sung-hyun (우성현), is a Korean-American singer, songwriter, actor, and MC born on November 25, 1991. He is active in K-pop and musical theatre, currently under FC ENM and represented globally by UTA. Kevin is a member of UX1, a subunit of U-KISS (유키스), and a former member of U-KISS, where he served as the group’s main vocalist, lead dancer, and face of the group.
Early Life
Kevin Woo was born and raised in Danville, California. His family has a background in the arts: his mother was a fashion model in South Korea, and his paternal uncle, Emmanuel Woo, was an actor and classical opera singer in Germany. He has an older sister named Deanna Woo.
Kevin attended Monte Vista High School in California, where he was a member of the school choir. During a trip to South Korea, he auditioned for XING Entertainment and was accepted at the age of 15. He then moved to South Korea with his mother to pursue a career in music. He trained for approximately four years before his official debut. He later also graduated from Kyungdong High School in South Korea.
Career
2006
On December 14, 2006, Kevin Woo debuted as a member of XING with the single album In Your Hands.
2008
In April 2008, Kevin left XING and filed a lawsuit against XING Entertainment for breach of contract. On August 28, 2008, he debuted with U-KISS through the mini album New Generation.
2009
In February 2009, Kevin became an MC for the “All About You” segment on Arirang TV’s radio show Pops in Seoul, co-hosting with Kim Isak. In December 2009, Kevin and Alexander released the single “Finally”, composed by Brave Brothers.
2010
Kevin Woo won the lawsuit against XING Entertainment on March 21, 2010. In July 2010, he appeared in the drama I Am Legend alongside members Soohyun, Kibum, Kiseop, and Dongho as part of a fictional rock band. In August 2010, Kevin and Alexander became MCs for Arirang TV’s music show The M-Wave.
2011
On January 5, 2011, Kevin took on the lead role in the musical On Air Live. In October 2011, Kevin and Eli collaborated with Japanese singer JAMOSA under Avex on the single “Together”, released on December 7. In November 2011, Kevin and Eli were selected as MCs for Mnet’s English-language music show US M! Countdown.
2013
In April 2013, U-KISS launched the subunit uBEAT, consisting of Kevin, Eli, and AJ, debuting with the EP I Should Have Treated You Better during a special edition of M! Countdown in Taiwan. From April to June 2013, Kevin appeared in the Korean adaptation of the musical Summer Snow alongside artists from Super Junior, Supernova, SS501, and FT Island.
2014
On May 1, 2014, Kevin appeared as a guest on Arirang TV’s After School Club, and from episode 43 became a co-host alongside Eric Nam, Jae Park, and Park Jimin. He remained with the show for four years.
2015
Kevin appeared in the web drama About Love: Milky Love, released on Naver.
2017
On March 1, 2017, NH Media announced that Kevin would leave U-KISS upon the expiration of his contract on March 31, 2017. He continued promoting with the group through mid-April.
2018
On April 10, 2018, Kevin concluded his role as MC on After School Club after four years. On July 22, 2018, he signed with Japan Music Entertainment to pursue his career in Japan. On October 25, 2018, Kevin released his first Japanese solo single, “Ride Along”.
2019
From February to March 2019, Kevin participated in the Korean adaptation of the musical Altar Boyz. In July 2019, Kevin was featured on the single “Over You” by British DJ duo Hollaphonic and performed at KCON New York for the first time. On July 31, 2019, Kevin released his debut EP Treasure, led by the single “Freedom”, his first self-composed song. That same year, he embarked on his first solo tour, Come Alive Tour, and released the single “Falling” in collaboration with James Lee of Royal Pirates.
2021
In March 2021, Kevin joined as a creative consultant on the K-pop-themed chapter All-Kill in the survival horror game Dead by Daylight, contributing to the development of the character The Trickster. On June 29, 2021, Kevin released his first English-language single in the US, “Got It”, through Sony Music Korea.
2022
On April 4, 2022, Kevin was announced as a cast member of the Broadway musical KPOP, playing the character Jun Hyuk, a member of the fictional idol group F8. The show began previews in October and officially opened in New York on November 20, 2022.
2025
In 2025, Kevin provided the singing voice for the character Mystery Saja in Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters. On October 26, 2025, he signed with agency UTA for his global activities. On November 1, 2025, Kevin, Hoon, and Kiseop announced the formation of the subunit UX1. On November 26, 2025, UX1 released the digital single “Halo”, followed by the special single “Winterland” in December, alongside the concert series First Winter Story in Japan.
2026
On March 17, 2026, Kevin participated in the Dead by Daylight: All-Kill: Comeback update in three roles: as a content consultant, voice actor for the new survivor Kwon Tae-young, and as the composer and recording artist behind the original track “No Escape”.
Popularity
Following the release of KPop Demon Hunters in 2025, Kevin gained renewed international attention across Spotify, YouTube, and social media platforms. The film achieved major global success on Netflix and remained in the platform’s global rankings for multiple weeks.
Kevin has maintained a steady presence in the Japanese market since 2018 under Japan Music Entertainment. He manages an official Instagram account at @kevinwoo_official and a personal YouTube channel. His official fan club is named KLOVER.
Awards
In 2026, KPop Demon Hunters, for which Kevin Woo provided vocals, won two awards at the 2026 Oscars: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden”.
Fun Facts
- He was a member of the choir at Monte Vista High School before being discovered through an audition in South Korea.
- When he first moved to South Korea, older members often corrected him for speaking banmal (반말, informal speech).
- He plays both guitar and piano.
- He was one of the English-speaking members of U-KISS, alongside Eli, AJ, and Alexander.
- Kevin said he became a fan of Dead by Daylight after working on the game.
- Kevin said he focused on the darker side of The Trickster’s idol persona.
- Kevin is the only member of the KPop Demon Hunters Saja Boys vocal cast with real-world experience as a K-pop idol.
- Kevin shared on TikTok that he personally believes Mystery Saja had feelings for Zoey.
- He appeared in Anderson .Paak’s film K-Pops! and played the lead role in the short film Seoul Switch, produced by Margaret Cho.
- His Korean name is Woo Seonghyeon (우성현), though he is primarily active under the stage name Kevin Woo, or Kevin.