Kim Min-gyu

Kim Min-gyu, known mononymously as Mingyu, is a South Korean rapper and singer signed under Pledis Entertainment. He is best known as a member of the South Korean boy group Seventeen and its hip hop team. Over the course of his career, he has expanded his activities into songwriting, television hosting, sub-unit music releases, and international brand ambassadorships.

Mingyu was born on April 6, 1997, in Anyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea. He attended Seoul Broadcasting High School, graduating in 2016. In October 2011, while attending middle school, he was street-cast and joined Pledis Entertainment as a trainee. During his training period, he appeared in the online reality show Seventeen TV on Ustream, which introduced prospective group members as they trained, sang, created choreographies, and played games. He also participated in the show's Like Seventeen concerts and appeared in music videos for fellow Pledis artists, including Nu'est and Hello Venus.

Mingyu officially debuted as a member of Seventeen on May 26, 2015, with the release of the extended play 17 Carat. Since his debut, he has contributed as a songwriter to more than 45 songs for the group. In February 2018, he broadened his broadcast work by becoming a host for SBS's weekly music program Inkigayo alongside DIA's Jung Chae-yeon and actor Song Kang, remaining in the role until late 2019.

In addition to group releases, Mingyu has engaged in collaborative and sub-unit musical projects. In 2021, he teamed up with Seventeen bandmate Wonwoo to release the digital single "Bittersweet," featuring singer Lee Hi. On September 29, 2025, he debuted alongside bandmate S.Coups in Seventeen's fourth sub-unit, named CxM. The duo released a six-track extended play titled Hype Vibes.

Mingyu has established a significant presence in the fashion industry. In 2022, he attended an event for French jeweler Cartier in Seoul and subsequently featured on the cover of Dazed Korea's December issue wearing the brand. He attended Marni's Fall/Winter 2023 runway show in Tokyo in February 2023, followed by Dior's show at Paris Fashion Week in February 2024, where he was profiled by Vogue. He became a local ambassador for Italian luxury brand Bvlgari in March 2024, attended the opening of Calvin Klein's Paris flagship store in June 2024, and modeled for Calvin Klein's Fall 2024 campaign shot by photographer Park Jong Ha. In August 2024, French luxury fashion house Dior named him an official brand ambassador.

Beyond fashion, Mingyu has served as a corporate and product ambassador for numerous commercial brands. He was appointed as an ambassador for French cosmetics company Lancome in 2022 and became a global model for South Korean skincare brand Innisfree in 2023. In May 2024, he was named the Asian ambassador for French skincare brand L'Occitane and a global model for South Korean haircare brand Unove. In October 2024, Indonesian bank Allo Bank named Mingyu and Wonwoo as brand ambassadors, and in January 2025, Mingyu became an Asian brand ambassador for American chocolate brand Snickers.