Kun

## Kun钱锟

* Personal Info
* Career Info
* SNS

**Kun** (Simplified Chinese: 锟; Korean: 쿤), born Kun Qian (Simplified Chinese: 钱锟), is a Chinese singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the leader and main vocalist of the Chinese male idol group WayV. He is one of the members of the South Korea-based male idol group NCT and its sub-unit NCT U, introduced to the group during the NCT 2018 project. He is also part of WayV's first sub-unit WayV-KUN&XIAOJUN.

## Early life

He was born and raised in Taining County, Fujian, though he is said to have lived in Taiwan for two years as a child. He studied at Taining Experimental Primary School in elementary school, Taining No. 1 Middle School in middle school.

In his first grade, Kun participated in the school's *Little Campus Singer* singing competition and won the first place. In his third grade, he began to host various cultural activities of the school, and then Taining County Education Bureau and Cultural Bureau would often invite him to host children's cultural programs. In the second grade, he began to serve as the school announcer. By chance, he was taken by a cultural media company in Beijing for imitating a dolphin sound. The company wanted to take him to Beijing for special training, but his parents did not want their young son to stay away. Even so, his parents firmly believed in allowing him to continue his music studies, so for him to better devote himself to music learning, his parents bought instruments such as piano and guitar. The 15-year-old Kun started to compose songs by himself without the guidance of a teacher. With talent and accumulation of cultivation, he created many songs, including "星期二 (Tuesday)", "忘了 (Forgotten)", "故人归 (An Old Friend Returns)", "因為我愛你 (Because I Love You)", "為龍 (For the Dragon)" and other songs. In November 2011, he participated in the *尋找新小虎隊 (Looking for a New Tiger Team)* selection audition without telling his family, and successfully advanced to the top 10. He then became part of the Tiger Boys 2.0, later renamed as CHANGE, which was a spin-off of the super popular Chinese idol group Tiger Boys. In September 2012, he went to Taiwan for training, but he eventually quit the group to focus on his studies.

In 2015, he entered college as a pop vocal major at Beijing Contemporary Music Academy. For the whole stay in the university, he shared a dormitory room with Zhu Xingjie, also known as J. Zen (who at the time was also debuting as a singer). Kun passed SM Entertainment's Guangzhou auditions in the same year and became a trainee.

## Career

### Pre-debut

On January 5, 2016, he was introduced as a member of SMROOKIES. Before his debut as a member of NCT, however, he had participated in many group activities. On April 9, 2016, he attended the 16th Annual Music Awards with NCT U, where he sang the Chinese version of the new single "WITHOUT YOU" with the other NCT U members. On the 10th, the single was officially released, which was also Kun's first officially released song. On May 9 of the same year, he appeared in the NCT group variety show "NCT Life in Seoul" as a trainee.

### NCT

*For specific activities by NCT, please visit the main article.*

In mid-January of 2018, SM Entertainment unveiled NCT 2018, a project involving all the current members of NCT. On January 30, SM released a video titled "NCT 2018 Yearbook #1," which featured all prior members and introduced new members Kun, Lucas, and Jungwoo. He made his official debut on April 18, 2018, with NCT 2018 EMPATHY, and Kun was especially promoted as the spearhead of the NCT China project.

For the NCT 2020 project, he participated in the promotions for *NCT 2020 RESONANCE Pt. 1* title song "From Home".

### WayV

*For specific activities by WayV, please visit the main article.*

The formation of WayV was announced through the group's official Weibo account on December 31, 2018, though the group's existence had been alluded to during the NCT 2018 promotions.

He debuted with WayV as the group's leader and main vocalist on January 17, 2019, with the digital release *The Vision*.

For WayV's Rainbow V project, he sang a cover with Xiaojun. The music they used was Khalil Fong's "紅豆 (Red Bean)," with Xiaojun providing the guitar accompaniment. On June 16, 2021, the duo debuted as a sub-unit, named WayV-KUN&XIAOJUN, with the digital release *Back To You*.Other activities

### Song collaborations

*For a complete list of song collaborations, please visit Kun/Discography.*

On February 28, 2020, the public welfare song "I'll be there" was released by Zhoumi, featuring Kun and Xiaojun. The message of the song is to fight the new type of pneumonia epidemic, COVID-19.### Variety shows

*This page only shows programs wherein the member is a permanent cast member. For a complete list of variety show appearances, please visit Kun/Filmography.*
On December 24, 2019, he was a co-host of the MBC MUSIC beauty show "Pink Festa". In October 2020, the show was renewed, and Kun returned as a regular host.### Radio shows

In November 2020, Kun appeared at the Korean radio station tbs eFM's Chinese program *乐动首尔 (Akdong Seoul)* as a guest, where fellow NCT member Chenle is a host. Renjun had also previously been the host for the program.
From December 6, 2020, as a regular guest, he joined Chenle as part of the 《Top of 乐动首尔》Sunday unit, and appears as a guest for Sunday broadcasts. On January 18-24, 2021, Kun served as a special host in absence of Chenle. On April 2-15, 2021, Kun once again served as a special host, since Chenle got into contact with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19 and thus needed to be quarantined.

 Dec 12 - present
 2021
 Mar 17
 Jun 16

## Personal life

His family is composed of his father, mother, and himself, as he is an only child. He has two dogs at home named Xiao Mi and Fei Fei.

He was originally named Qian Lebin (Simplified Chinese: 钱乐彬), but his parents wanted him to be a man of indomitable spirit, so his name was changed to Qian Kun.

During his training period at SM Entertainment, he still continued his university studies. On May 25, 2018, at the graduation ceremony as a representative of outstanding graduates, he delivered a speech.

## Profile pictures

For a more complete list of photos, please go to *Kun/Gallery*.

## Trivia

* Assorted
* Preferences
* Promotions
* WayV YouTube channel
* NCT 2020 ENQUETE
* WOW 大牌 TMI

* He can speak three languages: Mandarin, Korean, and basic English.
	+ He thinks in Korean when he's in Korea, and in Mandarin when he is in China.
	+ He writes in Simplified Chinese. Among the WayV members, he is the best at writing and has the best handwriting.
* In the new dormitory, he has his own room, but shares the unit with Ten and YangYang.
* In the old dormitory, he shared a room with Xiaojun and YangYang. Their room is the largest in their current dormitory. The room has a computer, which they use to play games.
	+ The WayV dormitory auntie frequently confuses Kun and Ten for each other since they have similar names.
* During his trainee period, he was roommates with Winwin, and then lived with Lucas, Hendery, and YangYang. During the time of NCT 2018 promotions, he was roommates with Lucas.
* His name is frequently misspelled and misread in Chinese, because his name Kun (锟) is similar to another word that also reads Kun (琨), and is similar to the word for silver, Yin (银). Even Lucas misread it as Yin during *研究笔记 (Research Note).*
* His childhood dream was an astronaut, and he says that if he hadn't become a singer, he would have become a pilot. He said he would like to obtain an aviation pilot license if there is an opportunity.
* He has experience in flying planes and can fly drones, as seen in *KUN's Cloud*.
* His dream of becoming a singer was cultivated due to seeing EXO.
* His specialty is playing the piano. When he was young, he hated playing the piano, but a friend said that it was cool to play the piano well, so he learned to play the piano again after entering university.
* He has been actively creating music, and often goes to the recording studio to communicate with other composers and musicians. From time to time, he uploads his own original songs on his personal Weibo, Instagram, and Soundcloud accounts, and has also helped members arrange their covers for many times, with some showcased in WayV-logs.
* He is also good at video editing, often editing vlog for combinations and updating his own exclusive video series *KUN's Cloud*/
* He was deeply attracted by Liu Qian's magic performance in the 2008 Spring Festival Gala. Since then, he has studied magic, and now he often uses magic as a personal skill to show his fans. He started learning when he was in middle school. In a Weibo post dated 2015, he has asked Zhu Xingjie, his college roommate, to teach him magic tricks. He has also met up with a Korean magician, Charming Choi.
* He jogs for 8 km every morning with Xiaojun, though as of recent, they haven't been doing it much.
* Because classes shifted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he attended an online class on Korean pronunciation. He decided it was easier to learn in an offline class.
* He listens to songs before going to bed while wearing headphones. If he doesn't wear headphones, he won't be able to fall asleep.
* When he was young, he participated in a lot of poem reciting, speech, and little singer competitions.
* He used to be an announcer at his elementary school and middle school radio station.
* The part from the movie *Titanic* that stuck with him was the part where the lead actor is holding the lead actress, and the background music starts to play.
* When he's worried, he tends to think about the worst case scenario, because he's afraid of getting disappointed later on. He then tries to just approach things with a mindset that doesn't expect the best outcome but also not expecting the worst.
* He is the type to venture out and experience a new place. He's lived in Beijing, Taipei, and Korea, so he has a lot of experience adjusting to a new environment.

- He likes spring and autumn seasons, because of the flowers, autumn leaves, and beautiful scenery that comes with the seasons. Shirts and hoodies are also comfortable in those seasons. It gives him inspiration. He doesn't like summer (as it's too hot) and winter (as it's too cold).

- His method of relieving stress is jogging. He is able to relax when he's jogging. He likes running at the Han river because it's long.

- He really likes sweets and desserts, especially chocolate.

- His favorite type of magic is card tricks, which he's been learning since middle school.

- Before coming to Korea, he wasn't really into coffee and wondered why Koreans liked drinking coffee so much. One day, he tried it and was addicted.

- His preferred coffee is Iced Americano. He doesn't like sweet coffees, even though he likes sweets.

- His favorite song from the *Kick Back (mini album)* is "Good Time".

- His favorite songs from Baekhyun's third mini album *Bambi* are "Cry For Love", "Amusement Park", and "Bambi".

- If he had to choose a member's princess photo, enlarge it and print it, and put it by his bed, he would choose the "iron princess" Xiaojun, because that photo can ward off evil and ghosts.

- His member color in WayV is orange.

- His animal motifs are a pig and a bear. The former is especially seen as a lucky animal in Chinese culture.

- His jersey number was 11 during the 2019 WayV FANMEETING TOUR 'Section 1 We Are Your Vision' and NCT World 2.0. It represents his birthday, which is on January 1 (1/1).

- His prison cell number in "超时空 回 (Turn Back Time)" was 11 1011.

- His member code for NCT 2020 promotions was E11, with E signifying that he's the 5th member of NCT according to age order (excluding Sungchan and Shotaro).

- His first official stage performance as a member of SMROOKIES was the performance of "백열등 (Light Bulb)", when it was still called "Switch Off".

- He has been part of 6 NCT U releases: "WITHOUT YOU", "백열등 (Light Bulb)", "Dancing in the Rain", "From Home", "Raise the Roof", and "I.O.U".
	* He was credited as a member of SMROOKIES for "WITHOUT YOU".

- He wrote his signature as "QIAN KUN" for the *NCT 2020 RESONANCE Pt. 2* ID and access cards.

- From [WayV-ariety] Research Note:
	* Lucas thinks Kun is very helpful to others. When the other members want to eat something, Kun either cooks it himself or buys it for them. Kun cooks a lot for the members when he has time.
	* Kun likes eating, and his favorite food is Ma La Xiang Guo (spicy stir-fry hot pot). He also enjoys Thai food such as Somtam.
	* Kun can't eat raw food such as sushi, sashimi, or raw beef.
	* Kun is a smart person. Kun likes learning new things through watching videos, such as new cooking recipes.
	* Lucas often asks Kun for help with regards to music-related matters or editing video content.
	* Despite all the compliments, Lucas thinks Kun's weakness is being a little small-minded and sulky.

- From [WayV-ariety] ✌This or That✌:
	* Shirt or **Hoodie**: He tends to buy more hoodies. He especially likes large-sized ones as these feel comfortable.
	* Sneakers or **Sandals**: He doesn't usually wear sandals or slippers.
	* Nose or **Eyes**: Because the eyes look pretty when smiling.
	* Hair tied up or **Hair tied down**: He used to like wearing his hair up, but lately, he likes to wear it down because it's neat and feels comfortable.
	* Earrings or **Necklace**: He didn't pierce his ears.
	* **Cooking** or delivering food: He is learning how to cook.
	* **White soup** or Red soup: He makes his own hot sauce.
	* Day or **Night**: He gets a lot of inspiration at night.
	* **Coffee** or Tea: This doesn't need to be asked.
	* **Starving for three days** or Staying up all night for 3 days: He has actually experienced it, and he was able to endure it. He doesn't think he can stay up, not even for a day.
	* **Ballad songs** or Dance songs: He is an emotional person.
	* **Piano accompaniment** or Guitar accompaniment: The main instrument used for ballad music is the piano. The piano has a wide range, therefore various colors can be expressed.
	* **Composing a melody** vs writing lyrics: He is currently trying to do both.
	* **Mountain** or Ocean: You can see further when you're on a high place.
	* **Summer** or Winter: He is sensitive to the cold. He has to cover himself with multiple layers of blankets in the winter.
	* Puppies or **Kittens**: Though he likes both, he likes how cats can be more charming.
	* **Calling** or Texting: It's sometimes easier to call when he needs to talk to someone. It's tiresome to keep typing.
	* **Bed** or Sofa: He bought a really comfortable mattress recently.
	* **Movies** or Games: He watches a lot of movies.
	* Muscle training or **Cardio workouts**: He used to like running in the park. He likes breathing in the fresh air, listening to music, and enjoying his own time while doing so.
	* **Writing** or Drawing: Because he is really *really* *really* bad at drawing.

* Translation by Hanippun

* Translation by Hanippun

1. ↑ 200120 WayV TEEN VOGUE interview.
2. ↑ 201006 Kun Weibo update
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 210403 乐动首尔/악동서울 (Akdong Seoul) broadcast
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 210409 乐动首尔/악동서울 (Akdong Seoul) broadcast
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 210410 乐动首尔/악동서울 (Akdong Seoul) broadcast
6. ↑ 210411 乐动首尔/악동서울 (Akdong Seoul) broadcast
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 210412 乐动首尔/악동서울 (Akdong Seoul) broadcast
8. ↑ 210407 乐动首尔/악동서울 (Akdong Seoul) broadcast
9. ↑ 210406 乐动首尔/악동서울 (Akdong Seoul) broadcast
10. ↑ 210303 WayV QQMusic interview
11. ↑ WayV [WayV-ariety] Research Note Kun episode
12. ↑ WayV [WayV-ariety] ✌This or That✌ Kun episode

## References

1. ↑ http://fj.sina.com.cn/city/sanming/information/s/2012-08-23/1210676.html
2. ↑ http://ent.sina.com.cn/y/2012-05-22/09323636479.shtml
3. ↑ https://www.kpopn.com/2016/01/06/smrookies-%e6%96%b0%e9%9d%a2%e5%ad%94%ef%bc%9a%e9%8c%95%e3%80%81%e6%98%80%e6%98%80%e2%80%ac/
4. ↑ https://www.kpopn.com/2016/01/06/smrookies-%e6%96%b0%e9%9d%a2%e5%ad%94%ef%bc%9a%e9%8c%95%e3%80%81%e6%98%80%e6%98%80%e2%80%ac/
5. ↑ http://ent.163.com/16/0410/12/BK9R1T3H00031H0O.html
6. ↑ https://www.kpopn.com/2018/02/03/nct%e3%80%8c2018-yearbook-2%e3%80%8d%e5%85%ac%e9%96%8b%e5%b0%87%e5%9c%a82018%e5%b9%b4%e9%96%83%e8%80%80%e7%9a%8418%e4%bd%8d%e6%88%90%e5%93%a1%ef%bc%81
7. ↑ http://ent.sina.com.cn/y/yrihan/2018-12-31/doc-ihqhqcis1883203.shtml
8. ↑  https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8469964/k-pop-label-sm-entertainment-to-launch-china-oriented-nct-group
9. ↑ https://www.soompi.com/article/1369660wpp/go-jun-hee-chosen-as-mc-of-new-beauty-talk-show
10. ↑ Akdong Seoul 210409, translation by @lovekun960101
11. ↑ https://idol001.com/news/nct/detail/5b07970d7a117385598b4933/