Baekho (singer)
Kang Dong-ho, known professionally as Baekho, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, and musical theatre actor. Formerly the main vocalist and music producer of South Korean boy group NU'EST, Baekho made his debut as a solo artist in October 2022 with the release of his first extended play Absolute Zero. Known for his powerhouse vocals and powerful physique, he has been dubbed the "Sexy Icon" of his generation.
Early life and education
Kang Dong-ho was born on July 21, 1995 in Aewol, Jeju Province, South Korea. He has a younger brother.He has mentioned that he originally had no intention of going into the music industry prior to being scouted, later citing Korean boy group TVXQ as his role models and musical inspiration. He graduated from Seoul Broadcasting High School, and later from the Paekche Institute of the Arts. On March 10, 2020, together with members JR, Minhyun, and Ren, he enrolled at Hanyang University Institute for Future Talents as freshmen in Practical Music Course.
Career
Pre-debut
Baekho became a Pledis Entertainment trainee after being scouted by the company in 2010. He became better known after he appeared in labelmate After School's music video for the single "Play Ur Love". In 2011, he and bandmate JR appeared on the KBS talk show Hello Counselor and were revealed by After School's Kahi as two of the members of NU'EST.Prior to his debut, Baekho made appearances in labelmates' music releases as a member of Pledis Boys. He was a backup dancer for After School Blue's "Wonder Boy", and featured in Pledis Entertainment's Christmas release "Love Letter".
2012–2022: NU'EST
On March 15, 2012, Baekho debuted as the main vocalist of NU'EST. His stage name was chosen by labelmate Uee of After School, because of his resemblance to Slam Dunk character Hanamichi Sakuragi.In 2013, Baekho made a cameo appearance in the television drama Jeon Woo-chi.
In early 2014, he was diagnosed with vocal fold nodules. However, he decided to continue performing with NU'EST while receiving treatment. Pledis Entertainment announced in November that he would be taking a temporary hiatus from all group activities. His doctors advised that he completely rest his voice, and he underwent vocal cord surgery. In February 2016, it was reported that he had completely recovered.
In 2015, Baekho starred in a minor supporting role in Japanese independent film Their Distance alongside NU'EST members.
Baekho began participating in song-writing and music production in 2015, with his first self-produced songs "Lost & Found" and "VVith" included in NU'EST's fourth EP Q is. He has been listed as an album producer for every NU'EST and NU'EST W release since then.
Produce 101
In 2017, Baekho, under his real name Kang Dong-ho, participated as a contestant on Produce 101 Season 2 alongside NU'EST members JR, Minhyun and Ren. After performing a cover of BTS's "Boy in Luv" on the show, he gained the nickname of 'sexy bandit' from netizens. In the position-based challenge, he covered Blackpink's "Playing with Fire", and the view count of his fancam reached one million views within three days. He was also noted by commenters for his stable vocals in the music removed performance. His reading of the lyric 'Wow megaton bomb' also went viral, leading to a 400% increase in sales of Lotte's 'megaton bar' ice cream. Baekho eventually placed 13th and did not debut in the project group Wanna One, promoting with the remaining NU'EST members as sub-group NU'EST W from 2017 to 2018.Mnet vote manipulation investigation
On November 18, 2020, the Seoul High Court disclosed as part of the Mnet vote manipulation investigation that Baekho was a victim of voting manipulation when he participated on Produce 101 Season 2. It was revealed by the Court that in the final episode, Baekho was directly swapped out of the group's line-up by the show's producers, who replaced him with the trainee that actually placed 13th.Although both of the show's producers Kim Yong-bum and Ahn Joon-young alleged that Baekho requested to be removed from the final lineup of his own volition, Pledis Entertainment denied the allegations. CJ ENM released a statement regarding the progress of negotiations to financially compensate all the trainees who were affected by voting manipulation across all the Produce 101 programs, including Baekho. However, Pledis stated that they had not been contacted by CJ ENM regarding the compensation as of November 18, 2020.
On November 20, 2020, it was revealed that during the filming of Produce 101 Season 2, Baekho had been suffering from anxiety disorder to the point of collapsing from panic attacks, and that Ahn and the Mnet staff were aware of Baekho's diagnosis. Ahn alleged that after speaking to Baekho in May 2017 in regards to his mental health and his involvement in the show, he interpreted Baekho's responses to mean that Baekho wanted to be eliminated from the competition. However, the Court maintained that Baekho was not personally involved in the decision to have his rank manipulated, and ruled him as a victim of unfair elimination through vote manipulation.
Solo ventures and musical theatre debut
In June 2018, Baekho participated in vocal competition show King of Mask Singer, advancing to the third round. Under the mask of David Beckham, he received praise for his second-round performance of "Beautiful Night", which showed off his control over rhythm and pitch as well as his mid-to-low register, and his third-round performance of rock ballad "I Remember", which had him lauded by critics for his 'explosive' high register in addition to his emotional delivery and 'sensitivity beyond his age'.Baekho had his first solo award show performance at the 33rd Golden Disc Awards in January 2019, singing his W, Here track "Thanksful for You", which is dedicated to his late father. In the same month, he also participated in his first original television drama soundtrack, releasing strings-based power ballad "That Day, We" for historical epic The Crowned Clown.
On January 11, 2020, Baekho held his first overseas concert "BAEKHO-liday" in Macau. The Taipei and Bangkok stops of the mini-Asia tour, intended to be held in February, were cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Baekho was appointed ambassador for Korean Red Cross' blood donation campaign in December 2020, in an effort to alleviate the severe blood shortage crisis during the Coronavirus pandemic. Following a visit to a blood donation center, he further held gift events to encourage fans to become donors as well.
In 2021, Baekho made his musical theatre debut as the male lead Haram in the stage play Midnight Sun. The production ran from May–July 2021. He received praise for his "excellent singing skills with delicate expressive power" and "deep emotional acting" for his role.
From May 31 to June 7, Baekho hosted Power FM's radio show Youngstreet as a special DJ. In December, Baekho was selected as the MC for season 2 of Idol Challenge: Another Class, a donation-aimed variety show produced in collaboration with Good Neighbors, a non-profit organisation that focuses on children's rights around the world.
On December 19, Baekho released self-written ballad "Forevermore" as an OST track for the drama Now, We Are Breaking Up.
In December 2021, he acted in his second musical, playing boy band leader Matthew in the South Korean production of Off-Broadway concert-type musical Altar Boyz. Shortly after conclusion of Altar Boyz
2022–2023: ''Absolute Zero'', Asia tour and "Elevator"
It was announced on February 28, 2022, that NU'EST's exclusive contract with Pledis Entertainment will expire on March 14, 2022 and that Baekho and Minhyun have renewed their contracts with the agency while members Aron, JR, and Ren did not.On March 21, he released punk soul song "Bite!" for KBS2 drama Crazy Love. On April 6–7 and 10, he acted as a special DJ at MBC radio show Close Friend.
From July 15 to 17, Baekho held his first fan meeting "Baekation" as a solo artist, where he performed a new unreleased song on the electric guitar; "Wanna Go Back" is later included in his debut EP.
He participated in the original soundtrack for ENA detective drama Good Job with the song "Savior", released on September 1.' He also appeared as a mission song producer on JTBC vocal survival show The Second World in October.
Baekho released his first solo EP Absolute Zero on October 12, 2022. Continuing to take the helm in record production, Baekho weaves a love story throughout the track list, capturing a relationship from its start to downfall. The EP is headed by title track "No Rules", for which he drew inspiration from his hometown Jeju's night seas, a song about liberation in love that mixes his signature bass lines with a rock sound. "No Rules" marked his successful solo debut after 11 years, topping Bugs music charts upon release.
From January to May 2023, Baekho embarked on a mini-Asia tour "BAEKHoney Day", holding concerts in Taipei, Bangkok and Seoul. A Macau stop was also announced but later postponed due to force majeure.
In May, Baekho was cast in his first television drama role, playing Cha Si-wan in My Lovely Journey.
On July 29, Baekho took part in the Plant Our Planet concert organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korean Forest Service, the Korean Committee for UNICEF, alongside broadcaster MBN, in an effort to raise awareness regarding the climate crisis.
On August 31, Baekho released a remake of Park Jin-young's 1995 sensational brass-powered hit "Elevator", rearranged in the style of new jack swing with an emphasis on vocals rather than rap. This release marks the start of his new digital single project "the time", which aims to showcase his duality, with 'the bad time' representing his mature charismatic appeal and 'the bed time' his emotional inner side that contradicts with his strong exterior. "Elevator" topped Bugs real-time charts upon release, and was greatly received for its stage performances, which emphasised Baekho's sex appeal with sensual pair choreography and homage to Park's original chorus dance.
On December 7, Baekho released "What are we", the second single off his "the time" project. A duet featuring labelmate Park Ji-won of Fromis 9, the mid-tempo song fuses pop, R&B and disco together, with lyrics flowing like a conversation to depict a blossoming mysterious relationship. Following on the success of "Elevator", "What are we" also topped Bugs real-time charts upon release.
Baekho closed his year with a heated performance of "Elevator" at the MBC Gayo Daejejeon on December 31. This was his first time attending the MBC year-end event since 2019, and his first solo year-end stage since the 2019 Golden Disc Awards.
2024–present: Return to musical theatre, Waterbomb and television drama debut
In January 2024, Baekho made his judging panel debut on Mnet's vocal survival program Build Up: Vocal Boy Group Survival.Baekho returned to the theatre stage to play Count Axel von Fersen in the 10th anniversary production of the musical Marie Antoinette, which ran from late February until May 2024. He received acclaim for the desperation and sensitivity conveyed in his portrayal of Fersen, and was praised for his vocal skills and delivery.
On May 8, Baekho released project single album LOVE OR DIE in collaboration with rapper Bigone, as well as a music video for the title track of the same name. The project falls musically in the rock genre, with lead single "Love or Die" being an alternative rock song. LOVE OR DIE is co-written fully by Baekho, marking his first delve into the genre. Billboard ranked "Love or Die" number 13 on their mid-year critic's picks list. Baekho and Bigone held two joint concerts "우리樂" on May 18 in support of the project album, a matinee show added following tickets selling out within a minute for the initial evening concert.
Baekho appeared as a surprise guest during Park Jin-young's set at the Weverse Con Festival on June 16, performing his rearrangement version of "Elevator" as well as covering Rain's parts in Park's 2020 hit duet "Switch to Me".
Baekho was announced to perform on five dates at Korea's representative summer music festival Waterbomb across Korea and Japan, including the main stop in Seoul on July 5. Following nationwide anticipation of his appearance, Baekho was chosen to sing the official theme song for the festival; "Wet & Wild" was released on June 1. His Seoul performance was greatly received, with local media crowning him 'Waterbomb God', 'Waterbomb Hot Guy' and 'Sexy Baek'.
Baekho received his first award as a solo artist at the 2024 K-World Dream Awards, winning the 'Best All-Round Musician Award' for his activity in music releases, festival performances, record producing and musicals.
From August, Baekho starred in KBS2's comedy mockumentary Method Club as part of the regular cast, playing himself as a passionate student who is bad at acting in the show's titular hyper-realistic acting school.
To wrap up his summer, Baekho surprise previewed a new song with rapper Jessi at his last Waterbomb performance in Yeosu on August 31. "Nutty Nutty", described as a strongly addictive song with Baekho's signature sexy aura as well as the duo's explosive energy, is later announced to be the third single of his "the time" project, released on September 4. The single is supported by a performance video featuring dance crew Lachica's leader Gabee, of Street Woman Fighter fame, as well as dance challenges from other Street Woman Fighter leaders including Honey J, Lia Kim, Aiki and Monika. "Nutty Nutty" also topped Bugs real-time charts on day of release.
On December 21, Baekho attended the KBS Entertainment Awards, presenting the Best Challenge Award. He was originally slated to perform at the World K-Pop Festival new year's countdown on December 31, but the event was cancelled as a result of the national mourning period for the Jeju Air aviation disaster.
Baekho performed the finale stage at Taiwan's representative lunar new year's eve celebration Super Star on January 28, 2025. He then returned to the Waterbomb stage on February 22, performing his set in Manila.
On March 14, 2025, Baekho left Pledis Entertainment upon the end of his exclusive contract, after 13 years with the label. "Off-Road", written and composed by Baekho, was released on the same day in gratitude to fans; the song falls in the dance-pop genre with afrobeats and amapiano influences, containing Baekho's determination to reach the top by going off-road and forging a new path.
Baekho announced the formation of Team Baekho on April 7, 2025; his new managerial arrangement includes a label contract with long-time music collaborators PrismFilter Music Group, a partnership with RND Company for the management of his broadcasting and entertainment activities, and with RIZZCOMM for media promotion and marketing.
Baekho launched his new project "RUSH MODE" in June 2025. The project is headed by hyperpop single "RUSH", a self-composed autobiographical song looking back on past learning moments and moving forward against pressure at a new starting point of his career.
Following on last year's positive reception, Baekho was again chosen to perform at Waterbomb, taking to the stage in Seoul, Busan, Sokcho and Bali. He also performed at the K-Mega Island Festival and the Caribbean Bay Water Music Festival over the summer.
On July 20, he held "2025 Special Party ", tickets to which were sold out within a minute. The fan-meeting is held in celebration of Baekho's 30th birthday and in support of his "RUSH MODE" project; he also performed an unreleased song from the project at the show. "Rush Mode in Tokyo" was held on October 29, marking his first concerts in Japan as a solo artist.
Baekho made his screen acting debut in Channel A drama My Lovely Journey, playing Cha Si-Wan, famed idol-turned-actor and ex-boyfriend of the female protagonist Kang Yeo-reum; the drama aired in August 2025. Baekho also led multiple television and web variety programmes in the second half of the year, including KBS Xiamen travel show Joint Travel Expense Zone, real dollar-store business variety #9700, part-time worker web-show Phantom Baekho, and tvN labour work variety Muscle Farmers.
RUSH MODE was officially released on November 12, Baekho's first project under Team Baekho. The digital single includes R&B title track "My Sign", the previously released "RUSH", and b-side "Through the Line" featuring Korean hiphop artist CAMO; Baekho has participated in the composition of all three tracks as well as lyric-writing for "RUSH".
On the morning of his mandatory military enlistment, on December 29, Baekho guested on Good Morning FM radio, marking his last live broadcasting activity ahead of 18 months of army service.
Endorsements
On January 19, 2020, Baekho attended Paris Fashion Week at the invitation of British luxury fashion brand Dunhill.For four consecutive years since September 2020, Baekho has been selected as the brand representative model for The Wood of J One Cosmetic, releasing haircare products, body wash, foam cleanser and limited perfume.
In July 2025, Baekho was announced as the new ambassador for haircare brand Treecell, which selected Baekho for his healthy and cheerful image.
Baekho collaborated with sporting goods giant Decathlon for the "Run with Decathlon x Baekho!" campaign in July 2025, which aims to promote the brand's core sport of running by encompassing music and lifestyle and through Baekho's sporty and energetic charm. His new song "RUSH" was also featured in the campaign's introductory playlist video for its 'fast-paced expression of rushing to the future to the sound of a fast-beating heart' that is akin to the 'immersive feeling and rhythm' of running. Baekho himself participated in a 3-kilometer running class on his birthday in conjunction with the campaign. He also attended the opening of Decathlon's Suwon branch on September 5.
In August 2025, Baekho was announced as the global ambassador for vegan beauty brand Vegan J, following a four-year stint as the face of cosmetics brand The Wood under the same parent company; he was chosen as his 'healthy and warm image' aligns with the brand's naturalistic philosophy.
Personal life
Baekho is a skilled haedong kumdo practitioner, having reached sam dan rank in his seven years of training during school days. He has also placed first in international kumdo competitions. His kumdo skills are showcased in the teaser video that first introduced him as a member of NU'EST in 2012.Baekho has struggled with weight since early in his career, and turned to exercise to lose weight instead of dieting, earning him a reputation of being a "fit idol." He has been nicknamed 'Human Benz' by Korean netizens due to resemblance of his chest muscles to the car brand's logo. His thigh circumference once measured up to 25 inches. During NU'EST's appearance in Idol Room in 2019, Baekho succeeded in carrying all four members on his back unaided. After a fan sent a photo of him in a gym to Men's Health Korea, the editorial team invited him to be the cover of the magazine's November 2018 issue. He once again covered the magazine in January 2020.
He enjoys exercise and sports in his free time, including football and golfing. He is also a licensed free diver, and can hold his breath underwater for up to three minutes.
He also enjoys spending time with horses and horse-riding in his hometown in Jeju, having sponsored the rescue of four former racehorses at a shelter centre.
Sexual harassment allegations
In June 2017, a former acquaintance alleged anonymously online that in 2009, when she and Baekho were both in middle school, she had been molested by him on the bus on their way home from cram school. She pressed charges against Baekho later that month, while Pledis denied the allegations and filed a counter suit in response. Pledis also filed a complaint against the accuser for violating the laws on information communication network and information protection. The police forwarded the case to prosecutors in September 2017.On April 16, 2018, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office cleared Baekho of the sexual assault charges, and have since dismissed the case. Baekho was ultimately found not guilty and was acquitted of all charges. The case was also raised to the Korea Communications Commission over the fairness of how the allegations were reported.