CORTIS Members Profile & Facts

CORTIS (코르티스) is a global Kpop boy group under BIGHIT MUSIC. The members are Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho. They debuted on August 18, 2025 with the single, “What You Want.”

CORTIS Profile

CORTIS Facts:

– The group’s name, CORTIS, is a short form of the phrase “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES” which means that to think freely and not care about the world’s standards.
– The group was launched six years after the company’s previous boy group TXT.
– American singer-songwriter, Ryan Tedder is the producer for the group and he has worked with BLACKPINK, Taylor Swift, Demi Lavato, Beyoncé Knowles and more.
– All members are very athletic and active in sports except Martin. 

WEBSITE
Website: ibighit.com/CORTIS | cortis-official.jp

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES 
Instagram: @cortis
Threads: @cortis
X: @cortis_bighit | @cortis_jp
TikTok: @cortis_bighit
YouTube: CORTIS
Facebook: CORTIS
Weverse: CORTIS (코르티스)
LINE: CORTIS(JP)
Weibo: @CORTIS_BIGHIT
BiliBili: @CORTIS_BIGHIT
Douyin: @CORTIS_BIGHIT

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Spotify | Bugs | Melon | Apple Music  

CORTIS Members Profile

1. Martin

Martin Facts:

– Martin is the tallest member in the group.
– He plays a main role in creating the group’s songs.
– He was born in Canada.
– He is Canadian from his father’s side and Korean from his mother’s side.
– He said he was a trainee for a long time, so his life before debut felt repetitive.
– He grew up listening to Justin Bieber and Michael Jackson.
– His father mainly listened to psychedelic rock.
– His father played bass in a local band in the late 1980s–early 1990s.
– He prefers slim and skinny styles.
– He began music-making by writing lyrics and freestyling and not producing beats.
– He said he gradually learned rap, recording, and music production and used Cubase on company computers for early recordings.
– He used to be an introvert, but later became more outgoing.
– He auditioned for Big Hit Music after his older sister who was a BTS fan encouraged him.
– He prepared seriously and practiced daily after school for auditions.
– He said his debut still does not feel real to him.
– He spent three months in Los Angeles working on music.
– He felt people in the US were more free, which influenced his mindset.
– He prefers working in a team rather than alone.
– He learned to play guitar at a young age from his father.
– He still loves the sound of the guitar, even though he doesn’t play much now.
– He acts as a central producer, but believes everything in CORTIS is collaborative.
– His fashion choices change depending on the music he listens to.
– He said he became more closer to trainees rather than school friends.
– He passed the audition in fifth grade, singing Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”
Rock music led him to punk and grunge styles, while hip-hop influenced oversized clothing.
– His musical influences include Tyler, the Creator and Mac Miller.
– He has participated in producing songs for many artists including ENHYPEN’s “Outside”, Le Sserafim’s “Pierrot”, ILLIT’s “Magnetic”, and TXT’s “Beautiful Stranger”, “Deja Vu” and “Miracle”.
– His Chinese zodiac sign is Rat.
– He can play a synthesizer.
– He can’t play the keyboard or piano but knows a few chords.
– He helped create the choreography for their song “GO!”.
– He feels nervous during interviews but feels more free onstage.
– He is the fastest eater in the group.
– His favorite song from their debut EP is “What You Want.”
– He likes orange among all colors.
– Read more facts about Martin

2. James

James Facts:

– James is the oldest member in the group.
– He is a former member of Trainee A.
– He is considered a dance prodigy.
– He played ice hockey for 10 years at a semi-pro level.
– He feels the group creates best when they are playing rather than forcing work.
– He lived in multiple countries, including Taipei and Bangkok, before coming to Korea.
– His family members come from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
– He can speak multiple languages, switching between Chinese, English, and Thai during family meals.
– He became interested in dancing after watching Michael Jackson perform.
– His father encouraged him to learn things on his own first, often saying, “Try it on the iPad.”
– He initially learned dance, hockey, and swimming using an iPad.
– He later took formal dance classes after teaching himself.
– He auditioned for Korea after living abroad.
– His mother was a BTS fan, especially Jimin.
– He was placed into the debut group immediately after joining BigHit Music.
– He said initially dorm life felt strange because he values personal quiet time. He bought good headphones to cope with the noise.
– He grew up in a home where music was constantly playing.
– He practiced intensely and independently for long hours.
– He practiced taekwondo for five years.
– He said he is comfortable showing failure and vulnerability.
– He believes it is cool to make difficult things look easy.
– His role model in hockey was Patrick Kane, who looked effortless when playing.
– He prefers performers who take their time and feel the music, even when it’s complex.
– He has an introverted personality and doesn’t open up at the first meeting.
– He has a black belt in taekwondo.
– He has worked as a backup dancer for BTS’s Jungkook song “Seven ft. Latto” during an inkigayo.
– He has been a big fan of Micheal Jackson since childhood.
– He also participated in producing ILLIT’s “Magnetic” and TXT’s TXT’s “Deja Vu” and “Miracle”.
– His Chinese zodiac sign is Rooster.
– The thing he’ll miss the most about trainee life is sneaking out to internet cafes (PC bang) and playing video games.
– He is fluent in Korean, Chinese, Thai and English. He can also speak basic Japanese.
– He can also play the piano.
– He values finding pride in simple or inexpensive things and believes style is about expression, not money.
– He said life on a remote island would feel more like a holiday.
– He loves black among all colors.
– His favorite animals include red pandas.
– Read more facts about James

3. Juhoon

Juhoon Facts:

– Juhoon used to work as a child model.
– He appeared in many commercials and music videos.
– He studied at an international school where he improved his English.
– He is fluent in Korean and English.
– His favorite food include ramyeon.
– He was scouted in middle school when he was fully immersed in his studies.
– He loves cats among all animals.
– He said that he was a student about a year and a half ago, and his debut still feels unreal to him.
– He said that the transition from school life to debut feels sudden, strange, and fascinating.
– He said modeling felt natural and fun rather than like work.
– He often received positive feedback from staff, which influenced him subconsciously.
– He preferred playing soccer over watching it as he grew older.
– He attended an international middle school.
– He was not originally interested in fashion.
– His interest in fashion began after observing the members and initially dressed like them, then gradually developed his own style.
– He is currently inspired by Hedi Slimane’s silhouettes.
– He wants to express a quiet but rebellious image.
– He participated actively in lyric writing for the album.
– He contributed the line “Vintage Jesus, came alive” in FaSHioN.
– He originally planned to focus on his studies but near graduation, he realized becoming an artist was possible and began to dream about it.
– He chose to become an artist after receiving a casting offer.
– He was influenced by the company’s seniors and members and joined after short-term training and seeing the team’s potential.
– He prefers deep, close relationships rather than many acquaintances.
– His fondest school memories involve spending casual time with friends.
– He dreamed of becoming a soccer player when he was young.
– He was cast as a kids model in first grade after his mother suggested trying it.
– He admires Martin the most among all the members.
– He loved visiting the amusement park in the US.
– He often asks the members every day what they want to eat.
– He would choose Martin if he could switch places with any member for a day just to experience being his height.
– He eats the most in the group according to Martin.
– His Chinese zodiac sign is Pig.
– He became a trainee under BIGHIT Music in 2023.
– His favorite emoji is 🤘.
– Black is his favorite color.
– Read more facts about Juhoon

4. Seonghyeon

Seonghyeon Facts:

– Seonghyeon plays a main role in coming up with new ideas and writing lyrics.
– While training, he created around 100 songs.
– He doesn’t have any siblings.
– He became a trainee under BIGHIT Music in 2021.
– His hometown is Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea.
– He first dreamed of becoming an artist in 2018, after being cast at an amusement park on his birthday.
– He attended J-Hope’s concert shortly before debut.
– He said seeing large-scale stage effects made him want to stand on stage himself.
– The most memorable performance for him was “MIC Drop.”
– He was cast by a company scout at an amusement park. The scout asked to take his photo and gave him a business card.
– His parents encouraged him to try auditioning without pressure. He stayed in contact with the company and officially joined in 2021.
– As a child, his dreams frequently changed and he once dreamed of becoming a robotics scientist and he also dreamed of becoming a soccer player.
– He was introduced to music during elementary school vacation through guitar lessons.
– After joining the company, he naturally began making music by observing other trainees.
– He describes himself as playful and curious.
– He enjoys trying new things, even small challenges.
– He wants to relearn guitar and improve at basketball.
– He attended dance workshops in the US.
– For “What You Want,” he practiced performing on treadmills. He initially experienced motion sickness but adapted over time.
– He participated in performances using up to 35 treadmills.
– He actively participates in album discussions and lyric writing.
– He writes toplines with members and also creates beats himself.
– His musical inspiration comes from various genres and daily experiences.
– He enjoys browsing vintage markets and wants to explore more shops in Korea.
– He trained for 5 years, starting at age 13.
– His first impression is that he is soft-spoken.
– He enjoys watching movies and dramas, playing basketball, skateboarding, and cycling in his free time.
– He likes using the thumbs up (👍) emoji.
– Green is his favorite color.
– He didn’t listen to hip-hop or R&B at first, but now enjoys pop, hip-hop, and jazz as well.
– He likes both cats and dogs.
– He doesn’t like mint chocolate.
– His Chinese zodiac sign is Rat.
– Read more facts about Seonghyeon

5. Keonho

Keonho Facts:

– Keonho plays a big part in the creation of the group’s MV.
– His family consists of his parents and older sister.
– He became interested in video editing and production because he grew up watching many MVs and movies and got inspired by their production.
– His casting experience was that strangers approached him and asked if he knew BTS and later asked about his age, school, and name, then gave him a business card.
– When he told his casting experience to his parents and older sister they were very surprised but his older sister encouraged him to try trainee life.
– He was a competitive swimmer before becoming a trainee.
– He trained as a swimmer for about five years, from age nine.
– He mainly competed in 50m and 100m races and wanted to try 200m or 400m races.
– He is close with his older sister, who is four years older.
– He said his older sister often worries about him because he rarely goes home.
– He takes charge of organizing music video planning and storyboards. He said he also draws visuals using Paint when words aren’t enough.
– He is very passionate about video making and collected reference videos and demonstrated camera movement physically and even helped coordinate different opinions among members.
– He feels pressure as CORTIS is the third group under BigHit Music and feels additional pressure because the group writes and choreographs their own work.
– He wants to perform at showcases and festivals like Rolling Loud.
– He compares himself to other members to stay motivated.
– His fashion style is unintentional and rough.
– He prefers vintage clothing and vintage-toned colors.
– He was initially uncomfortable performing in front of people.
– He values manners and greetings which he said is influenced by his swimming coach.
– He thinks that talent without good manners is not admirable.
– He dropped out of middle school to focus on training.
– He has a pet dog named Cookie.
– He thinks the older members are strange, but in a fun way.
– He likes salted caramel ice cream the most.
– He prefers winter because he loves the holiday season.
– He said he is not good at drawing but can draw good enough to get his point across.
– His favorite food includes French fries.
– His favorite emoji is 🙃.
– His Chinese zodiac sign is Ox.
– Read more facts about Keonho

‘What You Want’ –  Conceptual Performance Film: