Key (SHINee) Profile (Updated Facts!)

Key (키) is a South Korean singer, actor, MC, and a member of the Kpop boy group SHINee under SM Entertainment. He debuted solo on November 6, 2018, with the digital single “Forever Yours”.

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Key (SHINee) Profile

Stage Name	Key (키)
Birth Name	Kim Ki Bum (김기범)
Occupation	Singer, MC, Fashion Designer, Actor
Birthday	September 23, 1991
Active Years	2008–present
Age	32 (in 2024)
Zodiac Sign	Libra
Height	175 cm (5’9″)
Weight	62 kg (137 lbs)
Nationality	Korean
Blood Type	B
MBTI	ENTJ

Key (SHINee) Facts:

Early Life

– Key was Born in Daegu, South Korea.
– He went to Daegu Jimyo Elementary School and Youngshin Middle School.
– He graduated from Youngshin High School.
– He was raised by his grandmother due to his mother’s illness after his birth and his father’s busy work schedule.

Personal Life

– His official fandom name is Lockets and the fandom color is pink.
– He doesn’t have any siblings and is an only child.
– He earned his bachelor’s from Myongji University in the Film and Musical Department and later got his master’s degree from Woosuk University Graduate School (Education and Cultural Contents Development).
– Taemin said that Minho and Key fight a lot but they always stay together like an “old married couple’. (Knowing Bros)
– He was the first member to move out of the dorm and his biggest reason was Minho since they couldn’t stop fighting and bickering and later he wanted to keep a distance as he felt he was getting annoyed by Minho for no reason. (MBC WORLD)
– His hobbies include rapping, dancing, and water skiing.
– He actively contributes to charities and occasionally engages in volunteer work.
– He has two dogs named Commes Des and Garçon.
– His first true friend is someone who he befriended in the second year of middle school and is now a steward. He still keeps in touch with him. (Buzzfeed Celeb)
– Minho said that he was hurt when Key kept rescheduling to meet him on the army vacation and later started ghosting his messages. Key later revealed that he wanted to use his time to meet people more important to him as he will eventually meet Minho after he is discharged. lol (Knowing Bros)
– He realized he was famous when he had to wear a mask to go outside.
– His first big purchase was a BMW car. (Buzzfeed Celeb)
– His first pet was a dog named Coco who died when he was 20 years old.
– His mother journaled about raising him every day as a kid and always shared with him. (Billboard)
– If he could be born as any member’s son, he would like to be Taemin’s son as he believes Taemin would be generous to his son. (Marie Clarie Korea)
– Key’s ideal type is a mysterious woman who, after getting to know her better, is actually well-read and knowledgeable.
– He never wants to go to space but if he has to go he would bring cellphones, cosmetics, puppies, toothpaste, a tablet PC, and a charger.
– He made ‘Kibum Liquor’ by chance when he mixed soju with black tea because they had run out of tonic water. Later a company suggested a collab with him and the drink was commercially released after 6 months. The drink sold 7000 boxes on the first day of its release. (RADIOSTAR #EP.792)
– He feels that the pros of being a single child are that he has a lot of time for himself, and the con is that people often ask him if he gets lonely. lol
– He is popular for his skin and he applies heaps of vasline before going to sleep. (ELLE KOREA)
– Onew said that he likes to tell a lot of stories and make jokes.
– His dad had a conception dream when Key’s mother was pregnant. He saw a very large snake going into a giraffe’s throat. (Allure Korea)

Career

– Key is the lead rapper, lead dancer, and sub-vocalist in SHINee.
– He began his training after he was cast in 2005 through the SM National Tou Audition Casting.
– He formed a duo band named Toheart with Woohyun from INFINITE.
– He is also a fashion director for SHINee and plays a key role in designing costumes for members during concerts.
– He ventured into acting with roles in the dramas Drinking Solo (2016) and Lookout (2017).
– He participated in the global edition of “We Got Married,” and was paired with Ari Chan.
– He enlisted in the mandatory military service on March 4, 2019, and was discharged on October 7, 2020.
– He has been featured in many songs including BoA’s “One Dream” (with Henry), EXO’s “Two Moons”, and Girls’ Generation’s “Boys & Girls”.
– He appeared in many dramas and films including “Drinking Solo”, ‘The Guardians” and “Hit-and-Run Squad”.
– He was the cast member of the popular variety shows DoReMi Market and I Live Alone.
– He collaborated with Leeteuk (Super Junior) and released the song “Bravo” for the South Korean drama ‘History of a Salaryman’.

Likes & Dislikes

– His favorite Backstreet Boys song is ‘I want it that way’. (MON CAFÉ FAV STYLE)
– He likes to call his fans “little freaks”.
– His favorite movies include “Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Mars Attack”. (Billboard)
– He loves cooking and often cooks for himself. (RADIOSTAR #EP.792)
– He has a love-hate relationship with horror movies and stories.

Food Preferences

– He can eat everything except pakchi/gosu. (Bamhouse)
– His favorite coffee is Nespresso Vanilla Custard Pie.
– He loves to eat Somtam and fish cakes.
– His favorite snack is Torres Black Truffle potato chips. (MYVOGUE)
– He can eat mint chocolate.

Nicknames

– He is nicknamed “Wikipedia of choreography” because he is very fast in memorizing choreographies. (ELLE KOREA)
– His first nickname was “Bumkey” when since he was 14 years old and even used that as his Insta ID but had to change it up since another singer debuted with the same name. (Buzzfeed Celeb)
– His most popular nickname is “Master KEY”.
– He is also nicknamed “small dam” because he is the easiest to cry after Jonghyun.

Abilities

– He is fluent in both English and Japanese.
– He is the best at learning choreographies in the group as he memorizes them once he sees them.
– He is considered the best in fashion among all the members.
– He has a fear of heights.

Personality & Habits

– Jessi said that Key’s personality is similar to hers as he is very honest and never fakes or is pretentious. (Showterview)
– He and Minho are considered polar opposites in terms of personalities.
– He doesn’t have the habit of asking before using someone’s things since he was the only child in his family. (RADIOSTAR #EP.792)
– He is not the type of person that had high self-esteem about his looks but he has high self-esteem in general. (ELLE KOREA)

Major Works

– His popular songs include “BAD LOVE”, “I Hate that (ft. Taeyoung)”, “Gasoline” and “I Wanna Be”.

Awards

– Key consecutively won the “Best Male Idol Entertainer” award three times at the Brand of the Year Awards in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
– He won the “Popularity Award” in 2021 and “Excellence Award, Variety Category – Male” for his appearance in the show ‘I Live Alone’ in 2022 at the MBC Entertainment Awards.

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Instagram: @bumkeyk