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ENHYPEN Profile: 4th-gen K-pop Icons With Cinematic Storytelling (2025 Updated)

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ENHYPEN (엔하이픈) is a South Korean boy band formed by Belift Lab, a joint venture between CJ ENM and Hybe Corporation. The group was formed through the 2020 survival competition show I-LAND and officially debuted on November 30, 2020, with their first extended play (EP) Border: Day One. The group is composed of seven multinational members: Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki. Their name, ENHYPEN, is derived from the hyphen symbol (-), representing connection, discovery, and growth, much like how a hyphen connects different words to create new meanings.

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Biography

Basic Information

  • Group name: ENHYPEN (엔하이픈)
  • Debut date: November 30, 2020
  • Company: Belift Lab
  • Number of members: 7
  • Members: Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Ni-ki
  • Official color: Not officially designated
  • Fandom name: ENGENE
  • Lightstick: ENHYPEN Official Light Stick (released)
enhypen lightstick

Official SNS

  • Website: beliftlab.com/ENHYPEN
  • Instagram: @enhypen
  • X (Twitter): @ENHYPEN / (Members): @ENHYPEN_members / (Japan): @ENHYPEN_JP
  • TikTok: @enhypen
  • YouTube: ENHYPEN Official
  • Facebook: ENHYPEN
  • BiliBili: ENHYPEN官方频道
  • Weverse: ENHYPEN
  • Weibo: @ENHYPEN_Official

Members

  • Jungwon (정원) – Leader: Yang Jung-won, born February 9, 2004, in South Korea.
  • Heeseung (희승): Lee Hee-seung, born October 15, 2001, in South Korea.
  • Jay (제이): Jay Park (Park Jong-seong), born April 20, 2002, in Seattle, U.S.A.
  • Jake (제이크): Jake Sim (Sim Jae-yun), born November 15, 2002, in Brisbane, Australia.
  • Sunghoon (성훈): Park Sung-hoon, born December 8, 2002, in South Korea.
  • Sunoo (선우): Kim Sun-oo, born June 24, 2003, in South Korea.
  • Ni-ki (니키): Nishimura Riki, born December 9, 2005, in Okayama, Japan.

Career

The Crucible of I-LAND: Formation and Vision

The genesis of ENHYPEN lies with Belift Lab, initially established in March 2019 as a joint venture between South Korean entertainment giants CJ ENM and Hybe Corporation (then Big Hit Entertainment). This collaboration aimed to create a new global boy band, a project spearheaded by Belift Lab President Taeho Kim and HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk. Belift Lab later transitioned into a fully-owned subsidiary of HYBE, solidifying its place within the influential entertainment conglomerate.  

The platform chosen to discover and form this new group was the 2020 survival competition show I-LAND. This Mnet program brought together 23 male trainees, some scouted directly by Belift and others transferred from Big Hit Music, all vying for a coveted spot in the final lineup.

Debut: Border: Day One and First Impressions

ENHYPEN officially stepped into the K-Pop scene on November 30, 2020. Their debut was marked by the release of their first extended play (EP), Border: Day One, with the evocative lead single “Given-Taken”. The anticipation cultivated during I-LAND translated into immediate commercial success. Album pre-orders surged, surpassing 150,000 copies within just two days and exceeding 300,000 by November 21, 2020. Upon release, Border: Day One debuted at number one on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart and made a strong impression on Japan’s Oricon charts, hitting number one on the Daily Album Chart and number two on the Weekly Albums Chart with over 71,000 copies sold in its first week.  

Their debut promotions were extensive, kicking off with the “Enhypen Debut Show: Day One” hosted by Mnet. This was followed by a string of high-profile performances on major South Korean music programs like KBS’s Music Bank, SBS’s Inkigayo, and SBS MTV’s The Show, as well as prestigious year-end events including the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), The Fact Music Awards, KBS Song Festival, and SBS Gayo Daejeon.

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Conquering the Globe: World Tours and International Impact

Their first world tour, the Manifesto World Tour, ran from September 2022 to February 2023, comprising 22 shows across Asia and North America. This was quickly followed by the more extensive Fate World Tour, which spanned from July 2023 to September 2024. This tour saw them perform 42 shows, again in Asia and North America, but in progressively larger venues, including iconic locations like Seoul’s KSPO Dome, Japan’s Kyocera Dome and Tokyo Dome, and numerous arenas in the United States. The Fate tour demonstrated significant drawing power, with some U.S. legs reportedly generating substantial revenue, although specific aggregated figures require careful interpretation.  

Building on this momentum, ENHYPEN embarked on their third world tour, Walk The Line, scheduled from October 2024 to September 2025. This tour marks a further expansion of their global footprint, with planned stops not only in Asia and North America but also their first foray into Europe, including major cities like London, Paris, and Berlin. The scale of venues also continues to grow, with stadium shows slated in several locations.  

A significant milestone was their performance at Coachella in 2025. While this event became a point of online discussion among fan communities regarding attendance and comparisons , Belift Lab President Taeho Kim had earlier cited a Coachella appearance as a “crowning achievement” that validates their artist development philosophy.

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Awards and Recognitions

ENHYPEN’s talent and popularity have been consistently recognized through numerous awards since their debut. They made a significant impact in their first year, sweeping “Rookie of the Year” accolades at major South Korean award ceremonies including the Golden Disc Awards, Seoul Music Awards, Circle Chart Music Awards (then Gaon Chart Music Awards), The Fact Music Awards, and Asia Artist Awards in 2020 and 2021.  

enhypen

This initial success was not fleeting. In subsequent years, ENHYPEN has consistently received Bonsang (Main Prize) awards at prestigious events like the Golden Disc Awards, Seoul Music Awards, Hanteo Music Awards, and The Fact Music Awards, signifying sustained artistic quality and enduring popularity. Their international appeal is further highlighted by awards such as the Japan Gold Disc Award for “New Artist of the Year (Asia)” and “Best 3 New Artists (Asia)” in 2022 , and multiple “Worldwide Fans’ Choice Top 10” wins at the MAMA Awards.

The Face of Brands: Endorsements and Collaborations

As a group, ENHYPEN were appointed global brand ambassadors for Italian luxury fashion house Prada in June 2023, a significant milestone. They were also the first brand ambassadors for French fashion label Ami, starting in June 2021. Other group endorsements include Korean skincare brands Dr.Jart+ and mixsoon, and Filipino clothing brand BENCH/.  

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 19: (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been retouched at the request of the subject.) ENHYPEN band attends the Prada Spring/Summer 2025 Womenswear fashion show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 on September 19, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Prada)

Individual members have also secured notable endorsements. Sunghoon and Jake were announced as ‘friends of the house’ for luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. for Korea and Japan in April 2024. Sunghoon further expanded his portfolio as an exclusive model for cosmetics brand Hince (May 2024) and an ambassador for L’Oréal Paris hair care (September 2024). Ni-Ki became the face of Digital Hollywood University in Japan (March 2025) and a brand ambassador for Japanese energy drink Zone Energy (May 2025).  

Beyond endorsements, ENHYPEN has engaged in creative collaborations, including projects with Pokémon for the song and music video “One and Only” , TAYO the Little Bus for children’s songs “Hey Tayo” and “Billy Poco” , and a musical collaboration between Jay and the Japanese rock band GLAY for the track “WHODUNIT”.

Controversies and Incidents

Coachella 2025 Fan Rivalry

ENHYPEN’s performance at Coachella in 2025 sparked online debates among K-pop fans regarding attendance figures, with some drawing comparisons to previous performances by other groups like BLACKPINK. This led to heated arguments and “fan wars.” In a move to promote peace and diffuse negativity, ENHYPEN members Ni-Ki and Jay, along with BLACKPINK’s Lisa, shared a collaborative clip on social media with the hashtag “#ChillVibe,” which was widely interpreted as an anti-fan war message and appreciated by many fans.

lisa enhypen coachella 2025

NAIA Airport Incident (Philippines)

In a separate event, ENHYPEN encountered an issue at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in the Philippines. Allegations surfaced regarding unauthorized filming of the members by airport security staff during the screening process. This raised particular concern as Ni-Ki was still a minor at the time. The incident prompted an investigation by the Philippine Office for Transportation Security (OTS), which reiterated that unauthorized filming at security checkpoints is against policy. Fans expressed outrage online, with many calling on Belift Lab to take action to protect the group’s privacy and safety.

Jungwon’s Rumors (Late 2024/Early 2025)

Beyond the aforementioned dating rumor with aespa’s Winter, Jungwon faced additional online speculation around the same period, including allegations of smoking and being present at a private hookah bar. During a Weverse live broadcast, Jungwon personally denied both the dating and smoking allegations, calling them “absurd”. Belift Lab also issued strong denials regarding the dating rumors and warned against invasions of their artists’ privacy.

Jungwon ENHYPEN Winter aespa thumbnail

Net Worth

Forbes Korea, in 2024, provided a specific metric by estimating ENHYPEN’s annual YouTube income at ₩3.01 billion (approximately $2.2 million USD), placing them among the top K-pop earners on the platform.

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