Kim Jong Kook is a South Korean singer, actor, television personality, and former member of TURBO (터보). He graduated from Shinsung High School and later obtained a bachelor's degree in Composition from Hansei University and a master's degree in Performing Arts from Dankook University.

Before debuting, he was the vocalist of a high school band. Star Music (스타뮤직) was forming a new duo and selected him and disc jockey (DJ) Kim Jung Nam. He made his debut in August 1995 as TURBO's vocalist with their first album, "280 km/h Speed". They were quite successful initially, and the company scheduled a comeback for the following year. But reports of internal conflicts began emerging, and it was revealed that the CEO had assaulted both singers during promotions and also stole a huge amount of money in profits. The duo went into hiatus and, in early 1997, Kim Jung Nam decided to leave the duo, leaving him looking for a new partner.

After auditioning thousands of candidates, Cho Myung Ik (known professionally as Mikey) was chosen as his new partner, and TURBO resumed activities in October 1997 with their third album, "Born Again". In early 2001, his contract with Star Music expired and, as he decided not to renew, the duo disbanded. He made his debut as a solo artist in December of that year with the album "Renaissance". As a solo artist, he has earned several awards, including three Golden Disk Awards, among many others.

He enlisted for his mandatory military service on March 30, 2006, and was discharged on May 23, 2008. After serving, he continued his career as a singer and also established himself as an entertainer, being a regular cast member in variety shows such as " X-Man", "Family Outing", and "Running Man". In August 2010, he had a lumbar microdiscectomy to relieve the pain from a herniated disk, which is why he chose to serve as a public service worker during his military enlistment. He is represented by Galaxy Corporation (갤럭시코퍼레이션).

(Source: kisskh) Edit Biography