Lee Jin-ki (Korean: 이진기; Korean pronunciation: [i.dʑin.ki]; born December 14, 1989), better known by his stage name Onew,[1] is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, and host. Born in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, Onew was discovered at the 2006 SM Academy Casting and signed a contract with SM Entertainment the day after his audition. He debuted as the lead vocalist and leader of the South Korean boy bandShinee in May 2008, who went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea.
As a singer, he has participated in the original soundtracks for various TV series and released collaborations with various artists. He made his solo debut on December 5, 2018, with the release of his first extended play, Voice, five days before his military conscription on December 10, 2018. After finishing his military service, he released his second EP Dice on April 11, 2022 and later that year on July 6, he made his solo debut in Japan with the release of his first studio album Life Goes On. He released his first Korean studio album Circle on March 6, 2023. He followed this with the release of his third EP Flow on September 3, 2024. Onew has also contributed to songwriting for both himself and Shinee.
As an actor, Onew was cast in multiple musicals, such as Rock of Ages (2010), Shinheung Military Academy (2019), and Midnight Sun (2021–2022) and participated in various television dramas, mostly known for the roles of Baek Su in JTBC's sitcom Welcome to Royal Villa and the cardiothoracic resident Lee Chi-hoon in the popular KBS2 drama Descendants of the Sun (2016).
Career
2008–2009: Career beginnings and debut with Shinee
Onew was discovered at the 2006 SM Academy Casting. He received great appreciation from Lee Soo-man, SM Entertainment's founder, at Girls' Generation's debut showcase. Lee Soo-man noticed him and wanted to hear him sing during a one-time on the spot audition. He signed a contract with the company the day after he auditioned.[2][3] In 2008, he was chosen as the leader of the group Shinee, and the five-member boy group debuted on May 25, 2008, on SBS' Inkigayo.[4] Shortly after debut, Onew contributed to singles for Lee Hyun-ji in 2008, titled "Vanilla Love" and "Vanilla Love Part 2".[5] In 2009, he recorded the song "One Year Later" with Girls' Generation member Jessica for the Genie EP.[6] The same year, he also sang a duet with Kim Yeon-woo, "The Name I Loved", for Shinee's third EP 2009, Year of Us.[7]
2010–2017: Musical theatre, acting debut, and solo activities
In 2010, Onew tried his hand at songwriting and, together with his bandmate Minho, wrote the lyrics for the song "Your Name" from Shinee's second studio album Lucifer.[8] In addition to music, Onew became an MC of two programs—KBS2's Night Star, which he co-hosted alongside Shin Dong-yup, Yoon Jong-shin, movie director Jang Hang Joon, and Leessang's Gil,[9] and MBC's Show! Music Core.[10] Since his first job as an MC, Onew has hosted various events, such as Dream Concert, Incheon K-Pop Concert and Mnet's special event in Taiwan called Nihao Taiwan.[11][12][13]
Onew starred in various musicals starting from 2010, debuting in the musical Brothers Were Brave alongside singer Lee Ji-hoon.[14] He then starred in the Korean production of Rock of Ages playing the lead role, Drew.[15] Onew has also showcased his acting skills via television like having a cameo role as a clumsy doctor in the drama Dr. Champ. He appeared in the drama's final episode.[16] He also had cameo roles in the dramas Athena: Goddess of War, Oh My God x2,[17]Pure Love and sitcom Royal Villa.[18] In August 2012, Onew recorded a song titled "In Your Eyes" for the drama series To the Beautiful You.[19] Onew also sang the soundtrack "Moonlight" for the drama Miss Korea. The song was released on January 3, 2014.[20]
On January 14, 2014, his participation in the Borneo edition of the reality show Law of the Jungle was confirmed.[21] He was also originally cast for the Brazil edition, but had to be replaced because of schedule conflicts.[22] In addition to his group activities and his job as a MC, Onew gained experience in radio hosting and took over shows like Kiss the Radio, a popular radio program aired on KBS Cool FM which is hosted by his labelmates Super Junior.[23][24] In June 2014, he was originally planning to appear in the musical Singin' in the Rain but was unable to join as he underwent vocal cord surgery.[25]
In 2016, Onew was cast in the drama Descendants of the Sun, which starred Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki. He portrayed first-year resident Dr. Lee Chi-hoon, a junior of Song Hye-kyo's character.[26][27][28] The drama became a huge success, especially in China, where the series reached more than 2 billion views on the Chinese streaming site iQiyi. In Korea, the drama became a massive hit as well, surpassing more than 30 percent viewership ratings nationwide.[29] Onew was awarded the Newcomer Scene Stealer Award at the 2016 Scene Stealer Festival for his role in Descendants of the Sun.[30] Onew was also confirmed for a new tvN program Eat, Sleep, Eat which serves local recipes through Southeast Asia.[31] On August 12, Onew and Lee Jin-ah released a duet, "Starry Night", as part of SM Station, a digital music project by SM Entertainment. It is a pop jazz song which is the work of numerous artists, including Andreas Oberg, a Swedish guitarist and songwriter, and singer-composer Yoo Hee-yeol.[32]
In October 2016, Onew wrote the song "So Amazing" for Shinee's fifth Korean studio album 1 of 1,[33] and another song, "Beautiful Life", for its repackaged album, 1 and 1.[34]
In May 2017, Onew and indie duo Rocoberry released the song "Lullaby" as part of SM Station.[35] In June 2017, Onew was featured in Heize's music video for the song "I Don't Know You".[36] In August 2017, shortly before the release of Age of Youth 2, Onew was accused of sexual harassment and decided to leave the project after discussions with the production staff of the show.[37][38] Onew went into hiatus and did not participate in the remaining shows of Shinee's 2017 concert tour in Japan.[39] On April 6, 2018, after eight months of investigation, the prosecution dropped all charges against him.[40]
2018–2021: Korean solo debut with Voice and military service
In May 2018, Onew was featured in Kim Yeon-woo's fifth studio album in the song "Play the Field", which he helped write.[41] This marked his first time contributing to songwriting for an artist other than Shinee.[citation needed] Onew's debut EP, Voice, was released on December 5, 2018, with the lead single "Blue". It included two songs co-written by Onew, "Shine On You" and "Illusion".[42] The EP peaked at number two on South Korea's Circle Album Chart. Onew was unable to promote the EP as he enlisted for his mandatory military service as an active duty soldier on December 10, 2018, just five days after its release.[43]
In January 2019, Onew joined the military musical Shinheung Military Academy, which tells the story of patriotic youths who fought to gain independence from Japan.[44] On April 11, 2019, he performed part of the musical at the 100th anniversary of the establishment of South Korea's provisional government.[45] In August 2019, Onew joined another military musical titled Return: The Promise of That Day together with Exo member Xiumin taking the role of the young Seung-ho. The original army musical deals with the topic of excavating the remains of the heroic soldiers who sacrificed themselves to protect their country during the Korean War.[46] Onew was officially discharged from the military on July 8, 2020, 12 days earlier than his expected date of discharge in light of South Korea's efforts to combat COVID-19.[47]
In January 2021, Onew resumed activities as part of Shinee.[48] On February 4, 2021, Onew released a song titled "Shadow" as a soundtrack for the drama series Breakup Probation: One Week.[49] In May 2021, Onew was cast in the musical Midnight Sun as the male lead Ha-ram.[50][51] For the musical soundtrack, Onew released two songs, "Meet Me When the Sun Goes Down" and "Good-bye Days" which is a duet with Kei.[52] In July 2021, Onew appeared as a regular cast member on Sea of Hope, a variety show where celebrities cook and sing for guests.[53][54] On August 3, 2021, Onew released a song titled "Dear My Spring" as a soundtrack for the drama series You Are My Spring.[55] In September 2021, Onew joined the cast of March of the Ants Chapter 5, a reality show about investing in the stock market.[56] On October 5, 2021, Onew and Elaine released a duet, "Blue", as part of the soundtrack for the drama series High Class.[57]
In November 2021, Onew participated in the Korea On Stage project for which he visited and filmed singing performances at Yangdong Folk Village as part of The Cultural Heritage Administration and The Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation's tourist campaign to promote Korea's Cultural Heritage.[58] In December 2021, Onew was cast in SM C&C Studio’s web variety show Soldier Idol Camp and short-form horror movie 4 Minutes 44 Seconds.[59][60] On December 6, 2021, Onew and Punch released a duet, "Way", as part of SM Station. The single featured lyrics written by Onew alongside established songwriter Kim Eana. On December 27, 2021, Onew, alongside labelmates Kyuhyun and Taeil, released the song "Ordinary Day" for SM Entertainment's winter album 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express.[61]
2022: Dice, Japanese solo debut and first solo concert tour
On February 27, Onew released a song titled "Mind Warning" as a soundtrack for the drama series Forecasting Love and Weather.[62] In March, it was announced that Onew would reprise his role as Ha-ram for the 2022 production of Midnight Sun.[63] In the musical soundtrack released on April 30, Onew participated in two songs, "The Sun is in My Eyes" and a duet, "A Melody Called You", with Kim Nam-joo.[64] On April 11, Onew's second EP, Dice, was released with the lead single of the same name. This marked Onew's first solo comeback after his discharge from the military and his first time promoting as a soloist.[65] He stated that he sought diversity with this EP; like the six-faced object, it consists of six tracks showing different aspects of him as a soloist.[66] One of the tracks is "In the Whale", a special song showing his affection and gratefulness to fans, which Onew wrote lyrics for.[67] The EP peaked at number three on Circle Album Chart.[68]
As a pre-release of his Japanese debut album, Onew released a digital EP, Who Sings? Vol.1, on June 1. The EP includes four cover songs: Kazumasa Oda's "Kirakira", which was released on May 18, Motohiro Hata's "Uroko", which was released on May 25, Misia's "Everything", and Dreams Come True's "Yasashii Kissete".[69] On July 6, Onew released his first Japanese studio album, Life Goes On, with the lead single of the same name, which was pre-released on June 22. Before its physical release, the album was released digitally on June 29. The album contains ten tracks, including six original tracks and the four covers previously included in Who Sings? Vol.1.[70][71][72] On July 8, he embarked on his first solo concert tour in Japan, starting with a concert at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. The tour consisted of eight sold-out concerts stopping at four cities. Six concerts were originally scheduled, with two additional performances added later to accommodate demand, taking place on September 10 and 11 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.[73][74][75] On September 9, Onew released his Japanese single titled "Dance Whole Day" which was specially prepared to be performed at his last additional concerts. The single was later released in Korea on September 15.[76] The last concert of the tour was broadcast live on TBS Television.[77]
On December 26, Onew released songs "The Cure" and "Where You Are", collaborating with other labelmates for SM Entertainment's winter album 2022 Winter SM Town: SMCU Palace. "The Cure", which is the album's lead single, shares a message of solidarity with the global movement to combat climate change to embrace a sustainable future.[78][79]
2023: First Korean solo concert, Circle and health hiatus
On January 26, it was announced that Onew would hold his first Korean concert, titled O-New-Note, at the Olympic Hall in Seoul on March 4–5.[80] An additional concert on March 3 was later added after tickets were sold out upon release.[81] The last day of the concert was live-streamed globally online through Beyond Live and was simultaneously watched in 74 regions around the world.[82] On March 6, Onew released his first Korean studio album, Circle, with the lead single "O (Circle)". The album contains ten songs in which he tried different methods of singing, exhibiting his musical tastes rather than showing off what he can do. He chose the words "healing," "recovery" and "circulation" as the album's keywords.[83][84] The album peaked at number three on Circle Album Chart.[85] On March 14–15, Onew held his concert O-New-Note in Japan at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo attracting 22,000 people. At the concert, he sang a new unreleased Japanese single titled "Inspiration".[86] On March 18, Onew received his first music show win as a solo artist on MBC's Show! Music Core.[87] On March 22, both "Inspiration" and another Japanese single titled "Knock On My Door" were released digitally.[88]
On June 9, it was announced that Onew would be unable to participate in the Korean concert of Shinee's tour, Shinee World VI: Perfect Illumination, and promotions for their eighth studio album due to health issues.[89][90] It was later announced that he would also sit out of the Japanese dates of the tour.[91] Onew revealed later that he had a throat surgery during his hiatus, stating: "There were psychological issues, but the physical issues were bigger. That's why I lost a lot of weight."[92]
2024–present: New agency, Flow
On April 3, 2024, it was announced that Onew had signed with a new agency, Griffin Entertainment, for his solo activities after his contract with SM Entertainment ended in late March. His group activities with Shinee will remain unchanged under SM.[93][94] On April 21, 2024, Onew made his first public appearance after about 10 months health hiatus performing at the 2024 Star Awards in Singapore.[95] On May 17, 2024, Onew embarked on his first-ever solo Asian fan meeting tour, titled Guess!, with a performance at Sejong University Daeyang Hall in Seoul.[96] He performed a new unreleased song titled "All Day".[97] The tour was originally scheduled to have six performances in Seoul, Osaka, and Yokohama, but additional performances in Macau, Manila, Kaohsiung, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were added later to accommodate demand.[98][99] The Kuala Lumpur stop was later cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances from the local promoter.[100] The tour was concluded on July 21, 2024, with a total of twelve performances in seven Asian cities.[101] Onew resumed his activities with Shinee, joining their encore concert Shinee World VI Perfect Illumination: Shinee's Back, which was held at the Inspire Arena in Incheon on May 24–26, 2024, celebrating their 16th debut anniversary.[102][103] After being crowned as Best Song Stealer on MBC's Song Stealer, Onew's cover of Byul's debut song "December 32 Days" was digitally released on June 24, 2024.[104] Onew released "All Day" as a single on July 15, 2024.[105][106]
On September 3, 2024. Onew released his third EP, Flow, with the lead single "Beat Drum". The album, for which he participated in producing and writing the lyrics for all its tracks, contains six songs including the pre-released single "All Day".[107] He mentioned that while his previous album, Circle, centered around the themes of life's cycles, Flow focuses on the movement within these cycles and how people should do their best in those situations while still preserving their unique identities and that he tried to choose songs that everyone can easily sing along to and enjoy at a concert aiming to be closer to the public.[107][108] On October 5–6, 2024, Onew held his fan concert, titled Hola!, at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul with the last day live-streamed globally online through Fromm platform.[109] Additionally, he held the fan concert in Taipei on November 2, 2024 and in Yokohama on November 21–22, 2024.[110][111]
On November 6, 2024, Onew released a song titled "For You" as a soundtrack for the popular webtoonNo Office Romance!.[112] Onew is planning to hold his first offline birthday party since debut, O!New Day, on December 14, 2024 at KBS Arena.[113]
Personal life
Onew is the only child of his parents. He became interested in music at a young age when he started to play the piano. Later, his passion inspired him to pursue a career in the music industry.
Onew graduated from the Gwangmyeong Information Industry High School. In his senior year, he ranked second in his grade and held the highest national score for his high school SATs exam. He started attending Chungwoon University, majoring in broadcasting music. After receiving his bachelor's degree he continued to attend the university for his master's degree which he earned in practical music.[114]
Vocals
Onew is one of the main vocalists of Shinee and is known for his distinctively unique vocal color and for his calm and understated voice, providing the strong vocal foundation of the group with fellow member Jonghyun.[115] In June 2014, Onew underwent a vocal cord polyp removal and vocal fold mucosa reconstruction operation, which made him unable to sing for a few months.[25] In December 2014, Kim Yeon-woo, Onew's vocal coach, revealed during a radio broadcast that Onew's condition had improved after the surgery. He also confirmed that Onew's vocal range "improved and he can make sounds comfortably too".[116]
Philanthropy
In order to support Onew in the musical Rock of Ages, in 2010, his fans had donated 1.44 tons of rice, a common practice for fans in South Korea, with the expectation that the idol will then donate to a charity of their choice—Onew donated it to help feed North Korean children, which was prepared by the Child Development Program.[117] Onew also donated 770 kg of rice to children in need in South Korea in May 2010.[117] In 2016, Onew donated roughly 1.2 million won to the Korean Heart Association.[118]
Controversy
Harassment allegations
In August 2017, Onew was accused of sexual harassment. The victim stated that on August 12 in a night club in Gangnam, Onew, who was intoxicated, touched her leg two or three times as he tried to stand up, over the course of two hours while she was dancing on one of the club's multiple dancing platforms that was adjacent to where Onew was seated.[119][120] However, she acknowledged that such incidents could happen under the influence of alcohol and withdrew the charge.[121] Nevertheless, the case was forwarded to the prosecution as a recommendation for indictment without detention.[122][123] After a four-month hiatus, Onew posted a letter of apology,[124] which was accepted widely among his fans, but others called for him to step down from Shinee.[125] On April 5, 2018, SM Entertainment announced that the charges against him had been dismissed by the prosecutors.[126][127]
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^"샤이니 온유, 日 솔로 투어 화려한 피날레…전 공연 매진 대성황" [SHINee's Onew, Japan's solo tour splendid finale... All performances sold out] (in Korean). September 12, 2022. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
^"SHINeeオンユの代々木第1体育館公演 生中継が決定" [SHINee Onew's Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium performance will be broadcast live] (in Japanese). Oricon. August 8, 2022. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
^"이수만 다 계획이 있구나…SM 선한 영향력 '더 큐어', 치유의 힘" [Lee Soo-man has a plan... SM good influence 'The Cure', healing power] (in Korean). Xports News. December 26, 2022. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022.
^샤이니 온유, 첫 솔로 콘서트 'O-NEW-NOTE'도 성료..오늘(6일) 컴백 [SHINee Onew's first solo concert 'O-NEW-NOTE' was successfully completed.. Comeback today (6th)]. Osen (in Korean). March 6, 2023. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
^샤이니 온유, 日 콘서트 2만 2천 관객 열광..변함 없는 인기 [SHINee's Onew, 22,000 Japanese concert fans enthusiastic.. Unwavering popularity]. Osen (in Korean). March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
^'음악중심' 샤이니 온유, 출연 없이 1위‥엑소 카이·트와이스 컴백[종합] [Shinee's Onew won first place on "Music Core" without attending... Exo's Kai and Twice comeback [Roundup]]. Newsen (in Korean). March 18, 2023. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
^オンユ(SHINee)、日本ソロ公演で日本語の新曲など披露「SHINeeの活動も準備中」 [Onew (SHINee) shows off new Japanese songs at solo performance in Japan "SHINee's activities are also being prepared"]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
^[팝인터뷰②]SM 떠난 온유 "안주한 느낌 들어 새 도전..몸 아플 때 실패하는 법 배웠다" [[Pop Interview②] Onew, who left SM, "Feels settled, takes on a new challenge... I learned how to fail when I'm sick"]. heraldpop (in Korean). September 3, 2024. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024.
^Lee, Jae-hoon (April 3, 2024). SM 떠난 온유, 신생기획사 그리핀 '1호 아티스트' [Onew, who left SM, is 'first artist' by new agency Griffin]. Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved April 3, 2024 – via Naver.
^ ab샤이니 온유, 첫 단독 팬미팅 'GUESS!' 성료.."늘 감사함 느끼고 있다" [SHINee Onew, the first solo fan meeting "GUESS!" was completed... "I'm always thankful."]. Osen (in Korean). May 20, 2024. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024.
^‘활동 재개’ 샤이니 온유, 韓·日 팬미팅 추가 오픈…거침없는 글로벌 행보 [‘Resumption of activities’ SHINee’s Onew opens additional fan meetings in Korea and Japan… Unstoppable global movement] (in Korean). April 23, 2024. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024.
^샤이니 온유, 단독 팬미팅 亞 5개 지역 추가 개최…글로벌 행보 [SHINee's Onew holds exclusive fan meeting in 5 additional regions... global move] (in Korean). April 30, 2024. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024.
^샤이니 온유, 亞 팬미팅 투어 'GUESS!' 성료.."온유다운 길 가겠다" [SHINee's Onew, fan meeting tour 'GUESS!' Success... "I'm going to go down the Onew-like path."]. Osen (in Korean). July 22, 2024. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024.
^샤이니, '온유 복귀' 완전체 재개…내달 앙코르 콘서트 [SHINee, ‘Onew’s return’ as a full group… Encore concert next month]. Newsis (in Korean). April 13, 2024. Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
^샤이니 온유, 오늘(15일) 신곡 ‘월화수목금토일’ 발매…작사 참여 [SHINee Onew, new song 'Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun' released today (15th)… participated in writing lyrics]. Newsen (in Korean). July 15, 2024. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024.
^샤이니 온유, 초록빛 팬콘 대성황 "오히려 응원 받은 기분" [SHINee Onew, Green Fancon is a great success "I feel like I was cheered on"] (in Korean). October 4, 2024. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024.
^온유, 타이베이서 팬콘서트 추가 개최..글로벌 광폭 행보 [Onew, additional fan concert held in Taipei.. global wide-ranging steps]. heraldpop (in Korean). September 25, 2024. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024.
^온유, 오늘(6일) 인기 로맨스 웹툰 '사내연애 사절!' OST 발매 [Onew, today (6th) releases the OST for the popular romance webtoon 'No Office Romance!']. OSEN [ko] (in Korean). November 6, 2024. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024.
^"소지섭과 '슈주' 배출한 청운대학교, '유명인 산실'" [Chungwoon University, which produced So Ji-sub and 'Shuju', 'the birthplace of celebrities']. Sports G (in Korean). November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021.
^Kim, Joo-hyun (March 11, 2016). "[듀엣을부탁해] 샤이니 온유-종현, 다름의 미학을 노래하다" [(Duet Request) Shinee's Onew – Jonghyun, sing the aesthetic of "contrast".]. Beff Report. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016.
^ ab샤이니 온유, 사랑의 쌀 1.44톤 北 어린이에게 기증 [Shinee's Onew donates 1.44 ton of rice to North Korean children in need]. BNT News (in Korean). October 21, 2010. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
^샤이니 온유 팬클럽, 한국심장재단에 후원금 전달 [SHINee Onew, donations delivered to South Korea Heart Foundation] (in Korean). February 23, 2016. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
^"SM 측 "온유 성추행 오해, 상대여성 해프닝 인지후 고소취하" (공식입장 전문)" [SM, "misunderstanding of sexual harassment, on the other hand, the woman dropped charges" (official position)]. Naver (in Korean). August 16, 2017. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
^"함연지부터 이진기·임나영·권현빈까지…'4분 44초' 실종자 포스터 공개" [From Ham Yeon-ji to Lee Jin-ki, Im Na-young, and Kwon Hyun-bin… '4 Minutes 44 Seconds' Missing Person Posters Revealed]. Aju Economy (in Korean). Choi Song-hee. October 23, 2024. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024.
^Shin Seong-ah (January 3, 2011). "'아테나', 보아·샤이니 SM군단 총출동 '본방사수'" ["Athena", SM and BoA join show]. Break News (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
^Moon, Kyung-min (December 15, 2016). '먹고 자고 먹고-센토사편' 온유X정채연 컴백! 포스터 공개하며 '기대' ['Eat, Sleep, Eat – Sentosa Edition' Onew X Jung Chae-yeon comeback! 'Expectation' with the release of the poster]. Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kang Hyo-jin (May 25, 2021). "이지아·이동욱·윤종신·김고은…JTBC 새 예능 '바라던 바다' 출연[공식]" [Lee Ji-ah, Lee Dong-wook, Yoon Jong-shin, Kim Go-eun… Appeared in JTBC's new variety show 'The Desired Sea' [Official]]. Sport TV News (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
^SHINeeのリーダー・オンユ、自身初となる日本での地上波冠番組が放送決定 [Shinee's leader Onew will appear on his first terrestrial TV program in Japan]. The First Times (in Japanese). June 15, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
^'온유・김재환, 호주서 브로맨스 폭발 “처음 만났지만 정말 행복했다”(‘더트래블로그’) [OnewㆍKim Jaehwan, romance exploded in Australia “It was the first time we met, but I was really happy” (‘The Travel Blog’)]. Osen (in Korean). December 8, 2022. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
^샤이니 온유 ‘12월 32일’ 부르다 눈물 “이곡 들으며 많이 회복”(송스틸러) [SHINee Onew Cries While Singing 'December 32nd' "I Heal a lot While Listening to This Song" (Song Stealer)]. Newsen (in Korean). June 24, 2024. Archived from the original on July 1, 2024.
^Jeong Hee-yeon (March 24, 2022). "뮤지컬 '태양의 노래' 온유-하성운→김남주-권은비 등 캐스팅 [공식]" [Musical ‘Song of the Sun’ Onew-Ha Sung-Woon → Kim Nam-Joo, Kwon Eun-Bi, etc. Casting [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Naver.
^샤이니 온유→ITZY ‘WE ALL ARE ONE’ 콘서트 라인업 공개 [SHINee Onew → ITZY 'WE ALL ARE ONE' concert lineup revealed]. Newsen (in Korean). April 19, 2022. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
^ ab온유, 오늘(7일) '썸데이 페스티벌 2024' 헤드라이너 출격 [Onew, headliner of 'Someday Festival 2024' today (7th)]. Osen (in Korean). September 7, 2024. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024.
^온유, 오늘(26일) 데뷔 첫 대학 축제 무대 출격..종횡무진 활약 [Onew, first college festival stage appearance since debut today (26th)... active in various fields]. heraldpop (in Korean). September 26, 2024. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024.
^충남도, 15일 광화문광장서 '와우 페스티벌' [Chungnam Province, 'Wow Festival' at Gwanghwamun Square on the 15th]. News1 (in Korean). October 13, 2024. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024.