Kim Jong-kook (김종국; born 25 April 1976 in Hapcheon, South Korea) is a South… Read Full Bio ↴Kim Jong-kook (김종국; born 25 April 1976 in Hapcheon, South Korea) is a South Korean singer and TV personality. He was initially part of the Korean duo Turbo, later pursuing a successful career as a solo artist. Apart from being a 3 Daesang Award Winner Singer, he also participates actively in variety shows in the past such as X-man and Family Outing (since episode 19). Currently, he is present as a cast member in the variety show, Running Man. He is also known for hosting a documentary program called Escape Crisis No.1 (also known as Safety First!) as well as co-hosting the show Everybody.

Kim So-ya, a Korean female singer under the mononym Soya, is his niece.

Kim Jong-kook first entered the Korean music industry in 1995 as a member of the group Turbo, which became immensely popular for their catchy music. After the group disbanded a few years later, he became a solo singer in 2001, mostly concentrating on ballads. Although his unusually high tone of voice is often joked about (with many stars jokingly calling it a "mosquito voice"), he has had many hit singles and has also been a frequent guest on many variety shows, most notably X-Man. In addition, his muscular body is often considered one of the best in K-pop, due to constant weight training.

Kim Jong-kook had a set back after Turbo which he faced difficulties to settle down as a solo artist. Problems like lack of songs from composers, less support from his respected agency and also a change of taste within the fans cause his first album as a solo artist to failed. However he made a huge comeback with his second album (Evolution). One of the songs in the second solo album called Han Nam Ja (One Man) was the reason for all his success. This song became his trademark song and left a very deep impression to the listeners. Furthermore, a scandal rumor between him and Yoon Eun Hye grabbed a lot of attention. This rumor started when both of them were permanent members of a famous variety show called X-Man. This rumor actually brought them close and they started to act like a couple in X-Man.

On 2005; which was his tenth year in Korean Entertainment Industry, Kim Jong-kook became one of Korea's most popular artists when his third album sold in excess of 300,000 copies, making it one of the year's best-selling albums in Korea. He capped off that year by sweeping the Daesang (Best Artist of The Year) from all 3 major Korean TV stations; SBS, KBS and MBC. In doing so, he became the second artist ever to accomplish this feat since Cho Yong-Pil in the 1980s. The lead single from the album, "Lovable", topped many charts. It was also included in Pump It Up and Audition Online. Apart from that, other songs like "Walking in One Spot" and "Star, Wind, Sunshine and Love" also topped many other charts as well.

On January 21, 2006, Kim Jong-kook, Jeon Hye-bin, and Im Tae-kyung participated in Thuy Nga's Paris by Night 81 Vietnamese concert in California. During the concert, Kim Jong-kook performed one of his song from his third album entitled "To Her Man".

On 1 November 2012, following a pre-release of selected songs from his new album, Kim Jong-kook made a comeback to the music scene with the release of his seventh studio album Journey Home after three years. His fellow Running Man co-stars HaHa and Gary participated in the album as well as former Running Man member Song Joong-ki, who starred in the music video for lead track "Men Are All Like That". On 2013, he attended MAMA 2013 as a presenter along with Running Man co-host Song Ji-Hyo.

He also continues his variety and MC activities in Running man and Safety First! His performance in these shows is well-received among Korean fans and he earns himself Excellence award and Best Entertainer award at 2013 SBS and KBS Entertainment Awards. He proves to be very popular among international fans as well. He ranked #1 in the list of most searched/googled Korean stars in Singapore in 2013 (beating the likes of Super Junior, Girls Generation, and Yoon Eun Hye in doing so). His 2013 sold-out showcase in Singapore was also a huge success with more than 1,700 fans in attendance; in addition, 2,000 fans who were unable to attend the showcase crowded out the IMM Level 3 Garden Plaza where his fan signing session was held. He was also voted as #1 Korean solo singer by Tudou (Chinese equivalent of YouTube) viewers. He received more than 1.75 million votes and beat popular K-pop idols such as G-Dragon, Kim Hyun-joong, and Lee Hyori by a surprisingly wide margin. Kim Jong Kook continues to be successful amongst international fans. His first solo concert in Harbin, China sold out. He is reported to be fluent in English which will no doubtedly aid him in his growing popularity.
Running Man Brothers, Kim Jong-kook and Haha, in Dallas, December 14, 2014

In 2014, he again joined fellow Running Man cast member Haha, this time in a musical duo, Running Man Brothers, and debuted in a concert tour in the United States in July and December.

사랑스러워
김종국 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

워어 머리부터 발끝까지 다 사랑스러워
워어 니가 나의 여자라는 게 자랑스러워
기다림이 즐겁고 이젠 공기마저 달콤해
이렇게 너를 사랑해

세상이 힘들어도 널 보면
마음에 바람이 통해
이런 게 사는 거지, 이런 게 행복이지

이제야 느끼게 됐어, 나는

온종일 우울해도 널 보면
머리에 햇빛이 들어
이렇게 놀라운 게 사랑이지
기다린 보람이 있어

지난번 사랑처럼 울까 봐
한참을 망설였지만
보채지 않고 나를 기다려준 너
편안하게 스며들어와

워어 머리부터 발끝까지 다 사랑스러워
워어 니가 나의 여자라는 게 자랑스러워
무뚝뚝하던 내가 종일 싱글벙글 웃잖아
대체 내게 무슨 짓을 한 거야?

워어 그림자와 뒷모습까지 사랑스러워
워어 부끄러운 애정 표현도 자연스러워
기다림이 즐겁고, 이젠 공기마저 달콤해
이렇게 너를 사랑해

널 행복하게 해주기 위해
내가 날 아끼게 됐어
내 모습 내가봐도 이제 조금은
괜찮은 놈이 된 것 같아

워어 머리부터 발끝까지 다 사랑스러워
워어 니가 나의 여자라는 게 자랑스러워
무뚝뚝하던 내가 종일 싱글벙글 웃잖아
대체 내게 무슨 짓을 한 거야?

워어 그림자와 뒷모습까지 사랑스러워
워어 부끄러운 애정표현도 자연스러워
기다림이 즐겁고, 이젠 공기마저 달콤해
이렇게 너를 사랑해

워어 나나나나-나나나나나-나나나나나
워어 나나나나-나나나나나-나나나나나
사람들이 모두들 부러워서 견딜 수 없게
그렇게 우리 사랑해

Hoo 한 가지만 약속해, 세상 끝날 때까지
나에게만 사랑스럽길

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of 김종국's song "사랑스러워" express the singer's deep affection for his significant other. He describes how he finds everything about her adorable, from head to toe. He takes pride in being able to call her his woman and waiting for her is now pleasurable. He claims that even if the world were a difficult place, seeing her fills his heart with happiness and makes him feel content. The singer acknowledges that he was hesitant to fall in love again after a past relationship but was grateful that his partner waited patiently for him. He reflects on how he used to be reserved and solitary, but her love has transformed him into a happy and affectionate man. He promises that he will love her until the end of time.

The song's lyrics are relatable to anyone who has experienced the joy and happiness of being in love. The singer expresses his unconditional love for his significant other, which is something that many listeners can relate to. The song's upbeat rhythm and catchy melody make it an enjoyable tune to listen to.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh 머리부터 발끝까지 다 사랑스러워
From head to toe, I find you completely lovely

Oh 니가 나의 여자라는 게 자랑스러워
I feel proud to call you my woman

기다림이 즐겁고 이젠 공기마저
Waiting for you has become my pleasure, even the air feels sweet

달콤해 이렇게 너를 사랑해
Loving you is so sweet

세상이 힘들어도 널 보면
Even if the world is tough, seeing you

마음에 바람이 통해
can make my heart feel light and easy

이런 게 사는 거지 이런 게
This is what life is about

행복이지 이제야 느끼게 됐어 나는
Now I finally realize that this is happiness

온종일 우울해도 널 보면
Even if I'm sad all day, when I see you

머리에 햇빛이 들어
my head feels like it's bathed in sunshine

이렇게 놀라운 게 사랑이지
This is how amazing love can be