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.
편지
김종국 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
사랑한단 말도 지금껏 아꼈나 봐요
다 주고 싶은데 두 손이 초라해
자신 없는 마음이 자꾸 자랐나 봐요
내가 가진 게 없어서 많이 모자라서
좀 더 가지려고 애쓰는 동안
많이 외로웠을 텐데 불평 한마디 안 하고
내가 그대를 사랑합니다
감히 영원을 약속합니다
세상 어떤 말도 그대 앞에 부족하지만
나의 눈물이 말해줍니다
나의 가슴에 새겨 둡니다
내 삶의 끝까지 지워지지 않을 이름
항상 마음만 내세운 보잘것없었던
내 사랑도 분에 넘친다면서
값진 선물이 없어도 칭찬 한마디 앞에도
행복하다며 안기던 사람
내가 그대를 사랑합니다
감히 영원을 약속합니다
세상 어떤 말도 그대 앞에 부족하지만
나의 눈물이 말해줍니다
나의 가슴에 새겨 둡니다
내 삶의 끝까지 지워지지 않을 이름
내 마음 한 곳에 아련한 그리움
그대가 아닌 추억들도 참 미안합니다
구석구석 그대 없는 곳 하나 없도록
한 사람만 채우고 싶은 맘
오늘 태어난 사람입니다
다시 마음을 채워갑니다
내가 처음으로 배운 말은 그대입니다
내일 세상이 끝날 것처럼
나를 다해서 사랑합니다
내 삶의 끝까지 지워지지 않을 이름
내 마지막 사랑 그대
In his song "편지" (Letter), Kim Jong Kook expresses his feelings towards his loved one. He starts off by saying that even though his heart is full, his lips are stingy with words, suggesting that he struggles to express his love. He realizes that he has never told her he loved her and feels inadequate because there is so much he wants to give her, but his hands are empty. This results in his heart becoming even more insecure, and he keeps doubting himself.
Kim Jong Kook then expresses his gratitude towards the person he loves, who has always been patient and never complained, even though he had nothing to give. He promises to love her forever and to make it known to the world, regardless of what they may think. He believes that no matter what he says, it will never be enough to express how much he loves her, but his tears and heart will tell the true story. He ends the song by confessing that she is his one and only true love, and he hopes to fill the void in his heart with her love.
The lyrics of "편지" express Kim Jong Kook's deep yearning for love and his struggle to express it. The song's melody is also a powerful instrument, as it creates a melancholic and emotional atmosphere, making the listener feel the depth of his emotions. The lyrics are relatable and capture the thoughts and emotions of many individuals who have a hard time expressing their love for fear of rejection or inadequacy.
Line by Line Meaning
마음은 넘쳐도 입술은 인색해
Although my heart is overflowing, my lips are stingy with words. I guess I haven't told you how much I love you.
사랑한단 말도 지금껏 아꼈나 봐요
Even the words 'I love you' seem to have been held back until now.
다 주고 싶은데 두 손이 초라해
Even though I want to give you everything, my hands are pathetic and empty. My confidence keeps dwindling.
자신 없는 마음이 자꾸 자랐나 봐요
It seems like my self-doubt keeps growing, and it's getting harder to overcome.
내가 가진 게 없어서 많이 모자라서
I feel like I don't have much to offer, and my shortcomings always seem to outweigh my strengths.
좀 더 가지려고 애쓰는 동안
While I try my hardest to acquire more, to be better, I still feel like I come up short.
많이 외로웠을 텐데 불평 한마디 안 하고
I must have been really lonely, but instead of complaining, there was someone who smiled and waited only for me.
웃으며 나만 기다린 사람
It was someone who waited for me with a smile on their face, and only for me.
내가 그대를 사랑합니다
I love you.
감히 영원을 약속합니다
I dare to promise you eternity.
세상 어떤 말도 그대 앞에 부족하지만
Although any words I say may fall short in front of you.
나의 눈물이 말해줍니다
My tears speak for me.
나의 가슴에 새겨 둡니다
I engrave you in my heart.
내 삶의 끝까지 지워지지 않을 이름
Your name will never be erased from my life.
항상 마음만 내세운 보잘것없었던
My worthless love, which only had my heart to give.
내 사랑도 분에 넘친다면서
But even my overflowing love was not enough.
값진 선물이 없어도 칭찬 한마디 앞에도
Even without a precious gift, you were happy with just a word of praise.
행복하다며 안기던 사람
The person who hugged me and said they were happy.
내 마음 한 곳에 아련한 그리움
In my heart, a faint longing.
그대가 아닌 추억들도 참 미안합니다
I'm sorry even for the memories that aren't about you.
구석구석 그대 없는 곳 하나 없도록
I want to fill every corner of my life with you so that there isn't a single place you're not in.
한 사람만 채우고 싶은 맘
A heart that wants to be filled with only one person.
오늘 태어난 사람입니다
I am someone who was born today.
다시 마음을 채워갑니다
I am filling up my heart once again.
내가 처음으로 배운 말은 그대입니다
The first words I ever learned were your name.
내일 세상이 끝날 것처럼
As if the world will end tomorrow,
나를 다해서 사랑합니다
I love you with everything I have.
내 삶의 끝까지 지워지지 않을 이름
Your name will never be erased from my life.
내 마지막 사랑 그대
You are my last love.
Contributed by Ava Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Miyong.08
김종국 노래중에서 가장 슬픈 가사
@songofmemories
한 남자가 사랑하는 그대에게 끝내 말 못해서 늦은 새벽까지 잠 못이루다 한글자 한글자 꾹꾹 눌러쓴 정성이 깃든 손편지
@user-bg3oj2bs7b
2024년 1월 편지 시청하러 들려봄니다 지금들어도 명곡입니다
@jiwon919
이 형이 가수였음을 증명해주는 무대다
@folojk
진짜 너무 좋다..가사도 멜로디도 목소리도..
@user-zc4sf9wn5w
가사가 그냥 미쳤음
@ttukkhho
인졍..ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
@oooolo
저두요
@minjh2007
가장 슬프지만 제일 좋아하는 노래예요
@sonerism4073
많은 감정있는 노래 들어며 맘속에 너무 감동하는것 같아요🥺🥺 역시 종국오빠만 그렇게 만들수있게요🥰🥰🥰🥺🥺😭😭