Choi Jong-ho (Korean:최종호; born October 12, 2000), known professionally as Jongho, is a South Korean singer and actor.[1] He debuted as the main vocalist of the boy group Ateez in 2018. Jongho has also released multiple Korean dramasoundtracks, including "Gravity" for the drama Reborn Rich and "A Day" for the drama Lovely Runner.[2][3]
Outside of his music endeavors, Jongho made his acting debut in the 2021 KBS drama Imitation and contributed to multiple original soundtracks as a member of Shax, a fictional idol group in the series.[4]
In 2017, Jongho was introduced as one of the trainees from KQ Entertainment on the JTBC survival reality show Mix Nine. He was eliminated in the tenth episode with a final ranking of 43.[5]
He was then introduced as a member of the pre-debut group "KQ Fellaz" alongside seven others, all of whom are now part of the boy group Ateez.[6]
From May 2020 to May 2022, Jongho released covers of Korean drama original soundtracks under the project name "JJongST" (Korean:쫑ST). The music videos accompanying the covers feature Jongho visiting and singing at the location where the respective dramas are shot.[10] Other than JJongST, Jongho also released other covers including "Wild Flower" by Park Hyo-shin,[11] "Ditto" by NewJeans with Maddox,[12] "Dear Name" by IU with Ateez's San,[13] and "Tell Me That You Love Me" by James Smith.[14]
In 2021, Jongho debuted as an actor in the KBS2 drama Imitation with the role Hyuk, the youngest member of a fictional group Shax.[4] In August 2022, Jongho participated in the contest to crown 184th Generation Mask King in the show King of Mask Singer with the stage name "Steamed Cypresses".[15] In September 2022, Jongho released the soundtrack "A Fairy Tale of Youth" for the reality show Young Actors' Retreat.[16] In the same year, he released the soundtrack titled "Gravity" for the drama Reborn Rich.[2]
In February 2023, Jongho released the soundtrack for the historical drama Our Blooming Youth titled "Wind".[17] In May 2023, Jongho took part in Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend and performed the song "So You" by Yarn.[18] In June, he returned to the show with the song "Things to do Tomorrow" by Sung Si-kyung.[19] In May 2024, Jongho released the soundtrack "A Day" for the drama Lovely Runner.[3]
From November 2024 to January 2025, Jongho appeared on KBS2Moving Voices in Munich, Germany alongside Hongjoong, Bae Suzy, Henry Lau, Sunwoo Jung-a, and Sohyang.[20] On December 14, 2024, Jongho collaborated with STAYC's Sieun for a duet performance of "When It Snows" by Lee Mu-jin for the 2024 Music Bank Global Festival in Japan.[21] On April 7, 2025, Kwon Soon-kwan of the South Korean indie band No Reply released the digital single "Our Memories" (Korean:우리의 기억) featuring Jongho.[22]
In December 2025, Jongho released the music video for his solo song "To Be Your Light".[25]
Personal life
On August 26, 2023, KQ entertainment announced that Jongho would suspend his activities to undergo surgery and rehabilitation for his meniscus rupture.[26]
On October 12, 2023, it was announced that Jongho would be returning from his hiatus and joining the rest of Ateez for "M Countdown in France" on October 15, avoiding intense choreography and performing while sitting or standing.[27]
Outside of his music career, Jongho is an avid baseball enthusiast, often expressing his support for the Doosan Bears.[28] On August 27, 2025, Jongho was invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Doosan Bears game.[29][30]
↑"Gravity" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but debuted at number 98 on the component Download Chart.[32]
References
12Kim, Na-ri (July 3, 2021). "ATEEZ 종호". 한류타임스 (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 29, 2024.
12Kim, Yong-jin (November 19, 2022). 에이티즈 종호, JTBC '재벌집 막내아들' OST 주자 발탁. 종합일간지: 신문/웹/모바일 등 멀티 채널로 국내외 실시간 뉴스와 수준 높은 정보를 제공 (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 17, 2025. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
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