A MODERN
BIOGRAPHY ARCHIVE
THE COLLECTION / MusicARCHIVE № 486
1996 —   SINGER

CHUNGHA

Kim Chan-miFeb 9, 1996South Korea

What happened at what age?
Where were they at your age?

The breakthrough yearThe year she turned 20, Chung Ha went from 13th to 5th in the third ranking announcement of Mnet’s Produce 101, and in the live finale on April 1 she finished 4th and made the 11 members of I.O.I. On May 4, I.O.I debuted with its first mini album Chrysalis.

The year she turned 21, I.O.I disbanded in January, and in June she made her solo debut with her first mini album Hands on Me. Joynews24 says she was the first of the I.O.I members to debut as a solo singer. The year she turned 22, she released “Roller Coaster” from her second mini album Offset and “Love U” from her third mini album Blooming Blue. In October she made a cameo in Netflix’s YG Future Strategy Office, and in December she received Best Dance Performance Solo at the 2018 MAMA.

On Jan. 2, 2019, the year she turned 23, she released her second single “Gotta Go,” and on the 9th she won first place on Show Champion, her first music-show win since her solo debut. In June she released her fourth mini album Flourishing.

In April 2020, the year she turned 24, she released “Stay Tonight” from her first full-length album ahead of the album. The year she turned 25, she released her first full-length album Querencia. The year she turned 26, she released her second full-length album Bare & Rare Pt.1.

In October 2023, the year she turned 27, she joined Jay Park’s label More Vision. The year she turned 28, she released the singles “EENIE MEENIE” and “Algorithm,” and the Christmas special single Christmas Promises.

In February 2025, the year she turned 29, she released the EP Alivio, and in December the Christmas digital single Christmas Again.

The year she turned 30, she released “Save me” on her Feb. 9 birthday, and on May 19 she took part in I.O.I : LOOP, the album for the group’s 10th debut anniversary. After releasing “México” on Sept. 1, her contract with More Vision ended on Sept. 21.

Chung Ha (born Feb 9, 1996) became known on Mar 25, 2016, the year she turned 20, when she rose to 5th in the third ranking announcement of Mnet’s Produce 101. She debuted with I.O.I on May 4, 2016, the year she turned 20, and made her solo debut on Jun 7, 2017, the year she turned 21.

Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.

Full timeline · 26 records2016 — 2026   ＋
AGE / YEAR

  1. 20 · 2016
  2. 20 · 2016
  3. 21 · 2017
  4. 21 · 2017
  5. 22 · 2018
  6. 22 · 2018
  7. 22 · 2018
  8. 22 · 2018
  9. 23 · 2019
  10. 23 · 2019
  11. 23 · 2019
  12. 23 · 2019
  13. 24 · 2020
  14. 25 · 2021
  15. 26 · 2022
  16. 27 · 2023
  17. 28 · 2024
  18. 28 · 2024
  19. 28 · 2024
  20. 29 · 2025
  21. 29 · 2025
  22. 30 · 2026
  23. 30 · 2026
  24. 30 · 2026
  25. 30 · 2026

END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2016–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.

02 / QUICK ANSWERS

Q & AFrequently asked

How old was Chung Ha when she debuted?
The year she turned 20. On May 4, 2016 the project girl group I.O.I debuted with its first mini album Chrysalis.
How old was Chung Ha when she became famous?
The year she turned 20. On Mar 25, 2016 she rose from 13th to 5th in the third ranking announcement of Mnet’s Produce 101. Herald Muse says she began to draw attention through her stages around then.
How old was Chung Ha when she made her solo debut?
The year she turned 21. On Jun 7, 2017 she released her first mini album Hands on Me, and Joynews24 says she was the first of the I.O.I members to debut as a solo singer.
How old was Chung Ha when she won her first music show?
The year she turned 23. On Jan 9, 2019 she won first place on Show Champion with “Gotta Go,” her first music-show win since her solo debut.
How old is Chung Ha?
Born in 1996, she turns 30 in 2026 (30 as of Oct 6, 2026).
04 / ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

A LIFE,
IN CHAPTERS.

What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.

COLLECTION486Chung Ha / CHUNG HA

Music · South Korea
Feb 9, 1996 —

Sources and method30 SOURCES   ＋

Ages are counted from the birth year 1996: the year of the event minus 1996, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.

  1. Herald Muse (Korean) · A reversal in the shifting rankings: Kim Chung-ha ↗Mar. 26, 2016: top 5 in the third ranking announcement; she began to draw attention with her stages for “Bang Bang” and “Fingertips”
  2. Edaily (Korean) · Kim Chung-ha and Kim So-hee, from the margins to the lead ↗Mar. 26, 2016: 5th in the third ranking announcement, 37th in the first
  3. OSEN (Korean) · I.O.I member analysis chart ↗Apr. 2, 2016: ranking changes 14th → 13th → 5th → 4th; live finale on Apr. 1
  4. Ajunews (Korean) · Produce 101 No. 1 Jeon So-mi ↗Apr. 5, 2016: Kim Chung-ha of M&H finished 4th; 11 members confirmed
  5. Busan Ilbo (Korean) · I.O.I finally debuts ↗May 4, 2016: first mini album Chrysalis, title track “Dream Girls”
  6. Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Chung Ha, first solo debut from I.O.I ↗June 12, 2017: first mini album Hands on Me released on the 7th; agency MNH Entertainment
  7. Joynews24 (Korean) · Chung Ha interview ↗June 20, 2017: the first of the I.O.I members to debut as a solo singer
  8. Sports Chosun (Korean) · “Roller Coaster” tops the chart ↗Jan. 18, 2018: Offset released at 6 p.m. on the 17th; No. 1 on the real-time charts of four sites
  9. OSEN (Korean) · “Love U” tops the music chart ↗July 19, 2018: Blooming Blue released at 6 p.m. on the 18th
  10. Sports Chosun (Korean) · “Gotta Go” wins a triple crown ↗Jan. 19, 2019: first win since her solo debut on Show Champion on the 9th; No. 1 on Music Bank on the 18th
  11. YTN (Korean) · “Snapping” tops the music chart ↗June 25, 2019: Flourishing released on the 24th
  12. YTN (Korean) · First full-length album Querencia ↗Feb. 16, 2021: released on the afternoon of the 15th
  13. Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Chung Ha photo shoot ↗Dec. 27, 2023: joined More Vision in October; named a DJ on KBS Cool FM
  14. Star News (Korean) · “Eenie Meenie” released ↗Mar. 11, 2024: a comeback after a year and a half
  15. Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · “Algorithm” released ↗Aug. 28, 2024
  16. YTN (Korean) · Four Christmas single tracks ↗Dec. 5, 2025: new release after about eight months
  17. TenAsia (Korean) · First new song of the year ↗Feb. 10, 2026: “Save me” released on the 9th; Feb. 9 is her birthday
  18. bnt News (Korean) · “México” music video teaser ↗Aug. 31, 2026: one day before the comeback, about seven months after “Save me”
  19. Etoday (Korean) · Chung Ha returns after seven months ↗Aug. 18, 2026: new digital single “México” due on the 1st of next month
  20. Star News (Korean) · Contract with More Vision ends ↗Sept. 14, 2026: three years together; ends Sept. 21
  21. Sports Seoul (Korean) · I.O.I disbands ↗Jan. 2017: officially disbanded after the solo concert Time Slip – I.O.I at Jangchung Gymnasium, running through the 22nd
  22. Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · YG Future Strategy Office released ↗Oct. 5, 2018: released on Netflix at 4 p.m.; cameos by Sunmi, Chung Ha, Sohn Na-eun and others
  23. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · BTS wins nine awards at 2018 MAMA ↗Dec. 14, 2018: AsiaWorld-Expo Arena, Hong Kong; Best Dance Performance Solo went to Chung Ha
  24. KBS Kstar (Korean) · Chung Ha’s “Gotta Go” works too ↗Jan. 4, 2019: second single released at 6 p.m. on the 2nd
  25. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · “Stay Tonight” pre-release today ↗Apr. 27, 2020: 6 p.m., a track from her first full-length album released ahead of the album
  26. Xportsnews (Korean) · Second full-length album Bare&Rare Pt.1 press conference ↗July 11, 2022: released at 6 p.m., title track “Sparkling”
  27. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Second full-length album showcase ↗July 11, 2022: she took part in writing and producing every track
  28. Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Christmas Promises released ↗Dec. 3, 2024: 6 p.m., with “Sleigh” and “There Goes Santa Claus!”
  29. Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · New EP Alivio released ↗Feb. 12, 2025: 6 p.m., double title tracks “STRESS” and “Thanks for the Memories”
  30. SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · I.O.I releases I.O.I : LOOP ↗May 19, 2026: 6 p.m.; a full-group album after about nine years, for the 10th debut anniversary; “Then, Now, and Forever” written and composed by Chung Ha

Fact-checked: 2026.10.06 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.