The year he turned 17, he was the first to appear in the first teaser video of EXO-K and EXO-M released by SM Entertainment. In 2012, he held the debut showcase on March 31 and debuted as part of EXO-K on SBS Inkigayo on April 8.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 19, he became known with “Growl.” On December 27, EXO won Song of the Year at the KBS Song Festival.
In January 2014, EXO won the grand prize at the Seoul Music Awards. In 2015, EXO’s second full-length album Exodus came out. In 2016, he appeared in the web drama Choco Bank. In 2017, he released the fourth full-length album The War and played a lead role on terrestrial TV for the first time in KBS1’s Andante.
In December 2018, the repackage of the fifth full-length album, Love Shot, came out. In 2019, he became a global ambassador for Gucci eyewear, and the debut mini album he released with SuperM reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
In 2020, he continued as a Gucci ambassador and made his solo debut on November 30 with the first solo mini album Kai. On November 30, 2021, the first anniversary of his solo debut, he released the second mini album Peaches. In 2022, he won Best New Male Entertainer at the first Blue Dragon Series Awards.
In March 2023, he released the third mini album Rover, and on May 11 he entered the Army training center and began alternative service as a public service worker.
On February 10, 2025, he was released from service, and in April he released the fourth mini album Wait On Me. In May he held his first solo offline concert, KAION. In 2026, EXO’s eighth full-length album Reverxe came out, and in April the group held its first concert of its own in 6 years and 4 months.
Kai (born Jan 14, 1994) debuted with EXO-K on Apr 8, 2012, the year he turned 18, and became known when EXO’s “Growl” won Song of the Year at the KBS Song Festival on Dec 27, 2013, the year he turned 19. He made his solo debut in 2020, the year he turned 26.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Held at Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul. Kai showed a dance performance in his solo segment. EXO-K has six members: Suho, Kai, Chanyeol, Sehun, Baekhyun and D.O.
Source 03 · MyDaily (Korean) · EXO debut showcase · opens in a new tabMade the debut stage with “History” and “MAMA.”
Source 04 · TV Daily (Korean) · EXO-K debut on Inkigayo · opens in a new tabSource 03 · MyDaily (Korean) · EXO debut showcase · opens in a new tabChosen as Song of the Year from among 20 nominees, with first place in the text-message vote. That night Kai took part in a stage where EXO members faced off, with Lay and Sehun.
EXO won the grand prize, the digital music award and a main award, three in all.
Source 07 · TenAsia (Korean) · Seoul Music Awards grand prize · opens in a new tabThe title track is “Call Me Baby.”
Source 08 · Star News (Korean) · EXO’s Exodus promotions · opens in a new tabThe web drama, in which he appeared with Park Eun-bin, was No. 1 in the weekly ranking for July 18–24 as counted by the web drama channel Cons TV, and Xportsnews says in its headline that it was No. 1 for six straight weeks.
Source 09 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Choco Bank tops the weekly chart · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Korean Wikipedia · Kai (singer) · opens in a new tab The date is the day the article was published. The release date was not confirmed, and Wikipedia says he made his acting debut as a male lead in January 2016.The title track is “Ko Ko Bop.”
Source 11 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · EXO The War · opens in a new tabIn the Sunday drama Andante he made his first terrestrial TV appearance and played a lead role. Earlier he had appeared in the web dramas Exo Next Door, Choco Bank and 7 First Kisses.
Source 10 · Maeil Business (Korean) · Andante press conference · opens in a new tab The date is the day of the press conference. Maeil Business says the first broadcast was scheduled for Sept. 24.Sports Donga writes that it was No. 1 on the iTunes overall album chart in 60 regions worldwide.
Source 12 · Sports Donga (Korean) · EXO “Love Shot” · opens in a new tabHis agency said he became the first Korean to be a male global ambassador for Gucci eyewear. He took part in the fall/winter 2019 ad campaign.
Source 13 · TenAsia (Korean) · Kai named Gucci ambassador · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Maeil Ilbo (Korean) · Kai with Gucci for a second year · opens in a new tabSuperM is an SM supergroup of seven members: Taemin, Baekhyun, Kai, Taeyong, Mark, Lucas and Ten. A premiere event was held at Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles on the 3rd (local time), and the music was released at 6 p.m. on the 4th.
Source 14 · Newsis (Korean) · SuperM U.S. promotions · opens in a new tabBillboard reported on the 13th (local time) that the debut mini album was No. 1. It was the second Korean act to do so, after BTS.
Source 15 · Financial News (Korean) · SuperM tops the Billboard 200 · opens in a new tab It became known in Korea on the 14th. The date is local time.Shot the spring/summer 2020 campaign after fall/winter 2019.
Source 16 · Maeil Ilbo (Korean) · Kai with Gucci for a second year · opens in a new tabThe title track is “Mmmh.” Reels Corporation said it entered music charts in 118 regions overseas.
Source 17 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Kai’s first mini album Kai · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Kai’s “Peaches” · opens in a new tab The date is Nov. 30, which he called the first anniversary of his solo debut when “Peaches” was released.Released on the first anniversary of his solo debut. EXO’s Sehun hosted the online press conference.
Source 18 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Kai’s “Peaches” · opens in a new tabWon the rookie award for New World. Sports Chosun writes that it was his second rookie award, after one at the 2012 music awards as a member of EXO.
Source 19 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Kai wins the Blue Dragon Series Awards rookie prize · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Edaily (Korean) · Kai and Joo Hyun-young win rookie entertainer awards · opens in a new tabContains six songs, and it was his solo comeback after one year and four months.
Source 21 · The Electronic Times (Korean) · Kai interview on Rover · opens in a new tabAfter basic military training he did alternative service as a public service worker. His agency said EXO had been preparing a comeback but that he was enlisting because of a change in Military Manpower Administration rules.
Source 22 · Donghaeng Media Sidae (Korean) · Kai enters the Army training center · opens in a new tabFinished his alternative service after entering in May 2023. He then joined the web variety show Jeongwaja as host.
Source 23 · TenAsia (Korean) · Kai released from service · opens in a new tabSource 24 · YTN (Korean) · Kai “Wait On Me” · opens in a new tabReleased ahead of his fourth mini album, his return as a solo artist after two years and one month.
Source 25 · Newsen (Korean) · Kai “Adult Swim” · opens in a new tabHis first comeback after being released from service.
Source 24 · YTN (Korean) · Kai “Wait On Me” · opens in a new tabHeld May 17–18 at the Olympic Park Handball Stadium in Seoul, with about 9,000 over two days. It was his first solo offline concert, 13 years after EXO’s debut and five years after his solo debut.
Source 26 · The Fact (Korean) · Kai solo concert KAION · opens in a new tabSix members took part: Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, Sehun and Lay. All members had finished military service by September 2025, with Sehun the last, and a fan meeting was held in December.
Source 27 · Newsis (Korean) · EXO eighth full-length album Reverxe · opens in a new tabAbout 32,000 attended over April 10–12 at KSPO Dome. It was the group’s first concert of its own in about 6 years and 4 months, since EXO Planet #5 in 2019.
Source 28 · The Fact (Korean) · EXO’s sixth concert tour · opens in a new tabSource 29 · Money Today (Korean) · EXO’s first solo concert in six years · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2011–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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.
Music · South Korea
Jan 14, 1994 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1994: the year of the event minus 1994, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.30 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.