The year he turned 21, he debuted in the group Park Jin-young and the New Generation but did not achieve much success.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 23, he became known for “Don’t Leave Me,” the title track of his first solo album Blue City.
In 1996, he founded an entertainment agency, which took the name JYP Entertainment in 2001. In 1999, he debuted god and got married. In 2001, he released his sixth album Game and announced a pause in his singing career.
In 2002, he debuted Jung Ji-hoon, a JYP trainee, as a solo singer. Around 2003, he tried the American market as a songwriter. In 2004, a song he made with Bang Si-hyuk appeared on an album by the American artist Mase and reached No. 4 on the Billboard album chart.
In 2007, he debuted Wonder Girls, and “Tell Me” set off a dance-along craze. In 2008, he debuted 2AM and 2PM. In March 2009, he divorced, and in October Wonder Girls’ “Nobody” reached No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100, making them the first Korean singers to enter that chart.
In 2010, he debuted miss A. In 2013, he remarried, and JYP Entertainment listed on KOSDAQ through a merger. In 2014, he debuted GOT7. He had ranked first in music copyright income for three years in a row since 2011.
In 2015, he debuted TWICE. In 2017, he reorganized the company into an artist division system and took the post of chief creative officer (CCO). In 2018, he debuted Stray Kids. In 2019, he debuted ITZY, and his first daughter was born.
In 2020, he debuted NiziU, the result of the Nizi Project audition run with Sony Music. In 2022, Stray Kids’ Oddinary reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time. In 2023, TWICE won the Breakthrough Artist category at Billboard Women in Music. In 2024, he debuted the American girl group VCHA through a project with Republic Records.
The year he turned 54, he was named co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange. In 2026, JYP Entertainment said it would not reappoint him as an inside director, and he released “WET,” his first summer song in six years.
J.Y. Park (born Dec 13, 1971) debuted in 1992, the year he turned 21, in the group Park Jin-young and the New Generation without success, and became known in Sep 1994, the year he turned 23, with “Don’t Leave Me” from his first solo album Blue City. In 1996, the year he turned 25, he founded the agency that is now JYP Entertainment.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Debuted in the music world in the group Park Jin-young and the New Generation (Shinsedae). It did not achieve much success.
Source 01 · Financial News (Korean) · Interview with the popular culture exchange committee chair · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Park Jin-young named popular culture exchange committee chair · opens in a new tabStarted his solo career with “Don’t Leave Me,” the title track of his first solo album Blue City. The song built his public recognition.
Founded an entertainment agency. In 2001 it took its current name, JYP Entertainment.
Source 02 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Park Jin-young named popular culture exchange committee chair · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tab Business Post and Digital Times give 1997 as the founding year. This follows the 1996 given by Seoul Economic Daily and Betanews.Debuted the group god. Their debut song was “To Mother.”
Source 06 · Ajunews (Korean) · 10,000 days since god’s debut · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabMarried someone his own age whom he had met in 1993 and started dating.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabAfter releasing his sixth full-length album Game, announced he would stop performing as a singer to focus on producing.
Source 15 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Park Jin-young · opens in a new tab Date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.Jung Ji-hoon, who became a JYP trainee after Park Jin-young noticed him, debuted as a solo singer in 2002. His debut song was “Bad Guy.”
Source 08 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Jung Ji-hoon’s “first villain role” · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabTried the American market as a songwriter and producer.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabA song he made with Bang Si-hyuk appeared on an album by the American artist Mase, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard album chart.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabDebuted the girl group Wonder Girls. “Tell Me,” with its easy-to-copy choreography, set off a dance-along craze.
Source 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabDebuted the boy groups 2AM and 2PM.
Source 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabDivorced after 10 years of marriage. He announced it in a post on his official website.
Source 14 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Divorce after 10 years of marriage · opens in a new tabThe single “Nobody,” released in the U.S., reached No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Wonder Girls the first Korean singers to enter that chart.
Source 07 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Wonder Girls “Nobody” at No. 76 on Billboard · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabDebuted the girl group miss A.
Source 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabRemarried, to a non-celebrity nine years his junior.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabSource 11 · TV Report (Korean) · Park Jin-young’s holiday with his two daughters · opens in a new tabJYP Entertainment went public on KOSDAQ by merging with a listed company in which he had been the largest shareholder.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabDebuted the boy group GOT7.
Source 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabRanked first in the 2013 composer income tally released by the Korea Music Copyright Association, his third year in a row since 2011.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabDebuted the girl group TWICE. Their debut song was “Like Ooh-Ahh.”
Source 09 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · TWICE 10th debut anniversary · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabReorganized the company into an artist division system, in which a production unit for each artist handles music, content and promotion. He has served as chief creative officer (CCO) since that year.
Source 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabDebuted the boy group Stray Kids, whose members take part in writing and composing their own songs.
Source 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabTwo daughters were born, in 2019 and 2020.
Source 11 · TV Report (Korean) · Park Jin-young’s holiday with his two daughters · opens in a new tabDebuted the girl group ITZY.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabDebuted the Japanese girl group NiziU through the audition project Nizi Project, run with Sony Music.
Source 05 · Betanews (Korean) · How JYP survived 30 years · opens in a new tabStray Kids’ sixth mini album Oddinary reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time. They were the third K-pop act to do so, after BTS and SuperM.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabTWICE won the Breakthrough Artist category at Billboard Women in Music in Los Angeles. It was the first time a female K-pop act had won an award at the event.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabDebuted the American girl group VCHA through the project A2K, run jointly with Republic Records.
Source 03 · Business Post (Korean) · [Who Is?] Park Jin-young · opens in a new tabWas named co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange. The government-side co-chair is Choi Hwi-young, the minister of culture, sports and tourism.
Source 10 · News1 (Korean) · Park Jin-young named co-chair of the popular culture exchange committee · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Park Jin-young named popular culture exchange committee chair · opens in a new tabSource 12 · Digital Times (Korean) · JYP Entertainment inside director not to be reappointed · opens in a new tabJYP Entertainment announced it would not proceed with reappointing him as an inside director at the Mar. 26 shareholders’ meeting. He had held the seat for 15 years since 2011 and keeps the chief creative officer (CCO) post.
Source 12 · Digital Times (Korean) · JYP Entertainment inside director not to be reappointed · opens in a new tabReleased the new single “WET,” a summer song for the first time in six years.
Source 13 · News1 (Korean) · New single “WET” announced · opens in a new tabSource 04 · The Fact (Korean) · [TF Focus] Park Jin-young, two hearts · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1992–2026 · 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
Dec 13, 1971 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1971: the year of the event minus 1971, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.28 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.