Around 2016 she passed an SM Entertainment audition and began life as a trainee. She dropped out of high school and took the high school equivalency exam. In November 2020, the year she turned 19, she debuted in the group aespa. The debut song “Black Mamba” entered the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 100.
The breakthrough yearIn January 2021, the year she turned 20, she won first place on SBS Inkigayo with the debut song. That May she released the second single “Next Level.” JTBC reports that aespa’s rise in popularity took off in earnest with this song. In October the first mini album Savage put aespa on the U.S. Billboard 200 for the first time.
In January 2022 she widened her activities with the SM girl unit Got the Beat, and in April she took the main stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the U.S. In May she sang on the OST for tvN’s Our Blues, and in July the second mini album Girls reached No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
In February 2023 she was featured on Super Junior Yesung’s “Floral Sense.” In September she sang “Win For You,” the theme song of the table tennis world championships in Busan, as a duet with the actor Im Si-wan, and in November she released the fourth mini album Drama. In December she sang “With You” for the OST of SBS’s My Demon.
In April 2024, the year she turned 23, she released the duet “Officially Cool” with the singer Bang Yedam, and that month she had pneumothorax surgery and recovered. In May she released her first full-length album, Armageddon, four years after debut.
In November she co-hosted the second day of the first Korea Grand Music Awards, and that month aespa won seven awards at MMA 2024, including three grand prizes. In December she released “Hunjung Yeonsuh,” the first OST song for JTBC’s The Tale of Lady Ok.
In November 2025, the year she turned 24, aespa won three awards at the 2025 MAMA in Hong Kong. In December it won three awards at MMA 2025 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
In May 2026, the year she turned 25, she released the second full-length album Lemonade, and in July she became a global ambassador for New Balance. In August she held her first solo concert at the Gocheok Sky Dome, starting the fourth world tour, and in September she released “Saddle Up,” a single of the members’ solo songs.
Winter (born Jan 1, 2001, real name Kim Min-jeong) debuted in the group aespa on Nov 17, 2020, the year she turned 19, and became known with the second single “Next Level” on May 17, 2021, the year she turned 20. In 2024, the year she turned 23, aespa won seven awards at MMA 2024, including three grand prizes.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Passed an SM Entertainment audition and began life as a trainee. She dropped out of high school and took the high school equivalency exam.
Source 01 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Winter (singer) · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Wikipedia · Winter (singer) · opens in a new tab The year and her schooling are from Wikipedia and were not confirmed in news reports.Debuted in the four-member girl group aespa, with Karina, Giselle and Ningning. The debut song “Black Mamba” entered the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 100 on just three days of tracking after release.
Source 03 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Debut song enters Billboard chart · opens in a new tabWon first place on SBS Inkigayo with the debut song “Black Mamba.” It was nominated for first place along with songs by Rain and Kyeongseo.
Source 04 · OSEN (Korean) · First place on Inkigayo · opens in a new tabReleased the second single “Next Level.” JTBC reports that aespa’s rise in popularity took off in earnest with this song.
Released the first mini album Savage. It entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at No. 20, the group’s first entry on the chart, 11 months after debut, and became a half-million seller 15 days after release.
Source 06 · Nocut News (Korean) · “Savage” at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Newsis (Korean) · “Savage” a half-million seller · opens in a new tabWith BoA, Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, Seulgi, Wendy and her aespa bandmate Karina, released the new song “Step Back” as the SM girl unit Got the Beat.
Source 08 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Got the Beat “Step Back” released · opens in a new tabTook the main stage of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the U.S. as a member of aespa. aespa was the first K-pop girl group officially invited to that stage.
Source 09 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · First K-pop girl group at Coachella · opens in a new tabWith her aespa bandmate Ningning, sang “ONCE AGAIN,” Part 10 of the OST for tvN’s Our Blues.
Source 10 · TV Daily (Korean) · Our Blues OST “ONCE AGAIN” released · opens in a new tabReleased the second mini album Girls. After 1.61 million pre-orders it sold 1.64 million copies, a record for the most albums sold by a K-pop girl group, and entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at No. 3.
Source 11 · Sports Donga (Korean) · 1.61 million pre-orders for “Girls” · opens in a new tabSource 12 · YTN (Korean) · “Girls” sells 1.64 million, No. 3 on the Billboard 200 · opens in a new tabFeatured on “Floral Sense,” the title track of the special version of Super Junior Yesung’s first solo full-length album.
Source 13 · TenAsia (Korean) · Featuring on Yesung’s “Floral Sense” · opens in a new tabReleased “Win For You,” the official theme song of the 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, as a duet with the actor Im Si-wan.
Source 14 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · “Win For You” released · opens in a new tabReleased the fourth mini album Drama. The six-track album reached No. 33 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Source 15 · Herald Business (Korean) · Comeback with Drama confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Drama at No. 33 on the Billboard 200 · opens in a new tabReleased “With You,” an OST song for SBS’s My Demon.
Source 17 · Gukje News (Korean) · My Demon OST “With You” released · opens in a new tabReleased the duet “Officially Cool” with the singer Bang Yedam. It is an urban pop song.
Source 18 · Hankyung (Korean) · “Officially Cool” released · opens in a new tabSM Entertainment said Winter had undergone surgery for a pneumothorax and was recovering. It explained that, because the condition tends to recur, the surgery was decided on preemptively on medical advice.
Source 19 · Kormedi.com (Korean) · Pneumothorax surgery · opens in a new tabReleased the first full-length album Armageddon, four years after debut. A media showcase was held at Blue Square in Yongsan, Seoul.
Source 20 · MK Sports (Korean) · Armageddon released · opens in a new tabCo-hosted the second day of the first Korea Grand Music Awards with Nam Ji-hyun.
Source 21 · SPOTV News (Korean) · 2024 KGMA female host · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Winter hosts today · opens in a new tabAt MMA 2024 at Inspire Arena in Incheon, aespa won seven awards, including three grand prizes: Best Song of the Year, Artist of the Year and Album of the Year.
Source 23 · Newsis (Korean) · Three grand prizes at MMA 2024 · opens in a new tabReleased “Hunjung Yeonsuh,” the first OST song for JTBC’s The Tale of Lady Ok.
Source 24 · MBN (Korean) · The Tale of Lady Ok “Hunjung Yeonsuh” released · opens in a new tabAt the 2025 MAMA at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, aespa won three awards: Best Choreography, Best Dance Performance Female Group and Best Female Group.
Source 25 · TenAsia (Korean) · 2025 MAMA Best Female Group · opens in a new tabAt MMA 2025 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, aespa won Top 10, Stage of the Year and Global Artist.
Source 26 · Star Today (Korean) · MMA 2025 · opens in a new tabHer first full-length album in two years, since the first, Armageddon. Winter says the album expresses a resolve to grind up and drink down any crisis or chaos that comes.
Source 27 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Lemonade released · opens in a new tabBecame a global ambassador for the sports brand New Balance. Elle magazine unveiled a digital cover to announce it.
Source 28 · Singlist (Korean) · New Balance ambassador · opens in a new tabHeld a solo concert at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul for the first time since debut, starting the fourth world tour. Over two days, 35,000 people attended.
Source 29 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · First time at the Gocheok Dome · opens in a new tabReleased “Saddle Up” as a special digital single of the solo songs by each member shown at the Gocheok Sky Dome concerts. It is an R&B dance song that expresses a confident attitude through rhythmic vocals.
Source 30 · Newsis (Korean) · Introducing “Saddle Up” · opens in a new tabSource 31 · SBS (Korean) · Solo song released · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2016–2026 · 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 1, 2001 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 2001: the year of the event minus 2001, 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.