Biography
Who is Xiumin?
Early life and real name
Kim Min-seok was born on March 26, 1990, in Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and grew up in Guri, Gyeonggi Province. His stage name combines characters meaning great or show with a part of his birth name.
He studied at Catholic Kwandong University, where he gave a presentation for students in Applied Music. Xiumin learned martial arts, earning black belts in Kendo and Taekwondo, and trained in Wushu and Fencing. He is also an honorary ambassador of the Korea Football Association.
How Xiumin became famous
Before joining SM Entertainment, Xiumin auditioned for JYP Entertainment in 2008 and was rejected. Later that year, he won second place in the SM Everysing Contest and became a trainee through the agency's casting system.
He was revealed as the seventh member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo in January 2012. The group officially debuted on April 8, 2012, quickly gaining widespread popularity across Asia.
Career highlights
Xiumin made his musical theatre debut in January 2015, playing Aquila in the SM Entertainment musical School OZ. In October 2015, he starred in the web drama Falling for Challenge, which became the most watched web drama in South Korea that year with 20 million views in 17 days.
He joined Exo members Chen and Baekhyun to form the group's first official sub-unit, Exo-CBX, debuting with the extended play Hey Mama! In October 2016. He later made his official solo debut on September 26, 2022, with the extended play Brand New.
Military service and recent projects
Xiumin enlisted for his mandatory military service on May 7, 2019, serving active duty. He was discharged on December 6, 2020, after taking his final military leave in November due to COVID-19 policies.
Following his discharge, he continued his music and acting career, releasing his second EP, Interview X, in March 2025. He also started on his first fan concert tour across six Asian cities between March and May 2025.
Birthday and age
Xiumin was born on March 26, 1990, which makes Xiumin 36 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Xiumin shares the date with 60 other famous people.
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