Jennie Kim was born in South Korea and raised in Seoul until she was 9. She then went on a trip to Australia and New Zealand with her mom, who asked Jennie if she’d like to live in New Zealand.
From ages 9 to 14, Jennie lived in New Zealand by herself; she never got to spend much time at home with her mom. When Jennie turned 14, she was deciding whether she should move to America. She visited the US and checked out the school she’d be studying at, but once she came back to New Zealand to pack her things, Jennie realized that she did not want to move to America and study there by herself, she wanted to become a singer.
Jennie had an audition with YG Entertainment when she was only 14 years old and got in, then spent six years training. Now as the main rapper and lead vocalist of BLACKPINK, Jennie is arguably one of the most popular k-pop idols and was the first in the group to release her own song in 2018, appropriately titled SOLO with over 700 million views on YouTube.
Though she is often portrayed as fierce and confident on stage, her behind-the-scenes personality is the opposite. Those close to Jennie, from producer Teddy to her pilates instructor, Jessie Yeo, have described her as shy, clear with her opinions and emotions, and a perfectionist.
“At first it was hard getting to know her, but once we became close, I could tell that she’s very loyal, very sweet, and a lovely friend. I see her every day, so I’m used to her and she’s like my little sister. But when I see her on TV, I’m like ‘Ah, Jennie is a star,’ but she’s really down to earth.” — Jessie Yeo
Outside of the music industry, Jennie is a muse for both fashion and beauty labels such as Chanel and Amore Pacific. In 2020, she collaborated with Gentle Monster on a sunglasses collection. As for pets, Jennie has two dogs: Kai and Kuma, who often make appearances in BLACKPINK Diaries.
