
A sharp-voiced ace in K-pop's Aespa, she delivers powerful vocals and precise dance moves that define the group's futuristic, AI-powered concept.
Winter, born Kim Min-jeong, debuted as lead dancer and vocalist of SM Entertainment's Aespa, a group whose concept involves virtual AI counterparts called 'avatars.' Her clear, piercing vocals and razor-sharp choreography bridged the real and digital worlds. Hits like 'Next Level' and 'Savage' showcase her ability to switch from sweet melodic lines to aggressive rhythmic rapping. She was selected for SM's supergroup 'Got the Beat,' performing alongside BoA and Taeyeon. Her stage presence blends innocent charm with formidable skill. Winter has become a standard-bearer for the technical excellence and high-concept storytelling defining modern K-pop.
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Winter was born in 2001, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
The biggest hits of 2001
#1 Movie
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Best Picture
A Beautiful Mind
#1 TV Show
Survivor
The world at every milestone
September 11 attacks transform the world
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
She shares a birthday (January 1) with fellow Aespa member Karina.
Before her debut, she was a trainee for approximately four years.
She has a black belt in taekwondo.
“I want our performances to feel powerful and precise, like a single unit.”