Lee Jin-ki (이진기), better known by his stage name Onew (온유), is a South Korean singer, dancer and actor. He is the leader of the Korean idol group SHINee.
Onew was born on December 14, 1989, in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He joined SM Entertainment as a trainee in 2006 and debuted as a member of SHINee on May 25, 2008. In 2010, he started taking various MC roles, such as Night Star and Show! Music Core!. He also appeared in the musicals Brothers Were Brave and Rock of Ages. In 2016, he appeared in the drama series Descendants of the Sun, and released the digital single "Starry Night", a duet with Lee Jin-ah, for SM Station. He later collaborated with Rocoberry for another SM Station single titled "Lullaby".
In 2017, Onew was accused of sexual harassment, but the charges against him were all dismissed by prosecutors following eight months of investigation. He released his debut solo mini album, VOICE, shortly before his military enlistment. He officially enlisted on December 10, 2018, and was discharged on July 20, 2020. While he was in the military, he participated in several military musicals.
Upon Onew's return from the military, he released multiple OST songs. He starred in the musical Midnight Sun and appeared in the variety shows Sea of Hope and March of the Ants. In December 2021, he released a duet with Punch, titled "Way", for SM Station. His second mini album, DICE, was released in April 2022, and his first Japanese studio album, Life goes on, was released in June 2022. He embarked on his first Japan concert tour shortly after.
In March 2023, Onew released his first Korean studio album, Circle. He held solo concerts, titled O-NEW-NOTE, in South Korea and Japan. Onew went on hiatus for health reasons in June 2023 and was unable to participate in Shinee's album promotions and tour. In April 2024, Onew's contract with SM Entertainment expired and he joined Griffin Entertainment for his solo activities. He continued his group activities with SHINee under SM.[1] Onew released a new song, "All Day", on July 15, 2024. He released his third mini album, FLOW, in September.[2]
In December 2024, Onew released a new song, "Yay", as a pre-release for his new album.[3] His fourth Korean mini album, CONNECTION, was released on January 6, 2025, and he embarked on a concert tour, ONEW THE LIVE : CONNECTION, in February.[4] He released an original English song, titled "MAD", in April.[5] He will release his second Korean studio album, PERCENT, in July, preceded by pre-release song "Confidence".[6] The following month, he embarked on a concert tour, ONEW THE LIVE : PERCENT (%).[7]
Onew released his second Japanese mini album, SAKU, on October 1, 2025.[8] He will release his fifth Korean mini album, TOUGH LOVE, in March 2026.[9]
