K-Personality: ASTRO

Writer: Preeti Patil (Mumbai, Maharashtra)

Editor: Divya Sonawane (Pune, Maharashtra)

ASTRO, the group known for their perfect sync and rising popularity, debuted on February 23, 2016, under Fantagio Entertainment. The group originally consisted of six members — JinJin, MJ, Eunwoo, Moonbin, Rocky, and Sanha. Before debuting, they were known as “i-Teen” during their trainee days.

ASTRO also made their acting debut through the web drama To Be Continued, a light-hearted series created to promote the group before their official debut. Over the years, they have won the hearts of many fans and grown into the wonderful idols they are today.

The group’s name, ASTRO, comes from the Spanish word for “star,” symbolizing their wish to dream together with their fans and shine brightly with them. On their debut day, they also revealed their fandom name, “AROHA,” short for ASTRO Hearts All Fans, along with a logo featuring a heart and a triangle intertwined — representing their close bond with fans. Like other fandoms, AROHA also has its own colors: Vivid Plum and Space Violet. A year later, their first official lightstick, featuring a star-shaped logo, was unveiled.

Let’s get to know the members:

JinJin: Leader, Main Rapper, Lead Dancer

JinJin, the group’s leader, is also a songwriter. His members often tease him as a “slow rapper” because he talks slowly. A multitalented artist, he can play the drums and beatbox. He also attended the NY Dance Academy in Ilsan and participated in several dance competitions.

MJ: Main Vocalist

MJ, the oldest member of ASTRO, is also a musical theatre actor. He was cast in the Korean production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in April 2020. He often posts song covers, including “Goodbye” from the K-drama Hotel Del Luna. Known as the “happy virus” of the group, MJ is famous for his fun and chaotic personality.

Cha Eun-Woo: Vocalist, Visual 

Eunwoo is well-known to both K-pop and K-drama fans. He has starred in several dramas such as Hit the Top (2017), My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2018), Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (2019), and the hit True Beauty (2020–21). He has also volunteered at the Nowon Welfare Center for the Blind. In October 2019, he held his first international solo fan meeting, Just One 10 Minute, in Bangkok, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur.

Moonbin: Main Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Center

Moonbin was a child actor before becoming an idol. He appeared in the 2009 hit K-drama Boys Over Flowers as the younger version of Kim Bum’s character. He also starred in web dramas like Moment of 18 (2019) and The Mermaid Prince (2020). Moonbin often posted dance covers of other K-pop groups, with his most popular being ITZY’s Wannabe. Though he once took a hiatus due to health issues, he made a strong comeback in 2020.

Rocky: Main Dancer, Lead Rapper, Vocalist

Known as ASTRO’s “Dancing Machine,” Rocky has helped choreograph many of the group’s performances. He was the runner-up in 1theK’s Dance War, competing against eight other contestants. In 2018, he also appeared on Hit The Stage, a dance competition where K-pop idols team up with professional dancers.

Sanha: Lead Vocalist, Maknae

Yoon San-ha, the youngest member — often called ASTRO’s “evil maknae” — has also explored acting, starring in the 2019 web drama Love Formula 11M. He loves watching cat videos when he feels stressed or can’t sleep.

ASTRO debuted with the mini album “Spring Up”, which had soft and cozy vibes. It featured the title track Hide and Seek and the pre-released single Cat’s Eye (also known as Puss in Boots), which first appeared in their web drama. Four months later, they released their second mini album, “Summer Vibes” with the title track Breathless. The same year, they released their third extended play, “Autumn Story,” with the lead single Confession. This album also included a hidden track, Confession Talk (고백 talk) — an audio message from the members. The red version featured MJ, Moonbin, and Sanha, while the orange version featured JinJin, Eunwoo, and Rocky.

In early 2017, ASTRO completed their seasonal album concept with “Winter Dream,” featuring Should Have Held On (Again) as the title track. Their fourth extended play, “Dream Part 01,” included Baby, followed by “Dream Part 02” with the track Crazy Sexy Cool. As the final part of their “Dream” series, the album also featured a poem by Eunwoo titled “Wish,” hidden thanks to” messages, and Polaroid photos of the members.

In 2018, the group released their special album “Rise Up,” featuring the title track “Always You,” before going on a short hiatus.

After eight months, ASTRO made a comeback with their first full-length album, “All Night”, which earned them their first-ever music show win. Shortly after, they officially debuted in Japan with the mini album Venus, featuring three original Japanese tracks and Japanese versions of Baby, Always You, and All Night. Later that year, they released their sixth mini album, “Blue Flame.”

In 2020, ASTRO released their seventh extended play “Gateway,” with the title track Knock. The same year, they launched their first subunit Bad Idea. The group also released the digital single “No, I Don’t.”

Their most recent comeback was their second full-length album, “All Yours,” featuring the title track One. They also released fan-dedicated songs like One & Only and You & Me for AROHA.

Over the years, ASTRO has earned several awards, including: K-pop Singer Award at the 2016 Korea Cultural Entertainment Awards, the Hallyu Popularity Award at the 2017 Seoul Awards, the New Wave Award at the 2017 Asia Artist Awards, and the Global Hot Trend Award at the 2019 Soribada Best K-Music Awards.

ASTRO has made countless memories with their fans. Despite facing ups and downs, hiatuses, and member absences, their hard work has never gone unnoticed. ASTRO is a dedicated and passionate group that never fails to make their fans proud — so let’s keep cheering for them and showing them love!

Let us know in the comments: What is your favourite track on ASTRO’s albums?