San
- Stage name
- San
- Birth name
- Choi San
- Born
- July 10, 1999
- Hometown
- Namhae, South Korea
- Position
- Singer, dancer
- Agency
- KQ Entertainment
- Fandom
- ATINY
- Debut
- 2018
- Generation
- 4th gen
San is a singer and dancer in the eight-member boy group ATEEZ, which debuted under KQ Entertainment on October 24, 2018. Born and raised in Namhae, he left for Seoul as a teenager to train seriously and later graduated from Korean Arts High School. In mid-2026 a split-second chest-pop in the choreography for "Bad," from Golden Hour: Part.5, spread far beyond ATEEZ's fandom and made him one of K-pop's newest viral stars. He is also the promotional ambassador for his hometown of Namhae.
Where they grew up
San grew up in Namhae with his parents and an older sister, Haneul. His father runs the Namhae Sports Association for the Disabled, and his grandfather worked hard delivering coal briquettes and doing restaurant work to raise the family. In middle school San told his father that cram school felt like wasted money because he wanted to become a singer instead. His father used personal connections to set up vocal lessons in Seoul, where San stayed with a host family who treated him like a son. After his first months of high school in Namhae he was accepted to Korean Arts High School and moved to the capital, while his mother commuted between Seoul and Namhae each week for about two and a half years to look after him.
Birth details: nolae.eu
In their own words
“Before we released the new album, we talked and thought, "What does ATEEZ do best?" Ultimately, singing and dancing”
- Kim Hyuna His teacher, a composer and songwriter, who told him he had potential as long as he did not give up, and became a major driving force for him. koreaboo.com
Timeline
- 2018Pre-debut and debut with ATEEZ
Trained at KQ Entertainment as part of the pre-debut team KQ Fellaz, then debuted with ATEEZ on October 24, 2018 with Treasure EP.1: All to Zero.
- 2021Named Namhae promotional ambassador
Appointed promotional ambassador for his hometown of Namhae, a source of pride for his family.
- 2026Viral moment with "Bad"
His chest-pop in the "Bad" choreography became a widely shared clip after the June 26 release of Golden Hour: Part.5.
Latest
- Confirmed for Asia Artist Awards 2026starnewskorea.com
- Viral "Bad" choreography momentkoreajoongangdaily.com
Our coverage
BIGBANG Meets Dooly at MAMA as K-pop's Awards Season Calendar Fills In
ENHYPEN brings Dune to MAMA in Osaka, and the Korea Grand Music Awards and Melon Music Awards set November dates at Gocheok Sky Dome.

What a K-pop Music Show Win Really Means, and How the Trophy Is Scored
From 82MAJOR's first trophy to Show Champion's published formula, here's what the weekly Korean TV prize measures and what it doesn't.

K-pop's Decline Shows Up in Stock Prices, Not in Album Sales or BTS Tour Grosses
Hanteo counted a record 49.53 million albums in the first half of 2026 and BTS passed $500 million on tour, while HYBE's share price nearly halved on margin worries.

NCT WISH's 'I SPY' Ends ALLDAY PROJECT's Run Atop Soompi's K-Pop Chart
"CRASH" slips to No. 2 as A2O LITE, MEOVV and PLAVE join NCT WISH among four new arrivals in the top 10.

Stray Kids' 'THIS & THAT' Logs an Eighth Week at No. 1 on Billboard World Albums
ENHYPEN, CORTIS and BOYNEXTDOOR round out the top four, as ATEEZ and ENHYPEN line up November releases with ET drop times.

ATEEZ Sets Five Songs for 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6,' With 'UP' as the Title Track
The 15th mini album pairs the pre-release single "DRIP" with a new lead song and arrives November 13 at midnight ET.

ATEEZ's 'Drip' Choreography Draws Nazi Salute Comparisons Ahead of 'GOLDEN HOUR: Part 6'
A hand-sway move in the pre-release video split users on X, even as the clip passed 10 million views in its first day.

Stray Kids Clear 3 Million With 'THIS & THAT' in Circle Chart's Newest Certification Round
ENHYPEN and ATEEZ reach the million tier, NCT 127 and ALPHA DRIVE ONE go triple platinum, and CORTIS, NEXZ and 10CM also collect plaques.

ALLDAY PROJECT's 'CRASH' Climbs to No. 1 on Soompi's Weekly K-Pop Chart
Soyeon slips to No. 2, ATEEZ holds at No. 3 and MEOMURU's indie rock ballad is the lone new face in the top 10.

Stray Kids Reclaim No. 1 on World Albums as ENHYPEN and BOYNEXTDOOR Follow
"THIS & THAT" notches a seventh week on top, while BOYNEXTDOOR's 'HOME' sets a new Billboard 200 milestone for the group.

ATEEZ Notch Another YouTube Milestone as 'BAD' Crosses 100 Million in Under Four Months
The June release becomes the sixth ATEEZ music video to pass nine figures, landing in the early hours of Saturday for U.S. fans.

&TEAM and CLOSE YOUR EYES Rule Circle Album Charts as RESCENE, Soyeon Keep Digital Crowns
CLOSE YOUR EYES also wins the weekly album race, Lim Young Woong leads downloads, and ILLIT holds No. 1 on both social charts.

- koreaboo.com: An Interview With ATEEZ San's Father Gives Insight To The ...
- hollywoodreporter.com: K-pop Stars ATEEZ on Touring, Fan Favorite Song “NASA” ...
- tuko.co.ke: Meet the Ateez members: The faces behind the iconic K-Pop group
- koreajoongangdaily.com: One move was enough: Ateez's San has the algorithm in a chokehold
- kbizoom.com: ATEEZ Profile: A Sensational Small-company “Miracle” Boy Group (2025 Updated)
- nolae.eu: San (ATEEZ) profile
- starnewskorea.com: LNGSHOT, &TEAM, and ATEEZ to take the stage at the global festival 'AAA 2026'.. heating up Kaohsiung Stadium! [Official]
Last researched Nov. 12, 2026


FIRST READ · MON 7 AM ETTHE WEEKEND LEXICON · SAT 9 AM ET