Kim Seong-Min (김성민; age 24) known as Seongmi (성미) is a South Korean solo artist under REAL ME GROUP. She debuted with the single "Ain’t Somebody’s Toy" on August 9, 2018.
She is a member of upcoming 2025 group LA;VIE
History[]
Kim Seongmin was born in a small village in Russia on Christmas Eve, 1999. Throughout her childhood, she moved frequently, becoming a citizen in four countries: Russia, Australia, Korea, and the United States. Seongmin lived in Korea until the age of 10, when she moved to Australia with her aunt, staying there for three years. Afterward, she spent five months in the United States for her studies before returning to Korea to start her idol career.
Trainee experience[]
During her pre-debut days, Seong-Min started making music in secret. She would slip into dressing rooms to ask other trainees and idols for their thoughts on the tracks she was working on. Instead of letting feedback discourage her, she used it to improve, working hard to make her voice stronger. She often took notes at concerts, using them to get ideas and refine her tracks. Sometimes, she’d even step out of her comfort zone to ask idols for song samples to remix.
Seong-Min’s talent for both dance and vocals was clear, which is why she was scouted. Though she was originally set to debut at 21, her impressive skills led her company to debut her earlier than planned.
Career[]
2018: Solo debut, ‘White rose’[]
Seong-Mi debuted with album ‘Ain’t somebody’s toy’ on the 9th of August 2018. The album consists of 4 tracks, main track being ‘not yo’ toy!’ The signed album was sold out on her official website in less that 2 weeks and the other albums were reported to have been sold approximately over 30k thousand times. There were limited promotional items and merch to support her debut and she found her album in 60th place in the 100 top songs in Korea at the time. She had expressed her feelings about her debut and hoped to work with bigger artists in the future.
White rose was seongmi’s first single, released in December of the same year. Seongmin said that this single was an experimental track and performed better than what she predicted. The song was streamed over 10 million times and boosted the start of her career. During the white rose tours, she teased at her new collab with her musical partner, Jong-ho.
2019: Min-min’s song, ‘Vines.’[]
The second single, Min-Min’s song, was released on her debut anniversary, 1:00pm kst. The song was an introduction song, just to know more about her. The trailer had been released a day before and it showed her younger brother and her celebrating Seongmin’s birthday. The title ‘Min-Min’ comes from a nickname that her brother used to call her as a child because she pronounced the “Kim” in her name as “Min.”
On October 21st, 2019, Seo Jongho released his first full album, Overdose. The album included a feature ‘Vines’ with Seong-Mi. Because of the popularity of the song, they won more that ten awards and the two of them also released plushies of the collaboration, Joggie (Jongho) and Songgie (Seong-Mi)
2020-2023: Hiatus and return[]
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Over the next few weeks, Seongmin’s condition spiraled downward. What started as mild symptoms quickly escalated into seizures, organ failure, and other complications, which left her in and out of intensive care. Fans, who had seen her so full of life just days before, were shocked and worried about her sudden health decline. Social media was filled with messages of concern and support, with many people pleading for updates on her condition. Unfortunately, there was little news, and the lack of clear information about what she was suffering from only deepened fans’ anxieties.
In 2021, after what seemed like some progress, Seongmin experienced another devastating setback. A sudden and severe seizure put her into a coma that lasted six months. The media coverage surrounding this event was cold and matter-of-fact, sparking outrage from fans and the public, who felt the news outlets treated her condition too casually, with little empathy for the gravity of her situation. As her coma stretched on, updates from her agency and family became scarce, and many feared the worst.
For much of 2021, Seongmin’s future remained uncertain. She was still recovering from the coma and the multiple complications that had ravaged her body. Then, in early 2022, after a long period of silence, she shocked her fans by uploading a YouTube video. The video was over an hour long and deeply personal. Seongmin openly discussed the illness, revealing that it had caused significant brain damage and compromised her immune system, leaving her vulnerable to infections and other complications. She also shared raw footage of herself during her most difficult moments—clips that showed the tremors, pain, and physical toll her body endured.
In the video, Seongmin didn’t just talk about her suffering. She apologised to her fans for the uncertainty and worry her condition had caused and expressed deep gratitude for their unwavering support.
Her return single ’Naughty’ was released in March 2023, marking her first single in years, and fans were excited about it. The album embraced a dark and "bad-ass" concept, which was something fans truly missed. The title track, 'Naughty,' portrayed the old, youthful, and powerful Seong-Mi, unaffected by the difficult years she had faced. The B-Side, 'Deep,' was almost as successful, garnering over 169 million streams in three months.
The music video for Naughty exuded corrupted, royal vibes, solidifying her title as the "Dark Queen." It gained popularity, particularly for the numerous idol cameos, even her old friend Seo Jong-ho that ended up being the most replayed part of the video.
Music critics praised the comeback, noting it as a very strong and stable return for someone who had endured so much damage in the past three years. Seong-Mi, overwhelmed by the positive reaction from fans, took to Instagram to express her gratitude, thanking her fans, staff, and fellow idols for their support.
She went on a 2 month tour around the world: “Seong-Mi’s NRTY TOUR,” visiting countries like, America, Japan and France.
2024: REAL ME GROUP and LA;VIE[]
On April 26 2024, Seongmi announced that she will not be renewing her stay at JYP Entertainment after her 7 year contract came to an end. She signed with Real Me Group in July of 2024 and started training to join an upcoming 9 member girl group ‘LA;VIE.’
Other activities[]
Cover season[]
“ | The phrase cover season was basically the period of time that Seong-Mi released only covers on her YouTube channel😭😭 | ” |
━ @seongzlab on X |
Seong-Mi was adviced to take long breaks between each comeback just so her health doesn’t deteriorate. During this period of time, Seong found herself extremely bored and upset. She would use her free time doing covers, meeting fans online and lives. Seong found this relieving, Knowing that she can meet fans even if sick.
Fan calls[]
In the months that she was releasing covers, she would take two weeks of her free time calling fans and talking to them. The fans were super supportive and kind of cringey but they were just excited to speak to their idol again. Seong once said in an interview with buzz feed that she was grateful for this experience as she knows that she’s not alone and people really care for her.
Acting[]
Seongmin made her acting debut in 2024 with the Netflix original series ‘Dewdrop’
Discography[]
Studio Albums[]
- ‘Ain’t Somebody’s Toy’ (2018)
Singles[]
- ‘White Rose’ (2019)
- ‘Min-Min’s song’ (2019)
- ‘Naughty’ (2023)
Trivia[]
- She has a pet cat called Nakyoung
- She loves fashion
- Seongmin’s hidden talent is her flexibility