Kim Chaewon
South Korean singer (born 2000)
Kim Chaewon (Korean: 김채원; born August 1, 2000) is a South Korean singer. She is the leader of South Korean girl group Le Sserafim and a former member of the girl group Iz*One, having finished tenth in the reality competition series Produce 48 in 2018.
01Early life and education
Kim was born on August 1, 2000, in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea. Her family consists of her parents and an older sister. Her mother is the theater actress Lee Ran-hee. Kim attended Seoul Poi Elementary School, Guryong Middle School, and Gaepo High School. She later transferred to Hanlim Multi Art School, graduating in 2019. In 2012, Kim performed in KBS' Korea Children's Song Contest.
02Career
2018-2021: Produce 48 and Iz*One
In 2018, Kim participated in the South Korean survival show Produce 48 by Mnet, representing Woollim Entertainment alongside Kwon Eun-bi, and Su-yun and So-hee of Rocket Punch. Prior to joining the survival show, Kim trained under Woollim Entertainment for 11 months. She finished in 10th place earning 238,192 votes, allowing her to debut in Iz*One, with labelmate Kwon Eun-bi. Kim officially debuted as a member of Iz*One on October 29, 2018, with the release of their first extended play (EP) Color*Iz and its lead single "La Vie en Rose".
In 2020, Kim was first credited for music composition on Oneiric Diary, for the track "With*One". She also contributed to writing lyrics for the song "Slow Journey", featured on Iz*One's final EP, One-reeler / Act IV. In March 2021, Kim competed in King of Mask Singer under the name "Formosan Deer". On March 13 and 14, Iz*One held their final concert, One, The Story. The group's contract officially expired on April 29.
After the dissolution of Iz*One, Kim returned to her parent company, Woollim Entertainment. She, alongside Kwon Eun-bi, participated together in a few magazine shoots for Esquire Magazine, Indeed Magazine, and Singles Magazine.
2022-present: Debut with Le Sserafim
On March 14, 2022, Source Music announced that Kim, alongside former Iz*One member, Sakura Miyawaki, signed exclusive contracts with the company, and was confirmed to debut in their new girl group Le Sserafim. Kim was revealed as the group's fourth member and leader on April 7. Kim made her debut as a member of Le Sserafim on May 2, with their extended play, Fearless.
On April 4, 2024, it was announced that Kim would be featured on the track "Spruce", from Tori Kelly's fifth studio album Tori. On July 10, 2025, Kim Chaewon was featured alongside Tomorrow X Together member Taehyun on JVKE's single "Butterflies". On May 19, 2026, Source Music announced that Kim would take a rest from group activities following the advice of medical professionals treating her for neck pain.
03Endorsements
On August 27, 2024, the jewelry brand Swarovski announced that Kim would serve as an ambassador for the company in South Korea, marking her first solo ambassadorship with a luxury fashion brand. In February 2026, Kim was featured in an advertising campaign for the PlayStation 5 that ran across Southeast Asia during Lunar New Year.
04Discography
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Spruce" (Tori Kelly featuring Kim Chae-won) |
2024 | Tori |
| "Butterflies" (Jvke featuring Taehyun and Kim Chaewon) |
2025 | Non-album single |
Soundtrack appearances
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR DL |
JPN Dig. | ||||
| "Confession" | 2025 | 152 | 30 |
|
Romantics Anonymous OST |
Songwriting credits
All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.
| Title | Year | Artist | Album | Lyricist | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "With*One" | 2020 | Iz*One | Oneiric Diary | ||
| "Slow Journey" (느린여행) | One-reeler / Act IV | ||||
| "Blue Flame" | 2022 | Le Sserafim | Fearless | ||
| "Fearnot (Between You, Me and the Lamppost)" (피어나) | 2023 | Unforgiven | |||
| "Swan Song" | 2024 | Easy | |||
| "So Cynical (Badum)" | 2025 | Hot | |||
| "Celebration" | 2026 | Pureflow Pt. 1 | |||
| "Trust Exercise" | |||||
| "Liminal Space" |
05Filmography
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Produce 48 | Contestant | Finished 10th | |
| 2021 | King of Mask Singer | under the name "Formosan Deer" | ||
| 2023 | HMLYCP | Cast Member |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Fill in the Next Blank | Main cast | Documentary |
Music video appearances
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Let Me" | Golden Child |
06Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Artist Awards | 2025 | Best Choice, Singer | Kim Chaewon | Won |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Kim Chaewon”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- 240329 Kim Chae-won (1).jpg by K-POPIT 케이팝잇, CC BY 3.0
- Kim Chae-won at Produce48 4.png by 사진기자머길, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 220428 Le Sserafim Kim Chae-won (1).jpg by PlayIN, CC BY 3.0
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