Joshua Hong Biography: Profile, Family Background, Education, Net Worth 2025, and Career

Profile:

Stage Name: Joshua (조슈아)

Birth Name: Joshua Hong

Korean Name: Hong Jisoo (홍지수)

Birth Date: December 30, 1995

Birth Place: Los Angeles, California, United States

Nationality: Korean-American

Joshua is praised for his kind disposition, fluency in multiple languages, and versatility as a performer. Known as Seventeen's "gentleman," he is distinguished by his composed manner, gentle disposition, and courteous manners. But he has also displayed a humorous side, drawing comparisons to fellow bandmate Jeonghan for his sporadic antics and practical jokes. Joshua enjoys knitting, photography, bead bracelet making, reading, singing, playing the guitar, and watching anime, especially One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. In addition, he loves Japanese food like sushi and sukiyaki and is a huge fan of horror films, soccer, and fairy tales.

Family Background:

Joshua Hong is a second-generation Korean-American who was born to Korean parents in Los Angeles, California, on December 30, 1995. His early life and professional goals were greatly impacted by his upbringing in a loving, encouraging Christian home, where he was nurtured as an only child. His parents, whom he looks up to, encouraged his love of music by participating in church-related events. Joshua's mother, who practices oriental medicine, has been seen hanging out with other Seventeen members while they are on tour in the United States and periodically pays him a visit in South Korea. Although specifics regarding his occupation are not well known, his father is a businessman. Joshua has frequently stated that he wants to be a good kid and has a strong desire to make his parents proud.
As a child, Joshua regularly went to church in Koreatown, Los Angeles, where he played the acoustic guitar, sang in the church choir, and was an active member of the Praise Team. His passion for music and performing was fostered by this setting, and he was inspired to pursue a career in singing after receiving recognition for his deep voice. His name, "Joshua," which means "God is my salvation" in Hebrew and was given to him by a missionary at his church, was also impacted by his Christian upbringing.

Education:

Joshua's commitment to striking a balance between his studies and his developing love of music is evident in his scholastic trajectory. Before transferring to Downtown Magnets High School, where he earned his diploma in 2013, he attended Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, Los Angeles. He was heavily immersed in music during his school years, practicing his guitar playing and starting bands with pals. In addition to his proficiency in English, Joshua spent a year and a half studying Spanish as a second language, which helped him become multilingual in English, Korean, basic Spanish, and some Japanese.
Joshua's multilingual upbringing—speaking Korean at home and English at school—has contributed to his fluency in both languages, but when he first went to South Korea, he had trouble reading and writing Korean. Although Joshua acknowledges that English is still his most comfortable language, he became fluent in Korean with the assistance of his bandmate Vernon, a mixed Korean-American member, and by living with other Seventeen trainees.

Career:

Early Beginnings and Discovery:

Joshua's path to fame started in 2013 when a Pledis Entertainment agent scouted him during a Korean festival in Koreatown, Los Angeles. He was invited to train in South Korea at the age of 17 when the agency noticed his talent and personality. Following a successful audition, Joshua moved to Seoul and underwent a demanding two-year-two-month training program with Pledis Entertainment. He made an appearance on the online reality show Seventeen TV during this time, which featured Pledis' trainees and prospective Seventeen members. His instruction centered on singing, dancing, and assimilating into Korean culture—a process he first struggled with because he was not familiar with Korean customs and linguistic subtleties.

Debut with Seventeen:

With Seventeen, Joshua made his formal debut on May 26, 2015, via Pledis Entertainment, a division of HYBE Labels. With members actively involved in songwriting, composition, and choreography, the 13-piece group—which includes S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino—is renowned for its self-producing ability. Joshua is a lead vocalist and visual member of the Vocal Team, which also includes Jeonghan, Woozi, DK, and Seungkwan. Thirteen members, three sub-units (Vocal, Hip-Hop, and Performance), and one cohesive ensemble are all represented in the name Seventeen.
Released on May 29, 2015, Seventeen's debut EP, 17 Carat, was a critical and financial success, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard World Albums Chart and being listed among the "10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015." Seventeen's status as a rising K-pop juggernaut was cemented in September 2015 when their second EP, Boys Be, became the best-selling rookie record of the year and topped the Billboard World Albums Chart. The group's worldwide fame was further boosted by their 2019 album You Made My Dawn, which included the smash single "Home," and their first full-length album, Love & Letter (2016).
Heng:garae, Semicolon, and Attacca (2021) are among Seventeen's several chart-topping albums as of 2025. Their diversity is demonstrated by songs like "Home; Run" and "Rock with You." Prominent accolades include the Mnet Asian Music Award for Best Male Group (2016) and their first daesang (grand prize) for Album of the Year in 2020 for their digital song "Hit." The group is also known for selling over a million copies of each album.

Solo and Collaborative Projects:

In addition to his work with Seventeen, Joshua has undertaken noteworthy solo and group projects:
Collaborations: Joshua and bandmate DK remixed his song "17" with American musician Pink Sweats in 2020. As part of Seventeen's #17Studio series, he released a cover of Dhruv's "Double Take" in 2022. Alongside DK and Dino, he remixed the 2008 hit "Dirty Dancing" with New Kids on the Block in 2023.
Solo Projects: Joshua performed covers, including an acoustic rendition of "Because of You" by After School, and co-wrote the solo song "You and I" with rapper Kisum. He released two song covers in March 2023, making him the first K-pop artist to be featured in Apple Music's Home Session series.
Media Presences: By hosting and participating in variety shows, Joshua has increased his visibility. He and Hoshi appeared alongside other Korean celebrities on the reality show Bro and Marble in Dubai in 2023. He and Vernon hosted Summer Vacation on Apple Music 1 in the same year. In A-Teen Season 2, Episode 7, he also made a brief appearance.
Joshua has co-written the lyrics for several of Seventeen's songs, including "Rocket" (Teen, Age, 2017), "Falling For U" (Director's Cut, 2018), and "Ah! Love" (Semicolon, 2020).

Other Ventures:

Joshua's Wine and Cheese, his own section that debuted in 2020 during Seventeen's Ode to You World Tour, reflects his charisma. He engages with fans and gives music recommendations in this VLive series, displaying his friendly demeanor. In contrast to his "innocent" persona, his first solo photo shoot for 1st Look Magazine (April 2020) revealed a more mature, self-assured side.

2025 Net Worth:

Joshua Hong is expected to have a net worth of about $3 million USD in 2025. His successful music career with Seventeen, which includes earnings from album sales, live performances, global tours, endorsements, and sponsorships under Pledis Entertainment, is the main source of his fortune. Heng:garae and Attacca are two of Seventeen's albums that have regularly sold over a million copies, which has greatly increased his income. His solo endeavors, appearances on variety shows, and partnerships—like those with Apple Music and Pink Sweats—provide him with extra revenue. Joshua's financial success is further supported by his endorsement deals with well-known businesses and his rising stardom in the K-pop industry.

Personal Life and Fun Facts:

Multilingual Ability: Joshua speaks Korean and English well, and he knows a little bit of Spanish and Japanese. During his early trainee days, he notably mispronounced the word "Americano" at a café due to his difficulty pronouncing Korean words correctly.
Gentleman Persona: Joshua gained the moniker "Gentleman Joshua" due to his courteous and composed manner. Every day, he says "Good Morning" to everyone, and his bandmates think he's the sweetest member.
Joshua considers himself an anime enthusiast, and his favorite shows are Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece. If he were an anime character, he has stated that he would like to be the main character in Shokugeki no Soma or Saitama from One Punch Man.
Musical Skills: Joshua is a skilled guitarist who can compose tunes on the instrument and learned to play during his church days. He also has a talent for acrostic poetry and likes to sing cover songs.
Joshua goes by a number of nicknames, including Gentleman, Church Oppa, Joshuji, Shua, and Hong Josa, which he detests.
Aspirations: Motivated by his family's business experience, Joshua contemplated a career as a hotel CEO or a Korean medicine physician if he hadn't chosen to become a singer.