Get ready to dive into the glittering world of Golden Child! Whether you’re a Goldenness newbie or a superfan, we’ve got fun facts, quirky trivia, and intriguing facts about this epic K-pop group.

Once you’ve packed your brain with Golden Child facts, why not check out our page of NewJeans trivia?

1. They formed in 2017

Golden Child are a K-pop band who formed in Seoul in 2017. The band originally had 11 – yes, eleven – members in their line-up, but over the last few years it’s been narrowed down to seven: Lee Dae-yeol, Y, Lee Jang-jun, Bae Seung-min, Bong Jae-hyun, Kim Dong-hyun and Hong Joo-chan. This makes it easier for photographers to get the whole group in their shots, we imagine.

2. Their name has a special meaning

Like the 1986 movie The Golden Child, their name is based on the story that a “perfect child only exists once in 100 years” and reflects their ambition to be the greatest K-pop band for the next century. That’s a big ambition!

3. The band released their first mini-album in 2017

They released Gol-Cha! in the summer of 2017. The album features six energetic tracks, including the catchy song DamDaDi, and peaked at number 3 on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart. The 17 minute mini-album was the only release to feature Jae Seok before he left the group.

4. Their first album followed 2 years later

Golden Child released their first full-length album in November 2019. Re-boot features 12 songs – including the singles Wannabe and Without You – and has a running time of 40 minutes. It reached number 8 in the Korean albums chart.

5. They won their first award in 2019

Golden Child secured their first music show win with Wannabe on SBS MTV’s The Show in December 2019.

6. Two members have served in the military

Due to an old law in South Korea, all men born in the country must serve in the military for a period of 18 to 21 months. In 2022, Lee Dae-yeol was the first to temporarily leave the group to serve his country, then Y enlisted in 2023.

7. They’ve appeared on reality TV shows

The group have starred in several reality shows, including 2017 Woollim Pick and Ring It! Golden Child!. Their appearances earned them even more fans, which leads us neatly to the next fact!

8. Their fanbase has a nickname

Told you Fact 7 linked neatly to Fact 8. Like Swifties and Blinks, Golden Child fans have a name too: Goldenness. They’re named after the group’s first-ever official single. Are you part of this worldwide fan club?

9. They’re ambassadors too

In December 2017, they were appointed as ambassadors for the Korea Scout Association. A spokesperson said, “Golden Child’s energetic image, as well as their talents on stage, match well with a scout’s image, and we believe they will be a strength to spread Korean scouts’ actions all over the world.”

10. They’ve acted on TV as well

The group made a cameo appearance in the Korean drama 20th Century Boy and Girl in 2017. They appeared as themselves but that still counts as acting. But only just.

11. Y tho?

Y’s full name is Choi Sung Yoon. He’s one of the group’s main singers and has also appeared in the musicals Altar Boyz and Midnight Sun.

12. They’re also known by 2 other names

If you’re rushed for time, Golden Child fans also call the group GNCD or Golcha. We’ve used a stopwatch to work out this will save you around 1 second. This means even more time to talk about your favourite K-pop group.

13. Seungmin has an unusual skill

According to Weekly Idol, Seungmin can fit into a suitcase. We don’t know how this came about or suggest we try it, because it sounds dangerous. And where would he put his socks and vests if he went traveling?

14. Jaehyun is big Harry Potter fan

Jaehyun is a fan of all things fantasy and is a huge fan of Harry Potter. He’s also dipped his toe into the acting world away from the group, too. He appeared in the film Urban Myths and as Eunho in the drama Twinkling Watermelon. Another fun fact: his English name is Kevin!

15. Dae Yeol is the leader of the band

Lee Daeyeol was born in 1993 and is the younger brother of INFINITE’s Sungyeol! He loves animals and is the proud owner of three dogs – Rookie, Choco, and Aga – and a cat named Heug-imja. Aw!