Artist Highlight: D.O.
EXO’s main vocalist, D.O., has a busy year ahead of him.
EXO
After two years of training at SM Entertainment, D.O. became the eighth member of EXO announced in January 2012, shortly after his nineteenth birthday. He dreamed of becoming a singer since he was young, and always had a passion for singing and listening to music. During his highschool years, he often competed in singing competitions and was scouted by an SM Entertainment agent after winning a competition in 2010. Upon signing with the company, D.O. kept his trainee life a secret from his friends and continued going to school while training.
EXO officially debuted on April 8, 2012 with the EP Mama and released their first full album XOXO the following year.
Solo
D.O. released his first solo song “That’s okay” on July 1, 2019 after enlisting in the military. He made his official solo debut with the EP Empathy two years later, which charted at No. 1 on the Circle Album Chart and hit nearly 500,000 sales making it a platinum album. His second EP Expectation was released on September 18, 2023 and peaked at No. 3 on the Circle Album Chart. He is currently preparing his third solo album that is expected to be released in May 2024.
Acting
He made his acting debut in 2014 in Cart and sang the OST “Crying Out” for the movie as well. His first main acting roles were in the show Positive Physique and the movie My Annoying Brother where he stars alongside Jo Jungsuk and Park Shinhye. Following his military release, he began filming the space survival drama The Moon which he was announced to be casted in prior to his release. The filming concluded in October 2021 and the movie was released on August 2, 2023. The Moon was nominated for 12 categories across three South Korean award ceremonies, four of which were dedicated to D.O.’s performance. Out of the four nominations, D.O. received the “Star of The Year Award” from Buil Film Awards. His upcoming work includes Secret: Untold Melody, an adaptation of the 2007 Taiwanese romance Secret, and Along With the Gods 3, which D.O. has appeared in the first two installments of.
Company SooSoo
On October 18, 2023 it was announced that D.O. left SM Entertainment and will continue all personal activities under the newly established Company SooSoo. The company is founded by former SM Entertainment executive director Noh Kyungsoo, who D.O. shares the same given name as. The company is only dedicated to his personal activities, and D.O. will continue to be a member of EXO under SM Entertainment.
Edited by Lacey Diluvio