Min Kang (민강)

Seven years after debuting as a member of VERIVERY, Kangmin stepped into solo work in March 2026 with the single "Free Falling" — a release built around the theme of anxiety and the fear of not being loved. The performance, which he carried through music show appearances using deliberate choreography and carefully controlled expression, marked a notable shift: from group member to an artist working through something personal and specific in public.

Debut & Formation

Kangmin debuted as part of VERIVERY, where he has served as guitarist, developing a stage presence that drew consistent attention for his visuals across the group's run. His profile widened significantly through Boys Planet 2, Mnet's survival competition, where he did not advance to the final spin-off group but built a substantial following on the strength of his on-camera personality and stage growth. His participation in Boys Planet 2 became a platform in its own right — a second introduction to a broader audience that set the conditions for his solo activities.

Music & Discography

"Free Falling," released in late March 2026, serves as Kangmin's debut solo single. He described the song's central theme as anxiety — specifically the kind that accompanies happiness, the fear that what one has found could be taken away. In interviews around the release, he spoke about his aspiration to be an artist who could hold a stage alone for three full minutes, crediting SHINee's Taemin as a formative influence and an early reason he pursued a career as an idol. The solo debut came seven years into his time as a working artist, and Kangmin acknowledged the weight of that gap openly, expressing both gratitude and unease in equal measure.

Activities

Beyond the single, Kangmin expanded into variety and acting work in early 2026. He appeared as a special MC on the public television program "Boss in the Mirror," where coverage noted his ease in front of a studio audience — a combination of timing, warmth, and what observers described as a natural ability to hold a room. Around the same period, he was cast as the lead in the short-form drama "Jump Boy LIVE," a youth story involving an outsider who gains an unusual ability while chasing a goal. The role was framed as an extension of the growth-oriented image he had developed during Boys Planet 2, and it represented a deliberate move toward building an acting dimension alongside his music work.

Ahead of his solo debut, Kangmin also appeared in a fashion editorial for the April 2026 issue of Singles magazine, where coverage pointed to a more mature visual register than he had previously shown — a contrast that drew attention in its own right.

Legacy

Kangmin's position in early 2026 is that of an artist at a transition point. The solo debut, the variety appearances, and the drama role taken together suggest a deliberate effort to establish an identity that does not depend entirely on the VERIVERY framework. His willingness to articulate his own anxieties — in interviews and in the material itself — gives the solo project a distinct tone. Whether that translates into lasting solo traction remains, at this stage, an open question, but the infrastructure of a second act is visibly in place.