Lee Gun-woo

2.1. Early Life and Background

Lee Gun-woo was born on January 30, 1989, in Daejeon, South Korea. He is the second child and first son in his family. During his middle school years, he actively played soccer, showcasing an early interest in sports. Later, he developed an interest in fashion and even owned a fashion shop in Apgujeong-dong, a trendy district in Seoul.

2.2. Education

For his academic journey, Lee Gun-woo attended Namdaejeon High School, from which he graduated. He then enrolled at Woosong University, where he pursued studies in sports, specifically in the Sports Health Department, earning a bachelor's degree.

2.3. Decision to Pursue Music

At the age of 20, Lee Gun-woo made the pivotal decision to become a singer, a choice that was met with strong opposition from his parents and friends. Despite the objections, he moved from Daejeon to Seoul to pursue his musical aspirations. He successfully auditioned for H2 Media, where he performed Kang Min-kyung's song "Go to the Hospital" and danced to G-Dragon's "Heartbreaker". His audition was impressive enough that he was immediately accepted as a trainee.

3.1. Debut and Group Activities

In 2011, Lee Gun-woo debuted as a member of the five-member boy group Myname. The group released their debut single titled "Message" in October of that year. Alongside his group members, he made his acting debut in the 2013 film Shinokubo Story, where they portrayed characters aspiring to become "stars."

3.2. Role in Myname

Within Myname, Lee Gun-woo served as both the group's leader and its main vocalist. His role was central to the group's musical identity and stage presence.

3.3. Songwriting

During his time with Myname, Lee Gun-woo began to develop his skills in songwriting. He expressed a desire to create songs and perform them with his fellow Myname members.

4.1. Solo Album: I Am 27

Lee Gun-woo released his first solo studio album, titled I Am 27, in Japan on January 30, 2016, which coincided with his birthday. The album features ten tracks, with eight of them self-produced by Lee, and the remaining two being cover songs. The tracklist includes: "I Am Xxx ~Intro~ (Feat.Junq)", "I Am 27", "Minna Sora no Shita", "Mama (Japanese Ver.)", "I Am Xx ~Interlude~", "Nandodemo", "I Am 27 (Instrumental)", "Mama (Korean Ver.)", "I Am I ~Ending~", and "Kimi no Tame ni".

The album was released under the label YM3D and was available in various formats, including CD and digital download. Special editions included a Playbutton with earphones and a tote bag (Type A, product number YREU90000), a CD with a DVD and photobook (Type B, product number YRCU95513), and a CD with a dakimakura (Type C, product number YRCU95514).

To promote the album, Lee held a release event at the Tower Records store in Shibuya, Japan, the day after its release, attracting 350 attendees. I Am 27 achieved commercial success, ranking at number 39 on Japan's national Oricon Albums Chart and number 75 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart. It remained on the charts for three weeks and sold 3,851 units domestically.

4.2. Solo Performances and Events

Following the release of I Am 27, Lee Gun-woo held the "Gun-woo First Showcase Live" on February 28, 2016, to further promote the album. On January 4, 2017, he held a duet live concert titled "1st Premium Duet Live Gunwoo×Insoo" with fellow Myname member Kang In-soo. He continued his solo performance activities with "GUNWOO'S 1st COVER SOLO LIVE" on January 21, 2017, at Shinagawa Stellar Ball, featuring two performances.

In 2018, he held "GUN WOO BIRTHDAY LIVE 2018 'M.Love'" on January 19 and 27, with four performances across YES THEATER and Alternative Theater. He also held "GUN WOO SPECIAL SHOW 2018～Hello&Goodbye M.Love～" on June 30, 2018. In September 2018, he participated in the "BUZZ-UP 2018 autumn festival," where he held a handshake event on September 10 and 11.

His solo stage series continued in 2019 with "GUNWOO SOLO STAGE 2019 ～Dark Side Of The Moon～", which included four performances across two venues: Mount Rainier Hall Shibuya (band set) on January 26 and The Garden Room (acoustic) on February 3. In 2020, he held "Gunwoo winter BD 2020 Solo Live" with three performances in different cities: Nagoya BOTTOM LINE cafe on January 17, Osaka YES Theater on January 19 (solo live), and Shinjuku BLAZE on January 25 (band live).

4.3. Name Change to NiiiiiA

After completing his military service, Lee Gun-woo officially changed his stage name to NiiiiiA. The name NiiiiiA is derived from Latin, meaning "champion," symbolizing a new beginning and a restart to his solo career.

5.1. Film

Lee Gun-woo made his acting debut in the 2013 film Shinokubo Story. In the film, he starred alongside his Myname group members, portraying one of five characters who aspire to become "stars."

5.2. Web Dramas

In 2024, he participated in the web drama titled Princess Maker.

6.1. Influences and Role Models

Lee Gun-woo has cited prominent South Korean artists as his musical role models. He was particularly inspired to become a singer after listening to the music of Hwanhee. He also looks up to Na-ul, a member of the group Brown Eyed Soul.

6.2. Musical Preferences

His preferred music genres include House, Electronic, and R&B. He also has an appreciation for Japanese music, listing Mika Nakashima, Ken Hirai, Namie Amuro, Miliyah Kato, and Shota Shimizu as his favorite Japanese singers.

7.1. Studio Albums

8.1. Physical Characteristics

Lee Gun-woo has a height of 71 in ^{(181 cm)} and a weight of 126 lb ^{(57 kg)}. His blood type is AB.

8.2. Hobbies and Interests

He is particularly passionate about fashion and enjoys reforming clothes, considering dressing himself up as a hobby. His background in sports is a notable interest, stemming from his time playing soccer in middle school and studying sports at university. He also enjoys eating meat.

8.3. Health

In April 2019, Lee Gun-woo announced that he would be focusing on recovering from knee surgery due to a chronic condition.

8.4. Other Details

Among the members of Myname, Lee Gun-woo is the only one who does not possess a driver's license.