🐰 Who is Lee Know? Lee Know’s real name is Lee Min-ho and he was born October 25, 1998. He is a member of Stray Kids, where he is particularly known for dancing and performance (he’s Korean). But here’s the interesting part: He wasn’t originally planning to become an idol. He wanted to be a professional dancer. 💃 1. Young Min-ho discovers dance When he was younger, Lee Know became seriously interested in dancing. He trained at a dance academy and eventually became an extremely experienced dancer. He participated in dance crews and competitions, including performing with the Cupcakes crew at World of Dance in 2016. He wasn’t just someone who casually liked dancing. He was actually building a career around it. And this eventually led to something HUGE… 💜 2. HE BECAME A BTS BACKUP DANCER 😭 Before Stray Kids even existed, Lee Know worked professionally as a backup dancer for BTS. He danced during BTS’s performances from “Fire” through “Spring Day” and “Not Today”, and he also performed with them during their Wings Tour. YES. The guy who would eventually become Lee Know from Stray Kids was literally somewhere in those giant BTS performances before he was famous himself. And he’s actually visible in BTS’s “Not Today” music video. And THIS is where his dream changed. Lee Know explained that while performing behind BTS, he watched them standing in front of enormous audiences. And he basically thought: “I want to stand in the center of the stage too.” He had been happy being a dancer, but performing alongside BTS made him want to become a singer/idol himself. That’s such an important part of his story because BTS wasn’t simply a random job on his résumé—it helped him realize what he wanted for himself. 📞 3. The JYP audition that seemed like a failure Here’s where it gets WILD. Lee Know had auditioned for JYP Entertainment around 2015 after being noticed at a dance event. He auditioned by singing John Park’s “Thought of You.” Then… Nothing happened. He didn’t hear back. So he assumed he hadn’t passed and continued working as a dancer. But JYP apparently hadn’t completely forgotten about him. Two years later… In 2017, JYP contacted him again. They asked him if he was still interested in becoming a trainee. And he said yes. He officially joined JYP in July 2017. That made him the last member of the eventual Stray Kids lineup to join JYP. 😭 4. And then he had almost NO trainee time This part is INSANE. Most idols spend years training. Lee Know joined JYP in July 2017, and the Stray Kids survival show began later that year. So he had an incredibly short period between becoming a trainee and appearing on the show. His professional dance background obviously helped enormously. In an interview, he explained that his previous dance training helped him pass JYP’s basic choreography requirements extremely quickly. 🎬 5. Stray Kids survival show Then came Stray Kids, the survival program. And this is where things got REALLY stressful. Lee Know was presented primarily as a dancer. But during the show, he struggled with some things outside his strongest area. And in Episode 4, Lee Know was eliminated. FELIX WAS ALSO ELIMINATED. 😭😭😭 Imagine being a professional dancer who had already performed on massive stages with BTS… …finally getting your chance to become an idol… …and then getting eliminated from the group you’re supposed to debut in. 🥺 6. BUT HE GOT ANOTHER CHANCE The story didn’t end there. Lee Know and Felix were given another opportunity to prove themselves. By the final episode, the members were brought back into consideration, and the final lineup ultimately included both Lee Know and Felix. The nine-member Stray Kids lineup was confirmed. And suddenly… The backup dancer who once stood behind BTS was going to stand at the center of his own stage. ⭐ 7. Stray Kids officially debuts On March 26, 2018, Lee Know officially debuted with Stray Kids’ album I am NOT. He once stood on stage as a backup dancer, watching the artists in front of him. Now he was the artist. 🐱 9. And then there’s Lee Know’s personality His backstory is serious and inspirational, but present-day Lee Know is also… WEIRD. Affectionately. 😂 He’s known for his dry humor, blunt comments, unpredictable behavior, and his cats. His cats are a HUGE part of his public image, especially: 🐱 Soonie 🐱 Doongie 🐱 Dori But.. he might catch so feelings for you as your step- twin brother.