Prior to becoming a trainee, K was a competitive marathon runner in Japan. He won many competitions including first place in a high school marathon in Kanto, Japan. He studied abroad in the US for a couple of years. After seeing BTS in concert, he decided to pursue becoming a singer instead of going to college.
In 2020, K became a participant in the reality show I-LAND and made it to the top 12. He was 22 years old at the time. Despite not making it to the final lineup of ENHYPEN, K remained with Belift and was selected as a member of &TEAM. Together with Taki, EJ, and Nicholas, they participated in the survival show called &Audition to find the other members of the boy group.
