RM biography: the leader of BTS, rapper and songwriter

Few rappers can say their solo album reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 while still leading a group that fills stadiums. RM, the stage name of Kim Namjoon, is the leader of BTS and in 2026 he was back at the centre of attention with the group's comeback. This RM biography goes over his childhood, his solo career, his military service and what is known about his present, with verified facts.

Who is RM?

RM, whose real name is Kim Namjoon, is a South Korean rapper, songwriter and producer born on September 12, 1994 in Seoul. He is the leader of BTS and has released two mixtapes and two solo albums. In 2026 he is taking part in the group's comeback with the album Arirang and in the world tour.

RM's personal details

RM's childhood and early years

Kim Namjoon was born in Sangdo-dong, in the Dongjak district of Seoul. The sources consulted agree that his family moved to the Ilsan district, in the city of Goyang, when he was four or five, and that he grew up there. That is why he is often associated with Ilsan, although his registered place of birth is Seoul.

As a child he learned much of his English by watching the American series Friends, a fact he himself has mentioned in interviews and that Wikipedia records. That skill would prove key later on: RM is the member who most often handles interviews in English and translates for the rest of the group.

According to Wikipedia, he studied at Global Cyber University, where he graduated in Broadcasting and Entertainment in 2019, and enrolled that same year in Hanyang Cyber University's MBA programme in Advertising and Media.

Debut and leadership in BTS

His path towards music went through hip hop. He was the first member to join the project that would become BTS, formed in 2010 at Big Hit Entertainment, and since the 2013 debut he has served as the group's leader.

As leader, RM is usually the group's voice before the international press. In September 2018 he gave a speech before the United Nations General Assembly, in a campaign with UNICEF, and BTS spoke at that forum again in 2020 and 2021, as PBS NewsHour reported. His rapping style and his lyric writing have made him one of the creative voices of the repertoire.

RM's professional career

Within BTS, RM is a rapper and songwriter, and takes part in writing much of the repertoire. Outside the group, he developed a solo career with hip hop and alternative pieces, as well as collaborations with artists such as Warren G, Wale, Fall Out Boy, Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak and Megan Thee Stallion.

Milestones of his career:

• 2015: releases the mixtape RM, which the magazine Spin placed at number 48 in its 50 best hip hop albums of the year.
• 2018: releases the mixtape Mono, which reached number 26 on the Billboard 200, the highest for a Korean soloist up to then. That year he also receives the Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit.
• 2022: releases Indigo, his first studio album, which reached number 3 on the Billboard 200, the highest for a Korean soloist.
• 2024: releases Right Place, Wrong Person, which debuted at number 5 with 54,000 equivalent units.
• 2025: the American Music Awards recognizes him as Favourite K-pop Artist.

Among his bandmates, you can also get to know Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook.

RM's solo discography

RM's military service

RM enlisted on December 11, 2023 and served in the military band of the 15th Infantry Division. He was discharged on June 10, 2025, together with V, according to Wikipedia. With that, the group was able to reunite in full again. It was the start of the stage that led to the album Arirang and the 2026 world tour.

His side as a collector and art

Beyond music, RM is known for his love of art. According to Wikipedia, he started collecting after visiting the Art Institute of Chicago in 2018, and his collection includes works by KAWS, Roni Horn and Takashi Murakami. That passion has led him to institutional projects: he donated 100 million won to the National Museum of Korea to acquire cultural pieces and, on June 19, 2026, he was named global ambassador of that museum.

The most ambitious project is RM x SFMOMA. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art announced an exhibition of some 200 works, between pieces from RM's personal collection and the museum's holdings, which he himself conceives as lead curator alongside curators América Castillo and Hyoeun Kim. It runs from October 2026 to February 2027 and brings together Korean artists of the twentieth century, such as Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun and Chang Ucchin, alongside works by Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin and Henri Matisse. According to the museum and the press, it is the first time a K-pop artist has collaborated with SFMOMA in this way.

RM's personal life

RM keeps his private life out of the media, and at Famosix we focus on what is verifiable: his work and his career. He is known for his interest in art and museums, an interest reflected in his recent projects.

RM trivia

• His stage name, RM, is an abbreviation that has changed over the years. Today it is simply “RM”.
• He studied a bachelor's degree in media while being an active artist and then an MBA in advertising and media.
• He received the Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit in 2018.
• Mono is considered a milestone: it was the best-placed mixtape by a Korean soloist on the Billboard 200 up to that moment.
• He was the main writer of “Swim”, the lead single of BTS' album Arirang.
• He donated 100 million won to the National Museum of Korea to acquire cultural pieces.

RM in 2026

In 2026, RM is back with BTS: the album Arirang came out on March 20 and the world tour started on April 9. According to the South Korean press, Arirang debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 units, the best first week for a group album since the chart started counting units (December 2014), and it was the group's seventh number one. RM is among the writers of “Swim”, the lead single.

The tour reaches Peru: BTS play three concerts at the Estadio San Marcos in Lima, on October 7, 9 and 10, 2026, with tickets sold out, according to Caretas. For the Peruvian public it is the chance to see RM and the rest of the group in a stadium in the capital for the first time.

On the artistic front, RM was named global ambassador of the National Museum of Korea in June, and his exhibition RM x SFMOMA runs from October 2026 to February 2027. Tour dates may change, so it is worth checking the official channels.

Conclusion

RM combines leadership of one of the most important groups in K-pop with a hip hop career of his own and a growing presence in the art world. If you want to understand the group better, read the BTS biography on Famosix.

Sources consulted

• Wikipedia: RM (musician)
• Wikipedia: BTS
• Wikipedia: Arirang (album)
• Wikipedia: Arirang World Tour
• SFMOMA: RM x SFMOMA
• SFMOMA: press release about the collaboration with RM
• The Korea Times: RM will curate an exhibition at SFMOMA
• Korea JoongAng Daily: Right Place, Wrong Person at number 5
• Korea JoongAng Daily: Arirang, second week at number one
• PBS NewsHour: BTS at the UN
• Caretas: tickets sold out for BTS' concerts in Lima