Did Sunoo Age Affect His Trainee Years Timeline?

I've been a bit obsessive about idol birthdays and ages, so this one’s easy to explain: Sunoo was born on June 24, 2003, so by the common Korean age system he became 20 at the start of 2022. The usual calculation people use is: Korean age = current year − birth year + 1. Plugging in Sunoo’s year gives 2022 − 2003 + 1 = 20, which means from January 1, 2022 he was considered 20 years old in Korea. What I like to point out when chatting with friends is how that differs from international (Western) age: Sunoo didn’t actually turn 19 in the international sense until June 24, 2022, and he only reached international 20 on June 24, 2023. Fans who organize events or label ages in profiles often use the Korean-age number, which is why you probably saw a bunch of '20th birthday' posts about him during 2022 even though his Western birthday celebrations were later. It’s small but meaningful to many of us — I remember scrolling through fancams and fan edits after New Year and feeling oddly proud that the whole generation of 2003 idols suddenly had that milestone tag. If you ever get confused, just do the quick subtraction and add one, and you’ll be in the clear.

Whenever June rolls around I get ridiculously sentimental—Sunoo's birthday is one of those days that fills streaming timelines with fan art and cakes. He was born on June 24, 2003, so as of August 30, 2025 he’s 22 years old by international reckoning. If you follow the Korean age system (the one that counts you as one at birth and adds a year every January 1), he’s considered 23 right now. I love how those two age numbers sit together; it’s a small cultural thing but it changes how fans talk about milestones. As a long-time fan, I always notice little traditions: fans coordinating charity projects, streaming his favorite songs, or making collage videos of his cute live moments. Sunoo’s birthday vibes tend to be soft and wholesome—lots of pastel edits and balloon emoji—so whether you call him 22 or 23, the celebrations feel the same. If you want the absolute official confirmations, the company profile and music show bios list the June 24, 2003 date, and fan communities usually have countdowns pinned for the day. If you’re planning to wish him happy birthday, a sweet tweet or a small fan drawing goes a long way. I’ll probably rewatch some of his funniest live clips and bake something tiny; it’s my ritual now.

Every time I see a new ENHYPEN comeback, Sunoo stands out to me because he seems to age on his own timetable — like someone who gains more charm and confidence rather than suddenly looking older. He’s one of those rare idols who has a real babyface, so even now when his features sharpen a bit with maturity, that soft, friendly vibe remains. Compared to other members, Sunoo’s physical changes feel gradual and gentle: a little more jawline definition, slightly taller styling choices, and haircuts that play up his youthful energy without trying to force mature visuals. If I line him up mentally next to Heeseung, Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, and Ni-ki, the contrast becomes fun. Heeseung and Jungwon gave off a matured, leaderly presence early on — their faces and stage manners developed into a more mature charisma. Sunghoon and Jay started leaning into sharper, model-like visuals as they grew, while Ni-ki keeps that fresh, youthful dancer look. Sunoo lands somewhere in the middle: he still looks younger than some, but his expressions, comedic timing, and on-stage confidence show clear growth. It’s like watching someone who refuses to trade cuteness for maturity; instead, he layers maturity on top of it. Personally, I love that Sunoo’s aging feels authentic. He isn’t trying to chase a grown-up image; he’s just evolving. Whether he’s in casual airport fits or in slick comeback concept photos, he keeps this approachable glow. As a fan, I find that really refreshing — it makes every stage where he smiles feel familiar and warm, like he’s aging alongside us rather than ahead of us.

I was glued to my timeline the day 'ENHYPEN' debuted — there was so much buzz and I kept checking profiles to see everyone's ages. Sunoo (Park Sunoo) was born on June 24, 2003, and 'ENHYPEN' officially debuted on November 30, 2020. That makes him 17 years old by the international (Western) age system at the time of debut, since his birthday had already passed that year. If you look at Korean age, which often shows up on idol profiles and in fan conversations, you calculate differently: Korean age is typically the current year minus birth year plus one. So in 2020 Sunoo's Korean age would be 18. A lot of fans get tripped up by the two systems, especially with rookies who are on the younger side, so I always double-check whether someone’s listing their international age or Korean age before making a post. I still smile thinking about how young he looked and how energetic his stage presence was — 17 internationally, 18 in Korea — and how quickly he grew into his role. If you’re putting together a fan post or a timeline, I’d mention both ages so everyone knows what you mean; it clears up a lot of confusion and makes comments less about “who’s older” and more about celebrating milestones.

I get excited just thinking about mapping out Sunoo’s milestones year by year — like watching a highlight reel of a life that turned into a career. If we think of his timeline as a coming-of-age story, here’s how I picture the big beats: early childhood was full of normal kid stuff — family, school, and probably the first nervous solos in front of relatives. By the tween years he’d be practicing more seriously, picking up vocal habits and dancing in the studio after school, the kind of quiet grind you don’t notice until someone becomes famous. In his mid-teens the training gets real. This is when many idols move cities, balance school and practice, and start auditioning. For Sunoo specifically, his late-teen year was huge: competing on 'I-LAND' pushed him into the public eye, and by the time debut rolled around he’d already shouldered the pressure of televised eliminations and fan expectations. Debuting as a rookie in a major group is basically a rite of passage — music shows, variety appearances, intense promotions, and the first international flights. The early 20s are about growth and experimentation. Songwriting credits, solo content, and learning to speak for yourself publicly become milestones just as important as awards. Fans notice changes: a quieter maturity in interviews, a hand in the creative process, or the first time he says something candid in a V Live or at a fanmeet. Later twenties usually bring different kinds of milestones — long-term artistic goals, possibly military service for male idols, or branching out into acting or producing. For me, tracking those years is like tracking chapters of a novel where the protagonist keeps surprising you, and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds.

I geek out over this stuff, so here's what I actually do when I want a rock-solid source for someone’s age: go straight to the label and the group's official channels. For Sunoo, your best primary source is his agency — check Belift Lab’s official artist profile or press releases. Agencies usually list members’ full names and birthdates on their roster pages, and those pages are what journalists and broadcasters use as the official reference. If I’m double-checking, I open the group’s official pages next: the ENHYPEN website, their official YouTube channel description, and the verified Instagram or X (Twitter) accounts. I’ll also look for a birthday post from the agency or the group account — those are timestamped and clearly authoritative. When a label posts “Happy Birthday to Sunoo” with the birth year in the caption or on an official photo card, that’s as primary as it gets. For a Korean-language cross-check I use Naver’s profile and Melon or Genie artist pages; they normally pull directly from agency data. I’m careful to avoid fan-run wikis like Namu.wiki as my final source — they’re great for context but not official. If I need archival proof, I’ll find the original press release or use the Wayback Machine to capture the agency page at the time it was published. If you want, I can walk you through the exact search terms I use on Google or Naver to find those pages.

I still get oddly excited about idol birthdays, so here’s the math in the friendliest way possible. Sunoo was born on June 2, 2003, so in international (Western) counting his age depends on whether his birthday this year has passed. Since June 2 has already passed in 2025, his international age is 22 — you get that by doing 2025 minus 2003, and because the birthday already happened, there’s no subtraction needed. Korean counting uses the traditional method where you start at 1 at birth and then add one every January 1st. The quick formula there is (current year − birth year + 1). So for 2025 that’s 2025 − 2003 + 1 = 23. That means even before June 2, 2025, he would be considered 23 under that traditional Korean system, while internationally he would have been 21 until his birthday. It gets a little funny at fan events and social media — some fans say the Korean number, others use the international number, and a few joke about being whichever gets you into age-restricted things. Personally I like keeping both in my head: Sunoo is 22 internationally and 23 by traditional Korean counting, and that little two-number quirk is part of K-pop culture’s charm.

I still grin whenever I scroll through my photo folder of concert shots — there’s this one where Sunoo is mid-laugh and looks exactly like the mischievous kid in my neighbourhood who’d steal your fries. Being younger has always been a huge part of his fan persona: people latch onto that soft, goofy energy because it feels safe and sincere. At first it was all nicknames, plushies, and ‘protect the maknae’ jokes, and I was right there making tiny fan edits and late-night fanart that exaggerated those wide-eyed expressions. But watching him grow has been oddly comforting. As his age edges up, the way fans interact with him subtly shifts — the protectiveness stays but layers in pride and surprise when he pulls off a mature vocal run or a sudden stage presence that wasn't there before. I’ve seen group chats evolve from swapping cute gifs to debating fashion choices and conceptual photoshoots. Even livestreams feel different: playful banter still shows up, but there’s more confidence in how he carries himself. For me, that change turned a one-note obsession into a richer fandom experience, where I can appreciate both the sunshine and the new shades of his performance.