He debuted as a member of SWIN and its sub-unit SWIN-S on October 18, 2016, after participating in the first and second seasons of the Chinese reality show Super Idol.
Upon release, this EP did exceptionally well in Chinese music charts, selling 5.67 million copies in a week,[10] for which he was dubbed "King of Digital Singles".
[11] Kun was born on August 2, 1998, in Wenzhou, Zhejiang but partially spent his childhood in Huaihua, Hunan with his grandparents, and later grew up in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
[13] Kun was also selected as a candidate for TFBoys, but decided to focus on his schooling as his parents thought that he was too young to join the entertainment industry.
[16] In August of that year, Kun began his acting career, playing the role of Du Yu Feng's teenage version (portrayed by Lee Joon-hyuk) in Half a Fairytale.
During the two seasons of the show, Kun experienced constant pressure and fierce competition from other participants, receiving intensive idol training.
[19][20] Upon the end of Season 2, Kun returned to China, where he debuted as a member of Chinese boy group SWIN under Yihai Entertainment Company.
However, due to Yihai's mismanagement, the group rarely had performance opportunities and public appearances, which resulted in a dwindling fan base and popularity.
[21][22][23] After a period of dormancy from the entertainment industry, Kun decided to join Season 1 of reality survival show Idol Producer as an independent trainee at the end of 2017.
[27] The show is a teen comedy series that features a distinctive wardrobe and draws heavy influence from Japanese manga as a means to achieve comic relief.
"Pull Up" was co-written with UK songwriting team Mike Macdermid, David Brant (who is also the producer on the song), Rajiv Bukhory, Fidel Rosales and Ryan Curtis.
Rule Breaker was written by some of the same writers as "Pull Up" namely Mike Macdermid, Rajiv Bukhory, David Brant and in addition, USA based producer Kevin Chozen took the helm on production.
The award-winning director and his international team created a highly cinematic and storytelling music video using a series of symbolic elements, to allude to the message behind the song.
On February 5, the first day of Chinese New Year in 2019, Kun prepared an exclusive stage performance for Beijing TV's Spring Festival Gala by delivering a song he co-wrote with other musicians.
Attempting to relate his own story with a personal narrative while being aligned to the overall theme of the song, Kun chose a controlled and melodic singing style when delivering this melancholic ballad.
[45] In March, Kun and actress Tong Liya released a song titled "The Mountains and Rivers Are on My Chest" (山河无恙在我胸) to help boost the morale of those fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic,[46] which won the 2020 Migu Music Public Welfare Influence Award.
[55] On December 16, Madam Tussauds in Hong Kong revealed Kun's wax figure, which wears the outfit he wore at World's Got Talent in 2019 and joins the attraction's 'Fashion Zone'.
[57] On March 22, 2023, Kun announced his 2023 WORLD TOUR-迷宫重启 which included stops in Macau, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
[76] In 2022, Swiss watches and accessory manufacturer TAG Heuer named Kun its Chinese ambassador, with the brand's chief executive officer Frédéric Arnault stating that "[Kun] has demonstrated remarkable talent in songwriting and performing" in addition to being "incredibly athletic, truly daring and never stops challenging the limits," which matches the brand's mind-set.
[77] In 2023, the South Korean sunglasses and optical glasses brand Gentle Monster announced on April 17 via their social media platforms that they are collaborating with Kun who will work as the director for their 'Crystal Clear' project.
[78][79] The line will launch on April 21, 2023, and the event app will be available in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Dubai, Singapore, Japan, and United States.
The raised funds were used to build facilities that allow students in rural areas to pursue different extracurricular activities, such as learning music.
[91] In December 2018, Kun joined the Star Lights "Battle Against Poverty" project, a charity movement initiated by Jackie Chan, which has garnered the support of many A-list Chinese celebrities.
Along with a crew of cameramen from the Chinese television channel CCTV-6, Kun visited a poverty-stricken area on Hainan Island to film his efforts as part of the project.
[92] With Kun's advocacy for philanthropy, his fans have made significant contributions to different charity causes, including donations for purchasing school supplies and building a new road in rural villages.
[citation needed] Kun launched a charity fund to support impoverished children in remote Chinese areas on October 17, 2019.
Furthermore, Yihai demanded that each member sign a Debt Acknowledgment Letter for 1.1 million RMB (approximately US$165,000) to share the production costs for Season 2 of Super Idol.
[98] Soon after the broadcast of Idol Producer, Yihai filed another case in March 2018 to countersue Kun for the breach of contract, asking that he pay the company 1.1 million RMB for liquidated damages and compensation for their losses.
In response to the statement, "to issue a legal notice" quickly became a popular internet meme on Chinese social media sites.
[104] The fan, whose photograph with Cai had been circulating online, later stated that the rumours were false and spread by paparazzi, which used "fake" information despite her objections.