Vernon Biography: Age, Net Worth, Parents, Songs, Albums, Height, Sister, Girlfriend

Vernon Hansol Chwe, known mononymously as Vernon, is a Korean-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and dancer, best recognized as a member of the K-pop group SEVENTEEN under Pledis Entertainment.

As part of SEVENTEEN’s Hip-Hop Team, he serves as the main rapper, sub-vocalist, visual, and face of the group, contributing significantly to their creative process.

Profile

• Full Name: Hansol Vernon Chwe
• Stage Name: Vernon
• Born: February 18, 1998
• Age: 27 years old
• Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
• Nationality: Korean-American
• Occupation: Korean-American Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Dancer, Producer
• Height: 5 feet 10
• Parents: Simon Choi (father, Korean), and Melody Chwe (mother, American of French descent)
• Siblings: Sofia Elizabeth Hangyul Chwe (younger sister, b. 2004)
• Spouse: Not Married
• Children: None
• Relationship: Single
• Net Worth: $2 million to $5 million

Early Life and Education

Hansol Vernon Chwe was born on February 18, 1998, at Tisch Hospital in Kips Bay, Manhattan, New York City, to a Korean father, Simon Choi, an artist, and an American mother, Melody Chwe, an art teacher of French descent. His stage name, Vernon, comes from his mother’s maiden name, which was mistakenly spelled as “Chwe” instead of “Choi” on his birth certificate.

At age five, his family moved to Seoul, South Korea, settling in the Hongdae neighborhood, with Vernon noting connections to Incheon and his mother’s hometown of Miami, Florida.

Growing up bilingual in Korean and English, he developed a passion for hip-hop and performing arts early on. He attended Ewha University Elementary School and Changcheon Middle School but dropped out in his second year of middle school to focus on training with Pledis Entertainment, opting for homeschooling with his parents’ consent.

As a child, he appeared in TV shows like Song Euni’s Eye to Eye and Ggurugi Life Inquiry and modeled for children’s fashion, winning a “Best Smile Award” at the New York Baby Model Contest. His multicultural background and parents’ support shaped his artistic identity.

Career

Vernon was street-casted by Pledis Entertainment at age 14 near a subway station in front of his middle school in 2012. After over three years of training, he debuted with SEVENTEEN on May 26, 2015, with the EP 17 Carat, which became the longest-charting K-pop album in the U.S. that year and was listed among Billboard’s 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015.

As part of SEVENTEEN’s Hip-Hop Team, he contributes to songwriting, choreography, and production. The group’s subsequent releases, including Boys Be (2015), Love & Letter (2016), Director’s Cut (2018), You Make My Day (2018), and You Made My Dawn (2019, with hit single “Home”), earned multiple awards and global success.

Vernon competed on Show Me the Money 4 (2015), exiting in the third round, which boosted SEVENTEEN’s recognition. He made his solo debut with the single “Black Eye” on December 27, 2022, and released The Thirteen Tapes (TTT) Vol. 3/13 photobook in 2023.

Collaborations include “Lotto” with Don Mills (2015), “I Need You (Ya해)” with Bumzu (2015), “Sickness” for Love Revolution OST (2016), and “Beg For You (A.G. Cook & VERNON Remix)” with Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama (2022). He is part of the music crew M.O.L.A., alongside Park Jimin, PENTAGON’s Kino, and others.

Vernon has appeared on TV shows like Hello! Stranger, The Visiting Teacher, and Idol Hits, and featured in magazines like AnAn and ESQUIRE Korea. His musical influences include Eminem, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, T.I., Nicki Minaj, and David Bowie, blending hip-hop, R&B, and pop in his work.

Awards and Nominations

• Seoul Music Awards (2016): Won (with SEVENTEEN) for Boys Be.
• Golden Disc Awards (2016): Won (with SEVENTEEN) for Boys Be.
• Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards (2016): Won (with SEVENTEEN) for Boys Be.
• Mnet Asian Music Awards, Melon Music Awards, others (2019): Multiple wins for You Made My Dawn (single “Home” won 10 weekly music show awards).
• Teen Choice Awards (2014): Nominated for Choice TV Breakout Star: Male for Reign (Note: This appears to be an error in sources, as Vernon is not associated with Reign; likely confused with another artist).

Note: Vernon‘s awards are primarily group-based with SEVENTEEN. Individual awards are not widely documented, and claims of a Grammy win are inaccurate, as SEVENTEEN has been nominated but not won.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @vernonline (2.1 million)

Personal Life

Vernon, resides in Gangnam, Seoul, with SEVENTEEN, while his family lives in Hongdae. He is single, with a brief, low-key relationship at age 14 in 2012 that ended after his ex-girlfriend shared private messages online, leading to a confrontation. No current romantic links are confirmed, though he’s stated his ideal type is a girl with pretty legs.

His nicknames include Mr. Headphones, Vernonnie, 4D, and Vercaprio (due to a resemblance to Leonardo DiCaprio). A night person with a relaxed, pacifist personality, he enjoys playing guitar (taught by his father), fashion, and collecting hats.

Vernon is allergic to peanuts and pollen, loves vanilla ice cream, cheeseburgers, and chocolate cake, and prefers music over food. His favorite movies are Cloud Atlas and Fight Club, and he admires actors like DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt.

He’s expressed a desire to have telepathy as a superpower and to be a dragon if reborn as an animal. Vernon is close to his sister, Sofia, who modeled as a child and enjoys singing; she was reportedly scouted by JYP and FNC but canceled a Pledis contract.

His family raises two cats, Jazz and Leo, and he wants to own a turtle. Vernon‘s MBTI has varied (ENTP in 2022, previously ISTP, ISFP, ENFP), and his life motto is “Just do it, just have fun.” No major controversies are linked to him, and fans on X admire his talent and humility.

Filmography

• Seventeen TV (2013–2015) – Himself (reality series)
• Seventeen Project: Big Debut Plan (2015) – Himself
• Show Me the Money 4 (2015) – Contestant (eliminated in third round)
• Hello! Stranger (2014) – Regular cast
• The Visiting Teacher – Guest appearance
• Idol Hits – Guest appearance
• Falling Into Your Smile (2021) – Soundtrack contributor

Discography

• 17 Carat (2015, EP)
• Boys Be (2015, EP)
• Love & Letter (2016, album)
• Director’s Cut (2018, album)
• We Make You (2018, Japanese album)
• You Make My Day (2018, EP)
• You Made My Dawn (2019, EP, single “Home”)

Solo and Collaborations:

• “Lotto” (feat. Don Mills) (2015)
• “I Need You (Ya해)” (with Bumzu) (2015)
• “Sickness” (feat. Pledis Girlz, Love Revolution OST) (2016)
• “Black Eye” (2022, solo debut single)
• “Beg For You (A.G. Cook & VERNON Remix)” (with Charli XCX, Rina Sawayama) (2022)

Note: Claims of Vernon recording a disco version of “Come Prima” or songs like “American Woman” are inaccurate, likely referring to another artist named Vernon.

Net Worth

Vernon‘s net worth is estimated at $2 million to $5 million, derived from SEVENTEEN’s music sales (over 10 million albums sold globally), world tours (e.g., Be the Sun tour grossed millions), YouTube revenue ($63.6K–$1M annually)