Jackson Wang (born 28 March 1994) is a Hong Kong born singer and dancer. He is best known as a member of the South Korean boy band Got7. Jackson was a former national fencer (sabre) of the Hong Kong fencing team and was ranked 11th in 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, eventually winning first place at the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championship[1] in 2011.
Early life
Jackson was born in Hong Kong on 28 March 1994 to an athletic family. His father is Wang Ruiji, a former coach of Hong Kong national fencing team and a one time winner at the Asian Games in 1978. When Jackson was 9, he and his older brother received gymnastics training and won the 1st place in the Acrobatic Gymnastics Championship for men's pair category.
Jackson started his fencing career when he was 10. Since then he has been trained by his own father as well as other professional coaches and achieved multiple awards and winnings for Hong Kong national fencing team.[2]
Jackson was scouted by JYP Entertainment among other 2000 contestants in 2010.[4] He wanted to become a trainee but his parents were against it at first. His father made a deal that he would let him go to Korea if Jackson can be the best fencer of Asia.[5] Jackson eventually won first place at the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championship.[1]
Jackson came to South Korea on 3 July 2011 and became a JYP trainee for two and a half years before his debut in Got7. His first pre-debut appearance was on an episode of Mnet's reality-survival program WIN: Who Is Next, which aired on 6 September 2013. Jackson alongside Mark, BamBam & Yugyeom were competing against the YG Entertainment trainees: Team A and Team B (that are now known as WINNER (Team A) and iKON (Team B)). Jackson´s first appearance as an official member of Got7 was in the teaser for their debut on 6 January with Yugyeom. Got7's video came out on 6 January.[6]
Beside group activities, Jackson is known as a rising variety star who makes his appearance in various Korean reality shows. In Roommate, his wild Westerner-style yet sweet caring junior image to the seniors received positive feedback from general public. Jackson was awarded the 2014 SBS Best Newcomer Award on 30 December 2014.[7]
