Martin

Martin (real name Martin Jonathan Edwards, known in Korea as Park Woo-joo) is the leader of the South Korean group CORTIS, signed to BigHit Music. He was born on March 20, 2008, in Songpa-gu, Seoul. His father is Canadian and his mother is Korean, giving Martin a multicultural childhood. He lived in Ottawa for about a year, an experience that helped him become fluent in both English and Korean—a skill that later became an asset when working on international releases.

As a child, Martin attended Chundae Elementary School in Seoul and later graduated from Garak High School. He has an older sister who significantly influenced his path in the industry: she was a huge fan of BTS, and it was on her advice that Martin decided to audition for BigHit Entertainment. In 2019, at just 11 years old, he successfully passed the audition, and his trainee period lasted approximately six years—one of the longest among future label members. During this time, he not only trained but also actively developed as a songwriter and producer.

Even before his official debut with CORTIS, Martin began collaborating with other HYBE artists, and his contributions were noticeable: he co-wrote the songs "Magnetic" for ILLIT, "Deja Vu," "Miracle," and "Beautiful Strangers" for TXT, "Pierrot" for LE SSERAFIM, and "Outside" for ENHYPEN. This early experience working with top bands helped him develop his own musical signature and understand the sound of large-scale projects.

An interesting fact about his biography is connected to the Olympics: at the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, Martin was the flag bearer for the Icelandic team and performed the national anthem with the Rainbow Choir. This episode highlights his public profile and artistic sensibility long before his idol debut.

On July 14, 2025, BigHit Music officially announced that Martin would be joining a new boy group, later named CORTIS. The group debuted on August 18, 2025, with the digital single "What You Want."