Martin CORTIS age has become a popular search among K-pop fans following the rapid rise of CORTIS, the five-member boy group formed by BIGHIT MUSIC. Martin was born on March 20, 2008, which makes him 18 years old as of September 2026. His birthday is officially listed on CORTIS’s Weverse profile, while a pre-debut Weverse Magazine interview published when he was 17 provides additional confirmation of his age timeline.
Martin is much more than the young leader of a new K-pop group. Before CORTIS officially debuted, he had already participated in music creation for well-known HYBE artists. His early production experience, long trainee period, leadership position, and involvement in CORTIS’s songs have made people increasingly curious about his biography. This guide explains Martin CORTIS age, birthday, career, background, songwriting work, CORTIS debut, and current activities, while separating confirmed information from details that mainly appear on fan-profile websites.
Martin CORTIS Age and Quick Profile
The most important answer is simple: Martin from CORTIS is 18 years old in 2026. He was born on March 20, 2008, meaning he turned 18 on March 20, 2026. CORTIS’s official Weverse information identifies Martin as the group’s leader and confirms his March 20, 2008 birth date. KBS World has also published the same birthday in its CORTIS artist profile.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Stage name | MARTIN |
| Date of birth | March 20, 2008 |
| Age in September 2026 | 18 years old |
| Group | CORTIS |
| Position | Leader |
| Agency | BIGHIT MUSIC |
| Group debut | August 18, 2025 |
| Debut project | COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES era |
| Second EP | GREENGREEN (2026) |
When Was Martin from CORTIS Born?
Martin’s birthday is March 20, 2008. This date is particularly reliable because it appears in official CORTIS material rather than only in unofficial idol databases. The CORTIS Weverse community profile directly identifies the group’s leader as having been born on March 20, 2008. KBS World independently lists the same date alongside the birthdays of the other four members.
Knowing his exact birthday also clears up older articles that describe Martin as 17. Those articles were not necessarily incorrect when published. Martin was still 17 during CORTIS’s 2025 debut period and only turned 18 the following March. Therefore, current searches for Martin CORTIS age should use his 2026 age rather than older profile information.
How Old Is Martin CORTIS in 2026?
As of September 23, 2026, Martin CORTIS age is 18 years old. The calculation is straightforward: Martin was born in March 2008 and celebrated his eighteenth birthday in March 2026. He will remain 18 until March 20, 2027, when he turns 19.
This matters because older interviews are still prominent in search results. For example, Weverse Magazine described Martin as 17 in its CORTIS debut interview, which took place on July 19, 2025. Rolling Stone also introduced him as the group’s 17-year-old Korean-Canadian leader during CORTIS’s launch period in August 2025. Those descriptions reflect his age at that time rather than his present age.
How Old Was Martin When CORTIS Debuted?
Martin was 17 years old when CORTIS officially debuted on August 18, 2025. Yonhap News Agency reported that BIGHIT MUSIC’s new five-member group debuted that day with the digital single “What You Want.” The group’s first EP, COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, followed on September 8.
That makes Martin’s early career especially noteworthy. He was still a teenager when he became the leader of a major-label K-pop group, but his creative experience had begun before his own debut. This is one reason searches about Martin CORTIS age often appear alongside questions about his songwriting and producing credits: his professional work started unusually early compared with the point at which many listeners first discovered him.
Who Is Martin from CORTIS?
Martin is the leader of CORTIS, a five-member K-pop boy group consisting of Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho. The group is managed by BIGHIT MUSIC, the label also associated with BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. CORTIS became BIGHIT MUSIC’s first new boy group in six years when it arrived in 2025.
Unlike a group built strictly around narrow individual positions, CORTIS has been presented by BIGHIT as a “young creator crew.” The members participate in areas including music, choreography, performance ideas, and video creation. Martin fits naturally into that concept because music production had already become an important part of his identity before the group’s formal launch.
Martin CORTIS Real Name
Martin is professionally known simply as MARTIN. Music and entertainment databases also credit him under forms of the name Martin Edwards or Martin Edwards Park. IMDb, for example, maintains credits under Martin Edwards Park, while Korean and international fan profiles commonly list Martin Edwards alongside the Korean name Park Woo-joo (박우주).
There is some inconsistency across secondary profile sites regarding the exact presentation of his full birth name. For that reason, the safest approach is to use MARTIN when referring to his official artist identity and to treat expanded versions of his name as secondary-source information unless BIGHIT provides a definitive public biography. This distinction is useful when writing factual celebrity profiles.
Martin’s Nationality and Background
Martin has been described by established entertainment publications as Korean-Canadian. Rolling Stone introduced him that way during CORTIS’s first major interview in August 2025, and Vogue Singapore also described him as a Korean-Canadian member and the leader of the group.
Secondary idol-profile sources provide additional family and childhood details, but not every personal fact circulating online has been independently confirmed by BIGHIT MUSIC. For an accurate biography, it is therefore better to distinguish information reported by major publications from fan-maintained details. What is well established publicly is that Martin has connections to both Korea and Canada and has developed an artistic identity that reaches beyond one market, fitting CORTIS’s internationally focused career.
Martin’s Childhood Interest in Music
Music appears to have been part of Martin’s life well before CORTIS existed. In his debut interview with Weverse Magazine, the publication described music as having been present through different periods of his life. Martin spoke about spending years training and explained how his daily routine changed dramatically once his debut became real.
His path also shows that becoming an idol was not simply about performing songs written by others. Martin developed an interest in the process behind the music itself. That interest eventually expanded into songwriting and production, giving him experience that became highly relevant when BIGHIT developed CORTIS around a collaborative creative model. His young age and substantial pre-debut credits are therefore closely connected parts of his story.
Martin’s Training Period Before Debut
Martin has publicly described himself as someone who trained for a long time before debuting. In his 2025 Weverse Magazine interview, he recalled following essentially the same trainee routine for years before suddenly preparing an album and spending time creating music in the United States.
Vogue Taiwan later reported that Martin had approximately six years of trainee experience, describing him as the member with the longest training history in CORTIS. That extended preparation helps explain why Martin CORTIS age surprises some new fans. Although he was only 17 at debut, he had already spent a significant part of his adolescence developing performance, recording, songwriting, and teamwork skills before officially appearing as a member of the group.
Martin’s Work Before CORTIS
One of the most interesting parts of Martin’s biography is that fans may have encountered his work before they knew his name. Rolling Stone reported that he participated in producing songs for other HYBE artists, including ILLIT’s “Magnetic,” ENHYPEN’s “Outside,” and TXT’s “Beautiful Strangers.”
Martin’s contribution to established artists gave him practical creative experience before CORTIS debuted. Yonhap similarly noted during CORTIS’s debut showcase that Martin and James had contributed to songs or choreography for senior HYBE artists, including ILLIT and TXT. This background separates Martin from the simple image of a rookie singer beginning from zero in 2025.
Martin and ILLIT’s “Magnetic”
The connection between Martin and ILLIT’s “Magnetic” is one of his best-known pre-debut credits. Rolling Stone reported that Martin was involved in producing the track, while Martin himself discussed the song’s creative process in his Weverse Magazine interview. He recalled working on the melody while CORTIS member James was nearby experimenting with movement.
That story is important because it also gives an early example of the collaborative method later associated with CORTIS. Music and movement were not necessarily treated as completely separate areas. Ideas could develop through members working in the same space, reacting to one another and changing a project along the way. This collaborative approach eventually became central to CORTIS’s public identity.
Martin’s Songwriting and Production Style
Martin has repeatedly emphasized collaboration rather than portraying creativity as a completely individual process. In his Weverse interview, he explained that he preferred working as a team and described how disagreements between members could sometimes lead to new musical ideas.
His musical influences also help explain his approach. Rolling Stone reported that Martin named artists including Tyler, the Creator and Mac Miller among his favorites. Rather than simply following a traditional idol-production model, CORTIS has promoted experimentation and member participation as important parts of the group’s identity. For readers researching Martin CORTIS age, this creative background gives useful context for why his career attracted attention at such a young age.
Why Martin Became the Leader of CORTIS
Official CORTIS profiles clearly identify Martin as the group’s leader. His interviews suggest that leadership for him is closely tied to communication rather than simply age. Martin told Weverse Magazine that becoming better at communicating with other people had helped him when bringing the group together.
Interestingly, Martin is not the oldest CORTIS member. James, born in October 2005, is older, while Juhoon was also born before Martin in 2008. The decision therefore shows that K-pop leadership positions do not always follow age order. Martin’s extensive training and production experience, combined with his team-oriented approach, provide useful context for understanding his role, although BIGHIT has not publicly reduced the leadership decision to one single reason.
Martin and the CORTIS Creative Concept
The name CORTIS was created from letters in the phrase “Color Outside the Lines.” At the group’s debut showcase, Juhoon explained that the name represented thinking freely beyond standards and rules established by society. BIGHIT introduced the act as a young creator crew that participates directly in making music, choreography, and videos.
Martin’s background fits this concept particularly well. Rather than entering the group solely as a vocalist or performer, he arrived with established production experience. That approach continued on CORTIS’s own material. BIGHIT’s official album information confirms extensive member participation throughout COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, including Martin’s involvement in multiple tracks and a leading production role on “Lullaby.”
COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES and Martin’s Role
CORTIS released its first EP, COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, on September 8, 2025. The record expanded the sound introduced through “GO!” and the debut single “What You Want.” Official BIGHIT information shows that the members contributed directly to numerous songs rather than serving only as performers.
For Martin, the album provided an opportunity to move from behind-the-scenes credits for other artists to music attached directly to his own identity. BIGHIT states that “Lullaby” was produced with Martin taking the lead, while James and Seonghyeon also contributed. The same official page lists Martin among the members credited on “FaSHioN.” His production story therefore continued after debut instead of being only a pre-debut achievement.
GREENGREEN and Martin’s Career in 2026
CORTIS continued its development in 2026 with the second EP GREENGREEN, released on May 4, 2026. An official BIGHIT Music notice described the six-track project as an album representing where CORTIS stood creatively at that point in its career.
The release also achieved stronger commercial visibility in the United States. Billboard Brasil reported that GREENGREEN debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, with 87,000 equivalent album units during its opening chart week. By late August, reporting based on Billboard charts showed that the EP had spent at least 15 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200. These results show how quickly Martin’s career expanded between ages 17 and 18.
How Martin’s Age Compares with the Other CORTIS Members
Martin sits near the middle of the CORTIS age order. James was born on October 14, 2005; Juhoon on January 3, 2008; Martin on March 20, 2008; Seonghyeon on January 13, 2009; and Keonho on February 14, 2009. These birthdays are listed by KBS World and are consistent with official Weverse profile information.
As of September 2026, that means James is 20, Juhoon and Martin are 18, and Seonghyeon and Keonho are 17. Martin may be the leader, but he is neither the oldest nor youngest member. This is useful context for searches involving Martin CORTIS age and member ages.
Why People Search for Martin CORTIS Age
Interest in Martin CORTIS age largely comes from the unusual amount of professional work attached to his name at a young age. A person discovering his production credits for artists such as ILLIT, TXT, or ENHYPEN might reasonably assume he had spent considerably longer in the professional music industry. Rolling Stone’s debut coverage specifically highlighted the contrast between Martin being a 17-year-old leader and already having real production experience.
His physical appearance and leadership position may also cause confusion online, but appearance is not a reliable way to determine someone’s age. The confirmed birth date provides the clear answer: Martin was born March 20, 2008, was 17 when CORTIS debuted, and is 18 in 2026.
Martin’s Approach to Leadership and Teamwork
Martin’s interviews suggest that his idea of leadership is strongly connected with maintaining the group’s creative relationship. He has spoken about encouraging the members to make something simply for fun when the team was feeling tired and about accepting creative disagreements as part of producing better work.
This is especially important within CORTIS because the group’s identity depends on collaboration. Instead of every member remaining inside a rigid creative category, members contribute across music, performance, and visual areas. Martin’s responsibility therefore involves working with people who also bring their own ideas to a project. At 18 years old, he is developing as both a performer and a young creative leader in a group where collaboration forms part of the core concept.
Martin CORTIS Facts That Are Actually Confirmed
Online profiles contain many small facts about idols, but readers should distinguish between officially supported information and fan-reported details. The strongest publicly verifiable information about Martin includes his March 20, 2008 birthday, status as CORTIS’s leader, participation in music production, and involvement in the group’s creative work.
Major publications have also described him as Korean-Canadian and documented his pre-debut production credits. Details such as exact measurements, personality-test results, family information, favorite foods, or school history may appear on fan databases, but such information can change or be sourced from informal broadcasts. For publication-quality biography content, these details should be included only when their original source can be traced.
Martin CORTIS Age Timeline
Understanding Martin CORTIS age becomes easier when his career milestones are placed beside his age.
| Year | Martin’s age | Important milestone |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 | Born on March 20 |
| 2024 | 16 | Production credits began attracting wider attention |
| 2025 | 17 | Debuted with CORTIS |
| 2025 | 17 | COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES released |
| 2026 | 18 | Released GREENGREEN with CORTIS |
| 2027 | 19 | Turns 19 on March 20, 2027 |
The timeline shows how much of Martin’s early professional development occurred during his teenage years. His age is therefore not merely a profile statistic; it provides context for the unusually early stage at which he became involved in professional songwriting and production.
Martin’s Growing International Profile
By 2026, CORTIS was appearing beyond the normal rookie promotional circuit. Publications such as Vogue featured the group internationally, including coverage of their activities in Paris, while the success of GREENGREEN increased their visibility on U.S. music charts.
For Martin, this means his public identity has expanded from trainee and behind-the-scenes contributor to group leader, performer, songwriter, and producer. It remains important, however, not to turn early success into predictions about his future. What can be documented is substantial enough: before reaching his twenties, Martin has accumulated major-label songwriting experience and participated directly in two CORTIS EP eras.
Conclusion: Martin CORTIS Age and Biography
Martin CORTIS age is 18 years old as of September 2026. He was born on March 20, 2008, and was only 17 when CORTIS officially debuted in August 2025. His age is particularly interesting because his creative career started before his own group debut. He contributed to music connected with artists such as ILLIT, TXT, and ENHYPEN before becoming the leader of CORTIS.
Since debut, Martin has continued participating in CORTIS’s music rather than leaving production behind. With COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES and the 2026 EP GREENGREEN, his profile has developed around leadership, songwriting, production, performance, and collaborative creativity. For anyone searching for the latest verified answer, the key fact remains simple: Martin was born March 20, 2008, and is currently 18.
FAQs About Martin CORTIS Age
1. How old is Martin from CORTIS?
Martin is 18 years old as of September 2026. His official birth date is March 20, 2008.
2. When is Martin CORTIS’s birthday?
Martin celebrates his birthday on March 20 every year. He turned 18 on March 20, 2026, and will turn 19 on March 20, 2027.
3. How old was Martin when CORTIS debuted?
Martin was 17 years old when CORTIS officially debuted on August 18, 2025, with “What You Want.”
4. Is Martin the oldest member of CORTIS?
No. James is older than Martin. Juhoon is also slightly older than Martin because Juhoon was born in January 2008, while Martin was born in March 2008.
5. Is Martin the leader of CORTIS?
Yes. Official CORTIS information identifies Martin as the leader of the five-member BIGHIT MUSIC group.
6. Did Martin produce music before joining CORTIS?
Yes. Before CORTIS debuted, Martin contributed to releases associated with artists including ILLIT, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and ENHYPEN. Rolling Stone highlighted these credits in its 2025 introduction to the group.
7. What company is Martin CORTIS under?
Martin and CORTIS are under BIGHIT MUSIC. The group became the company’s first new boy group after TXT’s 2019 debut.
