Im Yoona

This is a Korean name; the family name is Im.
Im Yoona

Yoona at Style Icon Asia in March 2016
Native name 임윤아
Born Im Yoona
(1990-05-30) May 30, 1990
Seoul, South Korea
Alma mater Dongguk University
Occupation

Musical career

Genres K-pop
Instruments Vocals
Years active 2005–present
Labels S.M. Entertainment
Associated acts
Im Yoona
Hangul 임윤아
Revised Romanization Im Yun-a
McCune–Reischauer Im Yun-a

Im Yoona (born May 30, 1990) is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of South Korean girl group Girls' Generation and has participated in various television dramas such as You Are My Destiny (2008), Cinderella Man (2009), Love Rain (2012) and Prime Minister and I (2013).

Life and career

1990–2007: Early life and career beginnings

Im Yoona was born on May 30, 1990[1] in Seoul, South Korea. Her family consists of her father and an older sister.[2] While growing up, she listened to girl group S.E.S and dreamed of becoming a singer. In 2002, she was cast in the SM Saturday Open Casting Audition and spent five years "doing nothing but constant training" in singing, dancing and acting. During her trainee days, she had low self-esteem about her low voice, and once thought of giving up singing in order to pursue an acting career. A SM choreographer persuaded her to continue, saying it would be "a waste to give up becoming a singer" with her "outstanding dancing skills". He also considered her as the best female dancer within the agency. Vocally, though Yoona is not known to have a wide vocal range, she has often been described by critics to have a "very sweet voice". Prior to debuting, Yoona was introduced to the public through various appearances in music videos and commercials; she first appeared in TVXQ's "Magic Castle" music video in 2005.[3] She made her official debut as a member of Girls' Generation in August 2007, becoming the "center" of the group.[4][5][6] The group gained significant popularity with the release of their hit single "Gee" in 2009.[7] That same year, Yoona graduated from Daeyoung High School.[8]

2008–present: Television roles

Aside from Girls' Generation's activities, Yoona has acted in several television dramas. Her acting career began in 2007 with a minor role in MBC's drama, Two Outs in the Ninth Inning.[9] She then appeared in MBC's Woman of Matchless Beauty (2008), and was complimented by veteran actress Bae Jong-ok for her cameo performance.[10]

In May 2008, Yoona landed her first leading role in KBS's drama You Are My Destiny, playing the character Jang Sae-byuk. The drama achieved viewer ratings of up to 41.5%, and Yoona became known for her character.[5][11] She considered the role a turning point in her career,[12] and won two "Best New Actress" awards at the 2008 KBS Drama Awards[13] and 45th Baeksang Arts Awards.[14] In 2009, Yoona was cast in MBC's drama Cinderella Man along with Kwon Sang-woo.[15] The following year, she became a permanent cast member of Family Outing 2, which ran from February to July.

Yoona performing with Girls' Generation in 2011

In March 2012, Yoona was cast in a lead role alongside Jang Geun Suk in KBS2's drama Love Rain, a fantasy drama about fate where the offspring of an ill-fated couple who met in the 1970s, met and fell in love with each other in the modern era.[16] Yoona played two characters: Yun-hee of the 70s and Ha-na of modern times.[17][18] Although the drama lacked in domestic viewership[19] and was criticized for its failure to relate to the viewers,[20] Yoona's acting received positive reviews. Yoon Ga-ee of OSEN wrote: "The speed at which her acting is improving is blinding. She has matured to the point where you want to ask, 'When did her acting get so good?' The criticism that trailed behind her during Cinderella Man is now nowhere to be found."[21] Choi In-kyung of Hankook Ilbo said her acting was continuously improving and "Yoona is completely immersed in her character and has now become 'Hana' herself."[22] The drama garnered much positive overseas interest[23][24] and was sold to Japan for $10 million, the second highest price for a KBS drama at the time, partly due to Yoona's popularity.[25]

In December 2013, Yoona starred alongside Lee Beom-soo in KBS2's romantic comedy drama Prime Minister and I. Loosely based on the musical film The Sound of Music,[26] Yoona played Nam Da-jung, a young and stubborn reporter who falls in love with the prime minister. The drama received low ratings, but Yoona was still noted for her acting ability.[27] Lee Beom-soo praised her, saying "Acting has to go by logic, only when one understands can the audience understand too, Yoona is smart and did very well. I am anticipating her path down as an actress; at the same time, I want to give her applause".[5] She won an Excellence Award at the 2013 KBS Drama Awards for the role.

In November 2015, Yoona was announced to join Hyun Bin in action film, Cooperation, playing the role of Park Min-young. The movie is currently in its filming process.[28] In March 2016, Yoona released her first solo single, “Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway”, a collaboration with the South Korean indie group 10cm. The urban-pop song peaked at number 24 on Gaon Digital Chart and received favorable review. Fuse described it as "breezy and easy-listening" and complimented how "lovely" Yoona delivered the song.[6][29][30] In April 2016, Yoona's first Chinese drama, God of War, Zhao Yun, based on the Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, was released. She played a character named Xiahou Qing Yi, who falls in love with the male lead character but later finds out he kills her father. The drama reached viewership ratings as high as 2%, which was "considered a huge success in a country of 1.3 billion" and recorded more than 6 billion hits through various Chinese online videos sites, reflecting Yoona's popularity in China.[31][32]

Public image

Yoona in the music video for "Chocolate Love" (2009), which was used as a promotional song for LG Chocolate phone

Yoona has been called a "CF queen" due to her many television commercial films, and has been a spokesperson for various brands.[33][34] CNN credited her as "one of the household names in the Asia-Pacific region" which has helped Korean beauty brands become popular in China.[35] In 2010, she became the first idol to endorse S-Oil, a large South Korean petroleum and refinery company.[36] In 2012, she appeared in at least 20 commercials and was ranked fifth among celebrities with the most commercial appearances by TVCF, South Korea's largest advertisement information site.[37][38] In 2013, she became the first overseas endorser for Alcon Taiwan.[39][40] Yoona has been a long-term spokesperson for Amor Pacific's comestic brand Innisfree, a company which was placed 28th on 2015's Forbes’ 100 Most Innovative Companies in the world.[41] In 2016, Yoona was chosen by Forbes magazine to be one among Asia's "30 under 30" most influential celebrities in the Entertainment and Sport category.[42]

Throughout her career, Yoona has volunteered and donated money to help various causes.[43][44][45][46] In 2015, she became a member of South Korea’s Honor Society as an recognition for her charitable donations.[14]

Personal life

In September 2013, Yoona began dating South Korean singer-actor Lee Seung-gi.[47] On August 13, 2015, their two agencies confirmed that they ended their relationship because of their busy schedules.[48]

In February 2015, Yoona graduated from the College of Arts, Dongguk University, with a bachelor's degree in theater studies, after starting the degree in 2009. She received a lifetime achievement award at the graduation ceremony. Her fellow Girls' Generation member, Seohyun, attended the same university, graduating with her.[49][50][51]

Discography

Singles

Title Year Peak chart
positions		 Sales
(DL)		 Album
KOR
Gaon
[30]
"Haptic Motion" (햅틱모션)[52]
(with Jessica, Tiffany, and TVXQ)		 2008 — Non-album single
"Innisfree Day" (이니스프리데이)[53] 2010 — Non-album single
"Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway"
(덕수궁 돌담길의 봄)[54]
(featuring 10cm)		 2016 24 Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Filmography

Film

Title Year Role Notes Ref
I AM. 2012 Herself Biographical film of SM Town [56]
SMTown The Stage 2015 Herself Documentary film of SM Town [57]
Cooperation 2016 Park Min Young Supporting role [58]

Television drama

Title Year Network Role Notes
Two Outs in the Ninth Inning 2007 MBC Shin Joo-young Supporting role
Unstoppable Marriage 2008 KBS2 Bulgwang-dong's Seven Princesses Gang Cameo
Woman of Matchless Beauty, Park Jung-geum MBC Mi-ae Cameo
You Are My Destiny KBS1 Jang Sae-byuk Lead role
Cinderella Man 2009 MBC Seo Yoo-jin Lead role
Love Rain 2012 KBS2 Kim Yoon-hee / Jung Ha-na Lead role
Prime Minister and I 2013 KBS2 Nam Da-jung Lead role
Because It's The First Time 2015 OnStyle Herself Cameo[59]
God of War, Zhao Yun 2016 Hunan Television Xiahou Qing Yi / Ma Yu Rou Lead role

Variety show

Title Year Network Role Notes
Family Outing 2 2010 SBS Regular Cast

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref
2008 2nd Korea Drama Awards Netizen Popularity Award You Are My Destiny Won [60]
KBS Drama Awards Best New Actress Won [13]
Netizen Award Won
2009 45th Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Actress (TV) Won [14]
Most Popular Actress (TV) Won
2010 46th Baeksang Arts Awards Cinderella Man Won
2012 6th Mnet 20's Choice Awards 20's Female Drama Star Love Rain Nominated
KBS Drama Awards Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Nominated
Netizen Award Won [61]
2013 49th Baeksang Arts Awards Most Popular Actress (TV) Nominated
KBS Drama Awards Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Prime Minister and I Won [14]
Best Couple Award with Lee Beom-soo Won [62]
Netizen Award Nominated [63]
2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards Most Popular Actress (TV) Nominated
16th Seoul International Youth Film Festival Best Young Actress Nominated
2015 Global Luxury Award Global Tourism Industry Congress Fusion Seminars with Lin GengXin God of War, Zhao Yun Won
National Tax Service of South Korea Best Public Tax Payer Award Herself Won [64]

References

  1. ↑ Mark Russell (29 April 2014). K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution. Tuttle Publishing. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-4629-1411-1.
  2. ↑ 소녀시대 윤아 방송 최초 가족 공개, 대가족 총출동 눈길 (in Korean). Newsen. August 6, 2008. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014.
  3. ↑ "SM 비밀병기 ‘얼짱’ 윤아는 동방신기 ‘마법의 성’ 뮤비로 데뷔" (in Korean). Newsen. July 7, 2007. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ "(Yonhap Feature) Girl bands flourish on S. Korean pop music scene, groomed for more than singing". Yonhapnews.co.kr. August 26, 2009. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "K팝 프린세스에서 한류 여왕으로, 소녀시대 윤아의 네버엔딩스토리" [Kpop princess to Kpop Hallyu Queen - Yoona's Never Ending story]. WStarNews. February 17, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff; Xu, Tina (March 16, 2016). "FuseTV: K-Stop Podcast" (Podcast). Fuse. Event occurs at 12:45. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  7. ↑ Kim, Do-yeun (November 2, 2011). "Girls' Generation featured on Yale School of Art website". Korea Times. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  8. ↑ "고교 졸업 윤아 "대학생되면 제일 하고 싶은 일은 MT"" (in Korean). Newsen. February 12, 2009. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015.
  9. ↑ "‘소녀시대’ 윤아, MBC ‘9회말 2아웃’ 브라운관 데뷔" (in Korean). HanKyung. July 23, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  10. ↑ 소녀시대 윤아 가출 노숙소녀로 ‘박정금’ 카메오 시선집중 (in Korean). Newsen. April 6, 2008. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014.
  11. ↑ '너는 내 운명' 시청률 41.5% 돌파 (in Korean). Nocutnews. December 16, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Yoona's interview with CeCi magazine". CeCi Magazine (March 2014).
  13. 1 2 "[포토엔]너는 내운명 윤아, 신인상 수상 영예(KBS연기대상)" (in Korean). Newsen. December 31, 2008. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "SNSD's Yoona Becomes First Member of 'Honor Society' Donors in 2015". CJ&M eNewsWorld. January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Girls' Generation Dominates MBC". The Korea Times. May 20, 2009.
  16. ↑ "Yoona to star in new drama". The Korea Times. September 19, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Yoona on Her Comeback with 'Love Rain' and Jang Keun Suk". Mwave. December 13, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Jang Keun Suk and Yoona Come Together for 'Love Rain'". Mwave. September 23, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  19. ↑ "'Love Rain' Viewership Ratings Still Low". Mwave. May 9, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Why 'Love Rain' Failed to Relate to Its Viewers". Mwave. March 27, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  21. ↑ '사랑비' 윤아, 얼굴보다 100배는 더 예쁜 연기력 (in Korean). Osen. April 18, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  22. ↑ 소녀시대 '윤아'의 향상된 연기력이 화제다 (in Korean). Hankooki. April 24, 2012. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Jang Keun Suk and Yoona (of SNSD)'s Love Rain is sold to twelve countries". Star News. May 11, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  24. ↑ "'Love Rain' Expected to Bring Big Profits From Sales Abroad". Mwave. May 30, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  25. ↑ "K-pop stars dominate TV dramas". The Korea Times. March 3, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  26. ↑ Lee, Sun-min (September 12, 2013). "Yoona offered lead role on KBS drama". Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  27. ↑ "SNSD's Yoona to play lead in 'Nodame Cantabile'". Korea Herald. July 7, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Hyun Bin, Yoona and Yoo Hae-jin’s new film to kick off". KpopHerald. March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  29. ↑ "SNSD’s Yoona to release first solo track". The Korea Herald. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  30. 1 2 Gaon Weekly Digital Chart
  31. ↑ Jung Eun-jin (April 17, 2016). "SNSD Yoona making waves in China". The Korea Herald (Herald Corporation). Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  32. ↑ "New age of hallyu goddesses emerges". The Korea Times. April 29, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  33. ↑ "SNSD Yoona's No.1 Titles". CJ E&M. January 19, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  34. ↑ ‘힐링캠프’ 윤아 "상반기 40억 수입? 못번다는 것보다 좋아서…". DongA Ilbo (in Korean). March 18, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  35. ↑ "How South Korea drives Asia's love affair with cosmetics". CNN. November 6, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  36. ↑ [아하! 그 광고]"스쿨존 - 주차선 지켜요" 코믹 연출 (in Korean). DongA. June 19, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  37. ↑ "TV만 틀면 '소녀시대' 나오더니만 역시나" (in Korean). Asiae. June 6, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  38. ↑ "SNSD's Yoona is the Highest Earning Female Idol Group Member". CJ&M eNewsWorld. July 14, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  39. ↑ 소녀시대 ‘윤아’, 콘택트렌즈 모델 재계약 (in Korean). Hankooki. December 5, 2013. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  40. ↑ 少女時代潤娥海外首度代言隱形眼鏡 成為愛爾康全新品牌代言人 (in Chinese). Etv.org.tw. October 23, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  41. ↑ Hicap, Johnathan M. (November 23, 2015). "Korean stars help boost sales of beauty products". Manila Bulletin (Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation). Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  42. ↑ "Forbes: 30 Under 30 Asia 2016". Forbes. March 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  43. ↑ "20년간 한결같은 마음으로 사랑 나눠온 정애리의 끝없는 사랑" (in Korean). Khan.co.kr. July 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  44. ↑ "서울 중구, 희망온돌 후원 릴레이 이어져" (in Korean). Yonhapnews. January 16, 2013. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014.
  45. ↑ "소녀시대 윤아 중구 어려운 이웃 위해 3000만원 후원" (in Korean). Asiae. December 24, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  46. ↑ "[단독] 소녀시대 윤아, ‘실명퇴치 자선음악회’에 1000만원 기부" (in Korean). Stardailynews. December 16, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  47. ↑ Jackson, Julie (January 1, 2014). "Lee Seung-gi and SNSD’s YoonA dating". The Korea Herald. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  48. ↑ Ko Ji-seon (August 13, 2015). "Lee Seung-gi, Yoona split up: agency". Kpop Herald. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Graduation photos of Yoona, Seohyun go viral". Kpopherald. December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  50. ↑ "Yoona to graduate from university with award". Kpopherald. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  51. ↑ "SNSD′s Yoona to Graduate from Dongguk University". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
  52. ↑ "Haptic Motion – Single" (in Korean). Naver. Naver Corporation. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  53. ↑ "Innisfree Day" (in Korean). Naver. Naver Corporation. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  54. ↑ "Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway (feat. 10cm) – Single by Yoona". iTunes Store (HK). Apple Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  55. ↑ Cumulative sales:
  56. ↑ "Documentary Shows Top K-Pop Singers Behind the Scenes". The Chosun Ilbo. Chosun Ilbo Co. May 2, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  57. ↑ Lee, Edmund (November 24, 2015). "Film review: SMTown: The Stage". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  58. ↑ "소녀시대 윤아, 현빈 '공조' 출연..본격 스크린 도전" (in Korean). Naver. Naver Corporation. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  59. ↑ "Yoona to Make Cameo Appearance in ‘Because It’s the First Time’". BNT News International. September 26, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  60. ↑ "Actor Kim Wins Top Prize at Korea Drama Festival Awards". The Korea Times. November 2, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  61. ↑ "‘KBS 연기대상’ 송중기·문채원·윤아, 네티즌상 수상" (in Korean). The Korea Times/Hankooki. December 31, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  62. ↑ "조정석·아이유, 지성·황정음, 오지호·김혜수, 주원·문채원, 이범수·윤아, KBS연기대상 베스트커플상" (in Korean). Star News. December 31, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  63. ↑ "KBS 2013 Drama Awards "Netizen Awards" Voting" (in Korean). KBS. December 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  64. ↑ "'Beep, Beep' – Korean Singer YoonA Wins Model Taxpayer Award". Forbes. March 16, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.

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