Im Yoon-ah (
Korean: 임윤아; born May 30, 1990), known mononymously as Yoona, is a South Korean singer and actress. After training for five years, she debuted as a member of girl group
Girls' Generation (and later its subgroup
Girls' Generation-Oh!GG) in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea's most popular girl groups worldwide. Apart from her group's activities, Yoona has participated in various
television dramas, notably You Are My Destiny (2008), which marked her career breakthrough and earned her the Best New Actress awards at the
23rd KBS Drama Awards and the
45th Baeksang Arts Awards.
The success of Yoona's music and acting careers have led her to various
CF deals, notably long-term collaborator
Innisfree, and have established her as a top
idol-actress of
Hallyu.[5]
Yoona was born on May 30, 1990[6] in
Yeongdeungpo-gu of
Seoul, South Korea. Her family consists of her father and an older sister by five years.[7][8]
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.[9] 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 December 2004.[10] She made her official debut as a member of
Girls' Generation in August 2007, becoming the "center" of the group.[9][11]
2008–2016: Acting career
Apart 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.[12] She then appeared in MBC's Woman of Matchless Beauty (2008), and was complimented by veteran actress
Bae Jong-ok for her cameo performance.[13]
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 received wider public recognition.[9][14] She considered the role a turning point in her career,[15] and won two "Best New Actress" awards at the 2008
KBS Drama Awards[16] and 45th
Baeksang Arts Awards.[17] In 2009, Yoona was cast in MBC's drama Cinderella Man along with Kwon Sang-woo.[18][19]
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, meet and fall in love with each other in the modern era.[20][21] Yoona played two characters: Yun-hee of the 70s and Ha-na of modern times.[22][23] Although the drama scored low domestic viewership[24] and was criticized for its failure to relate to the viewers,[25] 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."[26] 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."[27] The drama garnered much positive overseas interest[28][29] 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.[30]
In December 2013, Yoona starred alongside
Lee Beom-soo in KBS2's romantic comedy drama Prime Minister & I.[31] Loosely based on the musical film The Sound of Music,[32] 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's performance was praised[9][33] and she won an Excellence Award at the
2013 KBS Drama Awards for the role.[34]
In March 2016, Yoona released her first solo single "
Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway", a collaboration with the South Korean indie group
10cm, as part of
SM Station.[35] The urban-pop song peaked at number 24 on
Gaon Digital Chart.[36]Fuse described it as "breezy and easy-listening" and complimented how "lovely" Yoona delivered the song.[37]
In April 2016, Yoona was cast in her debut Chinese drama God of War, Zhao Yun, based on the Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.[38] She played dual roles–one falls in love with the male lead character but later finds out he killed her father while the other is skilled in martial arts.[39] The drama's viewership ratings peaked at more than 2%, which was described to be "a huge success" relative to China's large population. It also recorded more than 10 billion hits through various online videos sites, reflecting Yoona's popularity in China.[40] Following the success, in August 2016, Yoona released a Chinese digital mini-album titled Blossom, which contains her renditions of well-known Mandarin songs.[41]
2016–present: Transitioning roles and solo debut
In September 2016, Yoona starred in
tvN's action thriller The K2.[42][43] Tired of being typecast with a candy-like image and having always been burdened by the idol-actress prejudice, Yoona cast away the public perception and focused on the role as her "personal challenge."[5][44] Her effort gained positive viewers' recognition,[45] and earned her acting acclaim from critics.[3][4][46]
In January 2017, Yoona made her film debut in action film, Confidential Assignment.[47] Yoona's performance was well-received,[48] and she won several awards such as the AFA Next Generation Award at the
Asian Film Awards[49] and the Newcomer Award at the Korean Film Shining Star Awards.[50]
She then starred in MBC's historical drama The King in Love, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Kim Yi-ryung.[51][52] In September 2017, Yoona released her second solo single "When The Wind Blows" as part of SM Station.[53]
In 2018, Yoona joined the second season of Hyori's Homestay as a new helper.[54] She released her third solo single "To You" at the conclusion of the variety show.[55] In August 2018, a Girls' Generation subgroup named
Oh!GG was formed with Yoona alongside the four other members who had decided to renew their contracts with SM entertainment; the group released the single "Lil' Touch".[56]
To celebrate her 29th birthday, Yoona released her debut extended play A Walk to Remember on May 30, 2019.[57] The EP became the fastest-selling album in its first 24 hours by a female soloist.[58] In July of the same year, Yoona starred in the disaster action film Exit alongside
Jo Jung-suk.[59] It became the most popular movie of the summer and one of the
highest-grossing films in South Korea by attracting over nine million viewers.[60] Her first leading role earned her several wins and nominations, including her first
Blue Dragon and
Chunsa Film Art Awards Best Actress nominations, and a Best Actress win at the 1st Asan Chungmugong International Action Film Festival.
Yoona has been called a "
CF Queen" due to her several television commercial films, and has been a spokesperson for various brands.[66][67]CNN credited her as "one of the household names in the Asia-Pacific region" which has helped Korean beauty brands become popular in China.[68] In 2010, she became the first idol to endorse S-Oil, a large South Korean petroleum and refinery company.[69] 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.[70][71] In 2013, she became the first overseas endorser for Alcon Taiwan.[72][73] From 2009 to 2020, Yoona was a long-term spokesperson for
Amore Pacific's
cosmetics brand
Innisfree.[74] Other major endorsements included
Michael Kors, in which she became the brand's first ambassador in Korea,[75]Asia-Pacific spokesperson for luxury cosmetics brand
Estée Lauder,[76] Danish jewellery brand
Pandora,[77] South Korean
DB Insurance,[78]Tous Les Jours,[79]Crocs,[80] and
Lee Jeans.[81] In October 2021, she became the first person to be selected as global ambassador for Italian luxury fashion brand
Miu Miu.[82] In January 2023, Yoona became the global face of the
Miu Miu's 2023 Spring Summer collection campaign, alongside
Emma Corrin,
Kendall Jenner,
Quintessa Swindell,
Karolin Wolter, and more.[83] In July 2023, Hong Kong-based luxury jewellery brand
Qeelin announced her as its brand spokesperson.[84]
Ambassadorship
In 2012, Yoona was appointed as the Honorary Ambassador of Jung-gu, Seoul.[85] In 2014, Yoona was appointed as ambassador for UNICEF's campaign, "UNIHERO", which aims to invite people to become heroes for the less fortunate children all around the globe.[86] In 2015, Yoona was named promotional ambassadors for the National Tax Service. She has also received presidential commendation for having paid her taxes faithfully.[87] In 2016, Yoona participated in Crocs' "Come As You Are" campaign as one of the global ambassadors.[88] In 2018, Yoona was appointed as a safety ambassador for the Central Council for Safe Culture Campaign, held to pledge safety measures and eradication of dangerous activities such as speeding and illegal parking that prevents the entry of fire trucks.[89]
In 2019, Yoona became the first female celebrity to be appointed as an ambassador by the
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the
Korea Tourism Organization.[90][91] Starting September 2019, an advertisement campaign "Imagine Your Korea" was launched to improve Korean tourism awareness and attract more foreign tourists. The advertisements were displayed in countries such as China, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia. It was also displayed in
Times Square every day until January 2021.[92]
As a member of Girls' Generation and a successful actress, Yoona has been hailed as a top
idol-actress and a prominent
South Korean figure.[5] Having appeared in
CFs even before her Girls' Generation debut, the success of Yoona's music and acting careers have led her to individually endorsing almost 40 brands internationally, notably long-time collaborator
Innisfree, including ten in 2019 alone.[97] In 2016, Yoona was listed by Forbes magazine as one of Asia's "
30 under 30" most influential celebrities in the category of entertainment and sports.[98] Yoona has also distinguished herself by being selected to host for many year-end galas.[99] In particular, she has been the MC of the Gayo Daejejeon for nine consecutive years.[100]
Personal life
Yoona graduated from Daeyoung High School in 2009.[101] She went on to major in
theater studies and graduated from
Dongguk University in February 2015, receiving a lifetime achievement award at the graduation ceremony. Her fellow Girls' Generation member,
Seohyun, attended the same university.[102][103] She was also chosen as an ambassador for the university in 2014, alongside
Apink's
Naeun and actress
Park Ha-sun.[104]
^
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"[스타포커스] 윤아, '연기돌' 벗고 '연기자'로... '이젠 믿고 보자 임윤아'" [Im Yoon-ah shed her acting-idol title and become the real actress...believe in the Im Yoon-ah you see now]. TopStarNews (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
^
abc"[D터뷰] "다시 만난, 연기 세계"...임윤아, 캔디의 작별사" [[D Interview] "Into The Acting World"...Im Yoon-ah, Farewell to Candy Character]. Dispatch (in Korean). November 27, 2016.
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"[스타톡톡] 윤아, 고심 끝 '더케이투' 하길 참 잘했다" [Hard work ended, Good job doing The K2]. OSEN (in Korean).
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^Kim Ji-won (April 20, 2021).
"박정민X임윤아 '기적', 6월 개봉 확정 [공식]" [Park Jung-min x Lim Yoon-ah'miracle' confirmed to be released in June [Official]]. Ten Asia (in Korean).
Naver.
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^Kim Hyun-rok (April 22, 2021).
"해피뉴이어' 한지민·이동욱→임윤아·이광수 15人 캐스팅..극장·티빙 동시공개" ['Happy New Year' Han Ji-min, Lee Dong-wook → Im Yoon-ah, Lee Kwang-soo 15 cast...]. Sport TV News (in Korean).
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^Han, Hyun-jung (December 9, 2022).
"변요한·윤아 '조연상' 영예[대종상]" [Byun Yo-han and Yoona 'Supporting Actor' honor [Daejong Award]] (in Korean). Maekyung.
Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022 – via
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^"美國潮流丹寧Lee Jeans 邀請亞洲巨星潤娥代言BODY OPTIX™優形丹寧 360°零死角完美塑身 3D翹臀展現迷人曲線" [American fashion denim Lee Jeans invites Asia Mega Star Yoona to endorse BODY OPTIX™ 360° Body Enhancement display mesmerising body shape with a 3D perky bottom]. Yahoo Fashion Beauty Editor Group (in Chinese). January 14, 2017.
Archived from the original on August 23, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
^"Yoona潤娥代言Qeelin 揭示當代東方美!" [Yoona endorses Qeelin to reveal contemporary oriental beauty!]. Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). July 5, 2023.
Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
^장우성 (April 9, 2018).
"소녀시대 윤아, 선행으로 중구 '명예의 전당' 헌액" [Girls' Generation's Yoona, inducted into Jung-gu 'Hall of Fame' for good deeds]. Naver (in Korean).
ko:뉴스1.
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^강서정 (February 28, 2020).
"윤아, 코로나19 1억원 기부 "대구경북에 힘 보태고자"[공식]" [Yoona, Corona 19 Donation of 100 million won "To help Daegu-Gyeongbuk" [Official]]. Chosun (in Korean).
ko:OSEN.
Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
^"동국대, 윤아·서현 등 동문 연예인 19명 홍보대사 위촉" [Dongguk University appoints 19 celebrity alumni, including Yoona and Seohyun, as public relations ambassadors]. Aju Economic Daily (in Korean). September 17, 2014.
Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
"A Walk To Remember" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. May 26 – June 1, 2019.
Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021 – via Gaon Chart.
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Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020 – via Gaon Chart.
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Im Yoon-ah.