Irene

Background

Bae Joo-Hyun, also known globally as Irene, was born on March 29, 1991. She attended a public school called Haknam High School, and during this time she aspired to have a career in the entertainment industry. Her parents raised her alongside her younger sister; her father owned a small store, and her mother worked in the same store. Her mother enrolled her in a music school when she was eight. That is where she got the opportunity to practice her skills in dancing and singing. She didn’t attend college, but following her practice at a young age, she auditioned to join S.M. Entertainment in 2009. She passed the interview, becoming a trainee under the Entertainment group for five years and later becoming a member of Red Velvet.

Red Velvet was formed through S.M. Entertainment after they began gathering members, including current member, Seulgi, who had become a trainee at S.M. Entertainment in 2007. Currently, Joo-Hyun is the main rapper, leader, vocalist, visual, and center of Red Velvet. Debuting her solo career in 2015, Joo-Hyun hosted the music program “Music Bank” and launched her acting career the following year. She played the lead character in “Women at a Game Company,” a web series during this time. She later began hosting the fashion show, “Laundry Day,” and the show, “Trick & True.” During her time as a model, Joo-Hyun has done modeling for Ivy Club alongside Exo. She was also an endorser of Maxwell House, a popular coffee brand.

Before Gallup Korea’s Idol Preference poll was discontinued in 2020, Joo-Hyun had been named one of the most loved idol celebrities in South Korea. In 2019, she was ranked the third most popular female K-pop idol. With her popularity increasing, Joo-Hyun has endorsed many brands. She has also topped the ‘Individual Girl Group Members Brand Power Ranking’ published by the “Korean Corporate Reputation Institute.”