Lim Yoona
South Korean singer and actress, member of Girls' Generation.
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via Wikipedia: Lim Yoona · see source
Lim Yoona, known simply as Yoona, is a South Korean singer and actress. She trained for five years before debuting in August 2007 as a member of the girl group Girls' Generation and its subgroup Girls' Generation-Oh!GG. The group became one of South Korea's best-selling acts and most internationally recognized girl groups. Yoona has also acted in television dramas, with her breakthrough role in You Are My Destiny (2008) winning her the Best New Actress award at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Early life and education
Lim was born on May 30, 1990, in Daerim-dong, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, South Korea. Her family consists of her father and an older sister by five years. Lim graduated from Daeyoung High School in 2009.
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. She was also chosen as an ambassador for the university in 2014, alongside Apink's Naeun and actress Park Ha-sun.
Career
In 2002, Lim was cast in the SM Saturday Open Casting Audition and spent five years training in singing, dancing and acting. She first appeared in TVXQ's 'Magic Castle' music video in December 2004. She made her official debut as a member of Girls' Generation in August 2007, becoming the 'center' of the group. Her acting career began in 2007 with a minor role in MBC's drama Two Outs in the Ninth Inning.
In May 2008, Lim was cast in her first leading role in KBS's drama You Are My Destiny, playing Jang Sae-byuk. The drama achieved viewer ratings of up to 41.5%, and she won two 'Best New Actress' awards at the 2008 KBS Drama Awards and 45th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2012, she played two characters in KBS2's drama Love Rain. In December 2013, she starred in KBS2's romantic comedy drama Prime Minister & I. In March 2016, she released her first solo single 'Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway'.
In September 2016, she starred in tvN's action thriller The K2. In January 2017, she made her film debut in action film Confidential Assignment. In 2019, she released her debut extended play A Walk to Remember on May 30, and starred in the disaster action film Exit. In 2022, she was cast in the TV series Big Mouth as Lee Jong Suk's wife, and reprised her role in Confidential Assignment 2: International.
In 2023, she was cast as the lead in the romantic-comedy drama King the Land alongside Lee Jun-ho. In 2025, Lim starred in Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, where she was cast as a three star Michelin chef who was transported back in time to become the chief royal cook for a Joseon king.
Impact
The success of Lim'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.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Lim Yoona (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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