Lee Hye-ri (; born June 9, 1994), better known mononymously as Hyeri, is a South Korean actress, singer, and television personality. She rose to fame as the youngest member of girl group
Girl's Day
Girl's Day () is a South Korean girl group formed by Dream T Entertainment in 2010. The group consists of members Sojin, Minah, Yura, and Hyeri. Members Jisun and Jiin officially left the group in 2010, while Jihae left in late 2012.
Afte ...
, and was named as the "
Nation's Little Sister" by the South Korean media due to her immense popularity after appearing as a fixed cast member on ''
Real Men'' (2014).
She later became known for her award-winning performance as the female lead in ''
Reply 1988
''Reply 1988'' () is a South Korean television series starring Lee Hye-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo, Park Bo-gum, and Lee Dong-hwi. Beginning in the year 1988, it revolves around five friends and their families living in the same neighborh ...
'' (2015), which was the
highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history at the time. After back-to-back success in
variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
and the
small screen
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
, Hyeri ranked third in ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
''
Korea Power Celebrity list in 2016 and became one of the highest-paid
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
models in South Korea.
Hyeri was a regular cast member on
''Amazing Saturday'' (2018–2020). After leaving the show to focus on her acting career, Hyeri starred in the popular
iQiyi series ''
My Roommate Is a Gumiho
''My Roommate Is a Gumiho'' () is a 2021 South Korean television drama series starring Jang Ki-yong and Lee Hye-ri. The series tells story of romance between a 999-year-old nine-tailed fox named Shin Woo-Yeo and a female college student named ...
'' (2021)''.
''
Early life and education
Hyeri was born in
Gwangju, Gyeonggi
Gwangju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, a suburb southeast of Seoul. The city is not to be confused with the much larger Gwangju Metropolitan City, former capital of South Jeolla Province, South Korea.
History
''Bunwon-ri'' in G ...
, South Korea. She has a sister, Hye-rim, who is two years younger. Hyeri grew up in poverty, staying with her grandmother in the countryside while her mother was working in a factory.
When she was in middle school, Hyeri was scouted by
Dream T Entertainment at a talent show and consequently joined
Girl's Day
Girl's Day () is a South Korean girl group formed by Dream T Entertainment in 2010. The group consists of members Sojin, Minah, Yura, and Hyeri. Members Jisun and Jiin officially left the group in 2010, while Jihae left in late 2012.
Afte ...
with little prior training. She later attended
Seoul School of Performing Arts, and then majored in Film at
Konkuk University
Konkuk University () is a South Korean private university founded in 1946. The university was founded based on three virtues: sincerity, fidelity, and righteousness.
Konkuk University gives comprehensive education in agricultural and life scien ...
.
Career
2010–present: Girl's Day
In September 2010, Hyeri was announced as a new member of Girl's Day alongside
Yura when Jiin and Jisun left the group, just two months after the group debuted. The revamped group released a single titled "Nothing Lasts Forever", and went on to become one of the most popular and commercially successful musical quartets of its era.
In January 2014, Hyeri fainted on stage during a
Girl's Day
Girl's Day () is a South Korean girl group formed by Dream T Entertainment in 2010. The group consists of members Sojin, Minah, Yura, and Hyeri. Members Jisun and Jiin officially left the group in 2010, while Jihae left in late 2012.
Afte ...
live performance and had to be carried off-stage by
M Countdown staff. She was later diagnosed with
swine flu
Swine influenza is an infection caused by any of several types of swine influenza viruses. Swine influenza virus (SIV) or swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) refers to any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As ...
.
After her exclusive contract with
Dream T Entertainment ended in 2019, Hyeri joined a newly set-up agency Creative Group ING. Although all four members joined separate agencies, they have stated that the group has not disbanded.
2012–2014: Acting debut and rising popularity
In 2012, Hyeri made her acting debut in the
SBS weekend drama ''
Tasty Life
''Tasty Life'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Im Chae-moo, Yoon Jung-hee, Ryu Hyun-kyung, Yoo Da-in and Lee Hyeri. The series written by Kim Jung-eun and directed by Woon Goon-il is about four daughters of a wealthy fathe ...
'', where she played the youngest in a family of four daughters.
After her 4-day long appearance on ''
Real Men'' in August 2014, a brief clip of her showing
aegyo
() in Korean refers to a cute display of affection often expressed through a cute voice, changes to speech, facial expressions, or gestures. literally means behaving in a flirtatious, coquettish manner and it is commonly expected for both male ...
at her instructor went viral in South Korea, reaching one million views in a day, an unprecedented feat at the time. She consequently shot to stardom overnight, and later won Best Female Newcomer award at the
MBC Entertainment Awards
The MBC Entertainment Awards () is a Korean awards ceremony held annually and sponsored by MBC. The awards ceremony is held at the end of each year and lasts approximately 140 minutes, being broadcast in two parts on MBC.
Hosts
History of w ...
for her
''Real Men'' appearance.
In November 2014, Hyeri was cast as one of the main characters in teen drama ''
Schoolgirl Detectives
''Schoolgirl Detectives'' () is a South Korean television series based on the novel of the same title by Park Ha-ik. Starring Jin Ji-hee, Kang Min-ah, Lee Hye-ri, Lee Min-ji, Stephanie Lee, and Kim Min-jun, it aired on jTBC from December 16, ...
'', which began airing on cable channel
JTBC
JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTB ...
in December.
In late 2014, she was also cast in the mystery rom-com drama ''
Hyde, Jekyll, Me'', which began airing on
SBS in January 2015.
2015–present: Leading roles
In 2015, Hyeri was cast as the lead of the
tvN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
drama ''
Reply 1988
''Reply 1988'' () is a South Korean television series starring Lee Hye-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo, Park Bo-gum, and Lee Dong-hwi. Beginning in the year 1988, it revolves around five friends and their families living in the same neighborh ...
''.
The drama premiered in November and went on to become a commercial success with audience ratings peaking at 18.8%, making it one of the
highest rated dramas in Korean cable television history. Hyeri received critical and audience acclaim for her award-winning portrayal of the female protagonist. In the show, Hyeri's character was the Madagascar picket girl at the
1988 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, on 17 September 1988 at 10:30 KDT (UTC+10). The official song of this game was Hand in Hand, which was performed by Koreana. The Games w ...
. Due to the series' status as a cultural phenomenon, the actress was chosen by the
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
delegation to become its
official flag bearer at the
2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics was held at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang, South Korea on 9 February 2018. It began at 20:00 KST and finished at approximately 22:20 KST. The Games were officially opened by Pr ...
. However, due to her busy schedule, Hyeri declined the offer.
In 2016, Hyeri was cast as the lead in the
SBS drama ''
Entertainer
An entertainer is someone who provides entertainment in various different forms.
Types of entertainers
* Acrobat
* Actor
* Archimime
* Athlete
* Barker
* Beatboxer
* Benshi
* Bouffon
* Circus performer
* Clown
* Club Hostess/Host
* Co ...
'' along with actor
Ji Sung
Ji Sung (born Kwak Tae-geun on 27 February 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas '' All In'' (2003), '' Save the Last Dance for Me'' (2004), ''New Heart'' (2007), ''Protect the Boss'' (2011), ' ...
and
CNBLUE
CNBLUE ( ko, 씨엔블루) is a South Korean pop rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of Jung Yong-hwa (leader, main vocals, guitar, keyboard, rap), Kang Min-hyuk ( drums), and Lee Jung-shin ( bass). First bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left t ...
member
Kang Min-hyuk
Kang Min-hyuk (; born June 28, 1991) is a South Korean musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is the drummer of South Korean rock band CNBLUE.
Career 2009–present: CNBLUE
Kang became a member of CNBLUE in 2009. The group debuted in Jap ...
,
which began airing on April 20 and for which she won "New Star Award" at
2016 SBS Drama Awards
The 2016 SBS Drama Awards (), presented by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), took place on December 31, 2016 at SBS Prism Tower, Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It was hosted by Lee Hwi-jae, Jang Keun-suk and Minah
Bang Min-ah (; born May 13, 1 ...
.
In 2017, she also starred in the police comedy drama ''
Two Cops
''Two Cops'' () is a 1993 South Korean action/comedy film directed by Kang Woo-suk. It stars Ahn Sung-ki and Park Joong-hoon as a pair of police detectives with different outlooks who end up working on a case together.
Plot
The experienced dete ...
'' alongside
Jo Jung-suk
Jo Jung-suk (born December 26, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He began his career in theater, starring in '' Spring Awakening'', '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'', and the stage adaptation of '' The Harmonium in My Memory'', among many other musi ...
and
Kim Seon-ho
Kim Seon-ho (; born May 8, 1986) is a South Korean actor. He began his career on stage and appeared in numerous plays before making his screen debut in 2017 with ''Good Manager''. He rose to prominence with the television series ''Start-Up'' (2 ...
.
In 2017, it was announced that Hyeri would be making her
big screen debut as the female lead in ''
Monstrum''; filming began in April.
''Monstrum'' premiered in September, 2018. In 2018, Hyeri was cast in ''My Punch-Drunk Boxer'', a boxing comedy drama film.
The film premiered at 20th
Jeonju International Film Festival
Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF, Korean: 전주국제영화제, Hanja: 全州國際映畵祭) is an Asian film festival. It was launched in 2000 as a non-competitive film festival with partial competition. It introduces independent a ...
in September, 2019; its general release followed in October, 2019. In 2019, Hyeri also starred in
tvN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
's office comedy drama ''
Miss Lee
''Miss Lee'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Lee Hye-ri, Kim Sang-kyung, Uhm Hyun-kyung and Cha Seo-won. Created by Studio Dragon and produced by Logos Film, it aired on tvN from September 25 to November 14, 2019.
Synopsis ...
''.
Besides acting, Hyeri frequently guests on variety shows. She has been described as a "blue chip" in the entertainment industry due to her "frank and easy-going charms, bright energy and flexible chemistry with other cast members". Since 2018, Hyeri had been a regular cast member of ''
DoReMi Market
''DoReMi Market'' (), also known as ''Amazing Saturday'' (), is a South Korean variety show that airs every Saturday at 19:40 (KST) on tvN. From January 17, 2022, the program is available for streaming on Viu every Monday, starting from episode ...
'', a weekly television program airing on
tvN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
.
In late 2020, she left the show to focus on her acting career.
In 2021, Hyeri starred in
tvN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
's fantasy-romance drama ''
My Roommate Is a Gumiho
''My Roommate Is a Gumiho'' () is a 2021 South Korean television drama series starring Jang Ki-yong and Lee Hye-ri. The series tells story of romance between a 999-year-old nine-tailed fox named Shin Woo-Yeo and a female college student named ...
'' alongside
Jang Ki-yong
Jang Ki-yong (; born August 7, 1992) is a South Korean actor and model. Initially beginning a career in the modelling industry, Jang debuted as an actor through a guest appearance on '' It's Okay, That's Love'' (2014), followed by roles in vari ...
, produced by
iQIYI.
[ The series was a commercial success, amassing more than 100 million views on the online video platform and becoming its most-watched original drama series of the year.] Later that year, Hyeri starred in KBS2
The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters.
KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...
's historical drama '' Moonshine'' alongside Yoo Seung-ho
Yoo Seung-ho (; born August 17, 1993) is a South Korean actor who rose to fame as a child actor in the film '' The Way Home'' (2002). Since then, he has starred in many television series and movie films as a child and teenager.
After his two-yea ...
.[
In 2022, Hyeri starred in the television series '']May I Help You
''May I Help You?'' () is a South Korean television series directed by Shim Soo-yeon and starring Lee Hye-ri and Lee Jun-young. It premiered on MBC TV on October 19, 2022, and aired every Wednesday and Thursday at 21:50 ( KST).
Synopsis
But ...
.''
Philanthropy
Hyeri was appointed as the ambassador for 'Free Semester Program' by the Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
in September 2016. In February 2017, Hyeri was appointed as one of the ambassadors for the Count Every Child birth registration campaign as part of her NGO partnership with Plan Korea. In 2018, Hyeri participated in a Plan Korea fundraiser for children born without birth registration and wrote a letter to fans asking for potential donors.
At 25 years old, Hyeri became the youngest member of UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
's Honors Club, having donated more than ₩100 million "to run educational programs for underprivileged children and AIDS-prevention campaigns in underdeveloped nations in Asia". A membership ceremony took place on July 26, 2019.
Throughout her career, Hyeri has donated to a wide variety of causes, ranging from public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
to disaster management. On the Lunar New Year of 2016, Hyeri donated ₩50 million to Community Chest of Korea
Community Chest of Korea ( ko, 사회복지공동모금회) is a Korean nonprofit organization, launched in 1998. It is the only government-sanctioned charity within Korea. It is Korea's largest welfare institution. With a community-based fundrais ...
towards improving elderly welfare. Later that year, she donated ₩50 million to Korea Disaster Relief Organisation for the victims of the Seomun Market fire. In February 2020, Hyeri donated ₩100 million to Save the Children
The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
to help those affected by COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
.
In 2022, Hyeri donated ₩50 million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and has spread to Samcheok, Gangwon. That same year, Hyeri donated ₩50 million to the Save the Children
The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
emergency relief in order to help Ukrainian victims during the Russian invasion, stating that she "wants to give a little help to the suffering children who are powerless in times of war" and that she hopes "a world without war and fear will come one day".
In the media
Endorsements
The success of ''Reply 1988
''Reply 1988'' () is a South Korean television series starring Lee Hye-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo, Park Bo-gum, and Lee Dong-hwi. Beginning in the year 1988, it revolves around five friends and their families living in the same neighborh ...
'' combined with Hyeri's status as an icon of aegyo
() in Korean refers to a cute display of affection often expressed through a cute voice, changes to speech, facial expressions, or gestures. literally means behaving in a flirtatious, coquettish manner and it is commonly expected for both male ...
led to her becoming one of the most in-demand advertising models in South Korea. By the start of 2016, she had shot over 30 advertisements for brands such as Puma, Lotte Confectionery
Lotte Confectionery Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean confectionery company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The company was established in 1967. Currently, it is the third-largest chewing gum manufacturer in the world, and its plants are locat ...
's Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, Bohae, Amore Pacific
Amorepacific Corporation is a South Korean beauty and cosmetics chaebol, operating more than 30 beauty, personal care, and health brands including Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Etude House, AMOREPACIFIC and Innisfree. The firm was founded in 19 ...
's Happy Bath, and was consequently given the title of "₩10 billion girl ( ko: 100억 소녀)" by the South Korean media.
Following her appointment as the model for Albamon ( ko: 알바몬), a part-time job recruiting site, Hyeri was awarded with the plaque of appreciation by the Ministry of Employment and Labour for "promoting minimum wage awareness and compliance" in March 2015. In January 2017, Albamon received "Consumer Choice Best Brand Award" for "its efforts to improve the rights of the public by providing high quality part-time job announcements" after an ad featuring Hyeri and Im Chang-jung
Im Chang-jung (; born November 30, 1973) is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He is often referred by Koreans as "the original multi-entertainer" for being active in all three fields: music, film and entertainment. He made his acting ...
reached over 10 million views in just a month after its release.
The sales of products such as 7-Eleven lunch boxes and Nongshim
Nongshim Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean food and beverage company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Nongshim was founded in 1965 under the name Lotte Food Industrial Company. The name was changed to Nongshim in 1978.
The current logo was pub ...
ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle di ...
increased by 78% and 50% respectively after Hyeri's endorsement. Similarly, the page views of Dabang ( ko: 다방), a real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
mobile app
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
that Hyeri has endorsed since 2015, grew from 5 million to 15 million, and weekly active users increased from 600,000 to 1.5 million after a new ad featuring Hyeri as Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker in '' Batman: The Animated Series'', and debuted in i ...
was released in 2017. In July 2017, she received the Female Commercial Film Star Award at MTN Broadcast Advertising Awards Festival.
Social media
In July 2019, Hyeri unveiled her personal YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel, where she began posting vlog
A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded i ...
s, mukbang
A mukbang or meokbang ( ko, 먹방, ), also known as an eating show, is an online audiovisual broadcast in which a host consumes various quantities of food while interacting with the audience. It became popular in South Korea in 2010, and has s ...
s, and behind the scenes footage from filming sets. A month later, she received The Silver Creator Award for surpassing 100,000 subscribers. In 2020, she was awarded the "Celebrity YouTuber of the Year" prize at the Brand of the Year Awards.
In March 2020, Hyeri criticised Nth room-related cybersex trafficking
Cybersex trafficking, live streaming sexual abuse, webcam sex tourism/abuse or ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies)-facilitated sexual exploitation is a cybercrime involving sex trafficking and the live streaming of coerced sexual a ...
on her Instagram account and urged her followers to sign a petition to reveal the identities of the perpetrators, stating that she hopes that "they face harsher punishment for what they did".
Personal life
Hyeri is in a relationship with actor and former co-star Ryu Jun-yeol
Ryu Jun-yeol (; born September 25, 1986) is a South Korean actor, activist, and photographer. Ryu began his acting career in independent films, and then rose to prominence through his breakthrough role in the critically acclaimed television se ...
. The two met on the set of ''Reply 1988
''Reply 1988'' () is a South Korean television series starring Lee Hye-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo, Park Bo-gum, and Lee Dong-hwi. Beginning in the year 1988, it revolves around five friends and their families living in the same neighborh ...
'', where they played each other's love interest, and began dating in late 2016.
In March 2016, Hyeri was hospitalised after being diagnosed with meningitis due to busy schedules and lack of rest.
Discography
Filmography
Film
Television series
Television show
Hosting
Awards and nominations
Listicles
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Hye-ri
1994 births
Living people
People from Gwangju
Girl's Day members
K-pop singers
South Korean female idols
South Korean child singers
South Korean women pop singers
South Korean dance musicians
South Korean television personalities
South Korean television actresses
South Korean film actresses
21st-century South Korean singers
21st-century South Korean actresses
School of Performing Arts Seoul alumni
Konkuk University alumni
21st-century South Korean women singers