Lee So-jung (born September 3, 1993), better known by the mononym Sojung, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a member of the South Korean girl group
Ladies' Code
Ladies' Code () is a South Korean girl group formed by Polaris Entertainment in 2013. The group's original lineup consisted of leader Ashley and members RiSe, EunB, Sojung, and Zuny. They made their debut with the mini-album '' Code#01'' and ...
. Sojung made her debut as a soloist in March 2017 with single "Better Than Me".
Early life
Lee was born on September 3, 1993, in
Wonju
Wonju () is the most populous city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city is located approximately east of Seoul. Wonju was the site of three crucial battles during the Korean War.
Geography
Wonju sits at the southwestern corner of Gangw ...
,
Gangwon Province, South Korea.
She attended
Dankook University
Dankook University (commonly referred to as Dankook), abbreviated as DU or DKU, is a prestigious private research university in Yongin and Cheonan, South Korea. The university was established in 1947. It was the first university established after ...
, where she majored in modern music.
Career
2012–2014: Debut with Ladies' Code and car crash
In 2012, Lee auditioned for the talent show ''
The Voice of Korea
''The Voice of Korea'' is a South Korean reality singing competition and local version of ''The Voice'' first broadcast as ''The Voice of Holland''. Its first season started on February 10, 2012, on Mnet. The second and final season started o ...
'', which had its first episode aired on February 10 of the same year.
For the show, she released several songs including "
2 Different Tears", a cover version of
Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls () was a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group debuted in February 2007 with the single " Irony" and 5 members: Yeeun, Sunye, Sunmi, Hyuna and Sohee. After Hyuna's departure in July, Yubin was added int ...
song, "Memory Loss (기억 상실)" and "No More". During the show's final episode, aired on March 30, Lee was announced as one of the winners.
In February 2013, it was announced that Lee would be a member of
Ladies' Code
Ladies' Code () is a South Korean girl group formed by Polaris Entertainment in 2013. The group's original lineup consisted of leader Ashley and members RiSe, EunB, Sojung, and Zuny. They made their debut with the mini-album '' Code#01'' and ...
, under
Polaris Entertainment. The group's debut mini-album ''
Code 01 Bad Girl'' along with the title song "Bad Girl" and accompanying music video was released on March 7, 2013.
In the same year, she collaborated with rapper
San E
Jung San (; born ), more commonly known by his stage name San E (), is a South Korean rapper. He debuted in 2010 under JYP Entertainment, where he was the label's first solo rapper. He left the company in 2013 to sign with hip hop label Brand Ne ...
on the song "Twisted (불편한 관계)", released on November.
On Sojung's 21st birthday, September 3, 2014, she and the rest of the group were involved in a car accident. Ladies' Code was returning to Seoul from their performance at Open Concert. Lee's groupmate EunB was pronounced dead minutes later.
Lee and
Rise
Rise or RISE may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world
* Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3''
* Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...
, another groupmate, suffered serious injuries and were taken to the
Catholic University of Korea St. Vincent's Hospital in
Suwon.
Lee's situation was stabilized, but Rise's condition deteriorated and she was transferred to
Ajou University Hospital, where she died four days later on September 7, 2014.
Lee was transferred to a hospital in her hometown. The remaining three members returned to the group's dormitory on November 12 with Lee still receiving outpatient treatment.
2015–present: Debut as a soloist
After Ladies' Code's return after the accident, Lee was featured in two episodes of the ''
King of Mask Singer
''The King of Mask Singer'' () is a South Korean singing competition program presented by Kim Sung-joo, with introductions by voice actor . It airs on MBC on Sunday, starting from April 5, 2015 as a part of MBC's '' Sunday Night'' programming ...
'' talent show on February 21. For the show, she released the songs "Blue In You (그대 안의 블루)", a collaboration with
Lee Tae-sung
Lee Tae-sung (born Lee Sung-deok on April 21, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in ''26 Years Diary'', ''Playful Kiss'', ''Rooftop Prince'' and '' My Golden Life'' and is currently a cast member of the reality show ''My L ...
, and "If You Come Back (그대 돌아 오면)", garnering a total of 59 votes. In June, she released the song "I Don't Want (바라지 않아)", a duet with
Jung Key
Jung Key (Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the K ...
. Still in 2016, Lee became a contender on the ''
Girl Spirit
''Girl Spirit'' () is a South Korean reality television singing competition that premiered on cable network JTBC on July 19, 2016. The aim of the show is to highlight the talents of the vocalists of twelve lesser-known girl groups that debuted in ...
'' competition show, which had its first episode aired on July 19 on
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 ...
.
Lee made her official debut as a soloist in May 2017 with the ballad track "Better Than Me".
The music video was released on May 4, starring
Loona
Loona (commonly stylized in all caps or as LOOΠΔ; ; ja, 今月の少女, Kongetsu no Shōjo, Girl of the Month) is a South Korean girl group formed by Blockberry Creative. The group was introduced to the public through a pre-debut project t ...
's Hyunjin. The following month, she collaborated with
Mind U for the release of the single "A Break Up Song", included on the studio album, ''RE: Mine''. She then released "Deep Inside (딥 인사이드)", a collaboration with
Jung Han-hae, in January 2018. On March 14, 2018, Lee returned with the release of her first single album, ''Stay Here,'' consisting of a title track of the same name and
b-side track "Crystal Clear".
In February 2020, Lee and Ladies' Code bandmates Zuny and Ashley left Polaris Entertainment after contract expiration and unsuccessful renegotiations with the company. Lee's subsequent work included the release of her second single album ''Island'' and its lead single of the same name on August 22, 2020. The song is heavily influenced by the tropical house genre, an atypical venture for Lee. The following year, she participated in JTBC's second-chance vocal competition show, ''Sing Again,'' finishing among the program's top six contestants. On February 19, 2021, under new label Needs Music Entertainment (니즈뮤직엔터테인먼트), Lee released her third single album, ''함께 했는데 이별은 나 혼자인 거야'', consisting of a title ballad of the same name and its instrumental version. The track became the first of Lee's singles to enter Korea's weekly
Gaon Digital Chart, peaking at number 92. The following weeks the song achieved new highs peaking at number 65, number 42 and number 33. Additionally, the song peaked at number 30 on the
Gaon Download Chart
The Circle Chart (), previously known as the Gaon Music Chart or the Gaon Chart (), tabulates the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in South Korea. It is produced by the Korea Music Content Association and sponsored by South Korea's ...
.
In April 2021, Lee signed a contract with
JTBC Studios
SLL (; acronym for Studio LuluLala), formerly known as JTBC Studios (), is a South Korean drama production, distribution and talent management company. It is a subsidiary of JTBC.
In 2022, JTBC Studios was rebranded as SLL as part of worldwide ...
.
Personal life
Health
Throughout her career, Lee has suffered problems with
anorexia
Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...
. During an interview in 2016, she mentioned that she resorted to a strict diet, resulting in the loss of .
Discography
Single album
Singles
Soundtrack appearances
Other appearances
Filmography
Television shows
Theater
Awards and nominations
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, So-jung
1993 births
Living people
People from Wonju
21st-century South Korean singers
21st-century South Korean women singers
South Korean dance musicians
South Korean women pop singers
South Korean female idols
The Voice of Korea contestants
Dankook University alumni