Lee Seung-ah (; born Lee Mi-joo () on September 23, 1994), known as Lee Mi-joo, is a South Korean singer, dancer and entertainer. She debuted as a member of South Korean
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
Lovelyz
Lovelyz () is a South Korean girl group formed in 2014 by Woollim Entertainment and is the company's first girl group. The group consists of eight members: Baby Soul, Jiae, Jisoo, Mijoo, Kei, Jin, Sujeong and Yein. Their debut album, '' Girls ...
under
Woollim Entertainment
Woollim Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2003 by Lee Jung-yeop.
The label is home to artists such as Golden Child, Rocket Punch, Drippin, and Kwon Eun-bi. It has previously handled artists Epik High, Infinit ...
in November 2014. Apart from her group's activities, Lee has starred in various
Korean variety shows such as, ''
Hit The Stage
''Hit the Stage'' is a South Korean television program broadcast by Mnet in which K-pop idols team up with professional dance teams to compete in a dance survival contest. It premiered on July 27, 2016 and the first season concluded on September ...
'' (2016), ''
Dunia: Into a New World'' (2018), ''My Mad Beauty'' (2018–2019), ''Shopping Cart Savior'' (2019), ''
Sixth Sense'' (2020–2022), ''
Hangout with Yoo
''Hangout with Yoo'' () is a South Korean reality/variety show
broadcast by MBC TV. It premiered on July 27, 2019, and airs on Saturdays at 18:30 ( KST).
Synopsis
This is a show that was started in order to find out what Yoo Jae-suk would be ...
'' (2021) and season 2 of ''
Learn Way
''Learn Way'' () is a South Korean variety show airing weekend on KakaoTV, which premiered every Sunday at 12 noon and a re-run on 1theK Originals' YouTube channel every Friday at 12 pm KST.
The first season aired on September 20, 2020 ...
'' (2021–2022). Lee made her acting debut with ''I'm a Job Seeker'' (2016).
On November 16, 2021, she left
Woollim Entertainment
Woollim Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2003 by Lee Jung-yeop.
The label is home to artists such as Golden Child, Rocket Punch, Drippin, and Kwon Eun-bi. It has previously handled artists Epik High, Infinit ...
after deciding not to renew her contract, and later joined
Antenna
Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves
* Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
for her future solo activities.
Early life
Mijoo was born on September 23, 1994, in
Okcheon County
Okcheon County (''Okcheon-gun'') is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.
Climate
Okcheon has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''Dwa''), but can be consi ...
,
North Chungcheong Province
North Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청북도, ''Chungcheongbuk-do''), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region in the s ...
, South Korea.
Career
2014–2017: Debut with Lovelyz and career beginnings
Mijoo debuted with Lovelyz, which was first announced on November 5, 2014, by Woollim Entertainment. Lovelyz released a pre-release digital single, "Good Night Like Yesterday", on November 5, 2014. Their debut showcase was held on November 12 at the K-ART Hall in Olympic Park, and their debut stage was on the next day on
Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
''
M Countdown
''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet. The show features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. It is broadcast from CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul.
Bro ...
''. The group's debut studio album ''
Girls' Invasion
''Girls' Invasion'' is the debut studio album by South Korean girl group Lovelyz. The album was released digitally and physically on November 17, 2014, by Woollim Label and distributed by LOEN Entertainment. The album contains nine tracks inclu ...
'' was officially released on November 17, along with its lead single titled "Candy Jelly Love".
Mijoo made a cameo in ''
The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop
''The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop'' () is a 2016 South Korean television series starring Lee Dong-gun, Jo Yoon-hee, Shin Goo, Cha In-pyo, Choi Won-young, Lee Se-young, and Hyun Woo. The series aired on KBS2 every Saturday and Sunday from 7 ...
'' in 2016. She participated in the
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
survival show ''
Hit the Stage
''Hit the Stage'' is a South Korean television program broadcast by Mnet in which K-pop idols team up with professional dance teams to compete in a dance survival contest. It premiered on July 27, 2016 and the first season concluded on September ...
''. She placed 6th by the end of episode 8 and was eventually eliminated. She was also a host in ''
Inkigayo
''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who p ...
'' alongside bandmate
Kei
Kei may refer to:
People
* Kei (given name)
* Kei, Cantonese for Ji (surname), Ji(姫)
* Kei, Cantonese for Qi (surname), Qi(奇, 祁, 亓)
* Shō Kei (1700–1752), king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
* Kei (singer) (born 1995), stage name of South Kor ...
and
BTS
BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...
members
Jin and
RM.
Mijoo was cast in the television series ''
I'm a Job Seeker'', playing the role as Na Young-hee.
2018–present: Solo activities
Mijoo was part of the cast of ''
Dunia: Into a New World'' alongside
Yunho
Jung Yun-ho (; born February 6, 1986), also known by his stage name U-Know Yunho () or simply U-Know, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and a member of the pop duo TVXQ. Born and raised in Gwangju, South Korea, Yunho started his music ...
,
DinDin
Lim Cheol (born November 20, 1991), better known by his stage name DinDin, is a South Korean rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and str ...
,
Sam Okyere
Samuel Okyere (born 21 April 1991) is a Ghanaian television personality active in South Korea and Ghana.
Early life
He was accepted into the Korean Government Scholarship Program in 2009 and moved to Korea to study computer science and engineeri ...
,
Kwon Hyun-bin
Kwon Hyun-bin (; born March 4, 1997), also known by his stage name Viini, is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, model and actor. He is well known for his appearance in reality survival program ''Produce 101 Season 2'' and debuting in for ...
and many more. She was also part of ''My Mad Beauty 2'' with Lee Jin-yi,
Hyoyeon
Kim Hyo-yeon (born September 22, 1989), referred to as Hyoyeon or DJ Hyo, is a South Korean singer, dancer, DJ, and television personality. She debuted as a member of the girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one o ...
and
Park Na-rae
Park Na-rae (; born on October 25, 1985) is a South Korean comedian, signed to JDB Entertainment.
Early life and education
As a teenager, Park attended . After successfully graduating from Anyang Arts High School, she went on to study at Sangm ...
. She is part of the third season of the series alongside Park Na-rae,
Choi Yoo-jung and
Han Hye-jin. She is also cast in the television show ''In-laws In Practice'' (2018), paired with
Kwon Hyuk-soo and ''Shopping Cart Saviour'' (2019) together with
Haha
Haha or ha ha is an onomatopoeic representation of laughter.
Haha and variants may also refer to:
People
* Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (born 1992), American football player
* Haha (entertainer) (born 1979), Entertainer
Places
* Saint-Louis-du ...
and more. In 2020, Mijoo also joined a variety show 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 ...
called
Sixth Sense with
Yoo Jae-seok
Yoo Jae-suk (; or ; born on 14 August 1972) is a South Korean comedian, host and television personality. He has hosted several variety television shows in South Korea, including ''Infinite Challenge'', '' Running Man'', '' Happy Together, and ...
,
Jeon So-min
Jeon So-min (; born April 7, 1986) is a South Korean actress, model and author. Jeon made her debut in 2004 with sitcom ''Miracle''. In 2006, she made her big-screen debut through the film, ''Cinderella''. Jeon played her first leading role in ...
,
Oh Na-ra
Oh Na-ra (, is a South Korean television and film actress, known for her roles in ''Yong-pal'', ''Hyde, Jekyll, Me'', ''Flowers of the Prison'', '' Man to Man'', ''The Lady in Dignity'', and ''Sky Castle
''Sky Castle'' (; stylized as ''SK ...
and
Jessi
Jessi may refer to:
People
* Jessi (musician) (born 1988), Korean-American rapper, singer, and songwriter
* Gianluigi Jessi (born 1945), Italian basketball player
* Jessi Alexander (born 1976), American country music artist
* Jessi Colter (born ...
. Season 2 aired on Fridays at 20:40 (KST) beginning June 25, 2021, and consists of 14 episodes, with additional cast member
Lee Sang-yeob
Lee Sang-yeob (born May 8, 1983) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for starring in the sitcom ''Living Among the Rich'' (2011–12), the melodrama '' The Innocent Man'' (2012), the period drama ''Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love'' (2013), an ...
. Her stint in ''Sixth Sense 2'' garnered Mijoo increased popularity, and she was nicknamed the "Entertainment Trend" following guest appearances in various major entertainment programs, such as
Running Man,
Knowing Bros
''Knowing Bros'' (), also known as ''Men on a Mission'' or ''Ask Us Anything'', is a South Korean television entertainment program produced by SM C&C that premiered on December 5, 2015, and currently airs on Saturdays at JTBC. Although the sho ...
, and
2 Days & 1 Night
''2 Days & 1 Night'' (; also known as ''1 Night 2 Days''; abbreviated as ''1N2D'') is a South Korean reality-variety show that airs every Sunday at 6:25pm KST on KBS2 beginning August 5, 2007. ''1 Night 2 Days'' used to be one of the two segm ...
. She also appears on the MBC reality-variety show ''
Hangout with Yoo
''Hangout with Yoo'' () is a South Korean reality/variety show
broadcast by MBC TV. It premiered on July 27, 2019, and airs on Saturdays at 18:30 ( KST).
Synopsis
This is a show that was started in order to find out what Yoo Jae-suk would be ...
'' beginning in August 2021. In Episode 124, it was confirmed that Lee Mijoo, Haha,
Shin Bong-sun
Shin Bong-sun (; born October 6, 1980) is a South Korean comedienne and entertainer. She took a five-year hiatus from comedy from 2010 to 2015, which ended when she joined '' Comedy Big League''. She is currently a member of the South Korean girl ...
, and
Jeong Jun-ha
Jeong Jun-ha (born March 18, 1971) is a South Korean comedian and entertainer. His well-known motto is "(Whether they) give love or not, (he) always gives love: Jeong Jun-ha" (정주나 안정주나 늘정주는 정준하).
History
Just after ...
would be officially joining Yoo Jae-seok as fixed cast members of ''Hangout With Yoo''. In February 2022, Mijoo took on her first main MC role along broadcaster
Boom
Boom may refer to:
Objects
* Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill
* Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation
* Boom (sailing), a sailboat part
* Boom (windsurfi ...
for
Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
's ''TMI Show''. The program was later renamed to ''TMI News Show''. In April 2022, Mijoo was announced as one of the cast members of
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. JTBC ...
's new music variety show ''New Festa'' along with
You Hee-yeol
You Hee-yeol (; born April 19, 1971) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, radio disk jockey, and the host of ''You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook''. He is the founder of the record label Antenna Music and the sole member of the project band Toy.
Biogra ...
,
Yoon Jong-shin
Yoon Jong-shin (; born October 15, 1969) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, and the CEO of Mystic Story.
Early life and education
Yoon completed high school at Daewon Foreign Language High School and studied Korean Language ...
, Lee Sang Soon,
Gummy
Gummies, gummi candies, gummy candies, or jelly sweets are a broad category of gelatin-based chewable sweets. Gummi bears, Sour Patch Kids, and Jelly Babies are widely popular and are a well-known part of the sweets industry. Gummies are availab ...
, and
Kyu-hyun. In July 2022, Mijoo teamed up with Boom once again to be the MC of JTBC's short-form video challenge program, ''I Want to Be A Celebrity,'' along with cast members Shortbox, Aiki,
Winner's Lee Seung-hoon
Lee Seung-hoon (Hangul: 이승훈, Hanja: , ; born 6 March 1988) is a South Korean speed skater. He won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres, a silver medal in the 5000 meters at the 2010 Winter Olympics, becoming the first and only Asian man ...
, Kim Gye-ran, Pony, and Shin Ji-yeon. Mijoo joined wavve dating program ''Some-ping'' as an MC along with
Jo Se-ho
Jo Se-ho (; born August 9, 1982) is a South Korean comedian.
Discography Singles
* 2007: ''Trun It Up'' (1집 Turn It On!!!)
* 2013: ''Guest House Project No. 1312'' (게스트하우스 프로젝트 1312호) with
* 2019: ''Where are You Now' ...
, Uhm Ji-yoon, and Winner's
Kang Seung-yoon
Kang Seung-yoon (Korean: 강승윤; born ), also known mononymously as Seungyoon or Yoon, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and leader of boy band Winner. His appearance on the reality television singing contest ''Superstar K2'' (201 ...
and
Kim Jin-woo which premiered in August 2022.
In October 2022, Mijoo was announced as a host of the second season of KBS2 program
Battle Trip
''Battle Trip'' () is a South Korean television entertainment program, distributed and syndicated by KBS.
Season 1 was aired starting 16 April 2016 and ended on 3 April 2020 with 177 episodes and 4 special episodes. The program starred Kim So ...
.
In November 2022, Mijoo was an MC of Coupang Play dating show ''Office Romance''.
On March 9, 2021, Mijoo revealed on ''
Cultwo Show'' that she had changed her legal name to Lee Seung-ah.
On November 1, 2021, Woollim Entertainment announced Mijoo would not renew her contract and left the company on November 16, 2021, following Lovelyz's disbandment. On November 17, it was announced that Mijoo signed with
Antenna
Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves
* Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
.
On December 29, 2021, Mijoo received the Female Rookie of the Year 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 work in ''Hangout with Yoo.''
In 2022, Mijoo was described as an "advertising blue chip" because of her success as a model for brands in various industries.
In January 2022, Mijoo became the muse of Oryany, a South Korean global fashion brand for the 2022 SS season. She was chosen because "
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
expect a synergy with Lee Mi-joo, who has a casual yet sensitive fashion sense, and a brand image that presents sensuous designs." On January 17, 2022, Mijoo was announced as the ambassador for
Shinsegae
Shinsegae (, ) is a South Korean department store franchise, along with several other businesses, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The firm is an affiliate of Shinsegae Group, South Korea's leading retail chaebol, and one of the big three de ...
's premium cosmetic brand Vidivici. On January 17, 2022, Mijoo was appointed as
Nonghyup Bank
Nonghyup Bank (Korean:농협은행SWIFT:NACFKRSE) is an agricultural bank headquartered in Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The bank was established in 2012 as detached from, and is now owned by the NACF (National Agricultural Cooperative Federatio ...
's ESG model due to her "positive energy and excellent sense of entertainment". Mijoo continued her relationship with Nonghyup Bank in the promotional campaign for the newly refurbished comprehensive financial platform NH All One Bank through the release of a promotional video on June 28, 2022 under the theme "There is No Set Genre." In March 2022, Mijoo was selected as the muse for Barrel Fit, an athleisure line under the sports brand Barrel. In May 2022, Mijoo was selected as the model for lifestyle brand 95PROBLEM's compression stockings line Balance Fit. On May 30, 2022,
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 ...
announced the selection of Lee Mijoo as the face of a new advertising campaign for their ice cream product Seolleim due to her "bright and cheerful image" and her "great influence on Generation Z customers". In May 2022, Lee Mijoo was chosen as one of eight models for travel brand goodchoice's summer campaign along with
Yoon Jong-shin
Yoon Jong-shin (; born October 15, 1969) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, and the CEO of Mystic Story.
Early life and education
Yoon completed high school at Daewon Foreign Language High School and studied Korean Language ...
,
Chang Kiha
Chang Kiha (; born February 20, 1982) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, essay writer and radio host. He is best known as the lead singer of the indie rock band Kiha & The Faces.
Early life
Chang was born in Seoul on February 20, 19 ...
,
Noh Hong-chul
Noh Hong-chul ( ko, 노홍철 盧弘喆; born 31 March 1979) is a South Korean entertainer and entrepreneur. He is the co-host of the variety show ''Talents for Sale''. He previously appeared on the television programs ''Infinite Challenge'' a ...
,
Jang Yoon-ju
Jang Yoon-ju (born November 7, 1980) is a South Korean model, television personality, singer-songwriter and actress. Yoon-ju began modeling in 1997 when she was 17 years old, and became one of the most successful Korean fashion models, with a c ...
, Meenoi,
Anupam Tripathi
Anupam Tripathi ( ko, 아누팜 트리파티, Anupam Teuripati; born 2 November 1988) is an Indian actor based in South Korea. He has appeared in various South Korean television series and films. His first main role as Ali Abdul in Netflix's So ...
, and Pani Bottle. In June 2022, Mijoo became the advertising model for scotch whiskey brand Label 5.
On May 25, 2022, it was confirmed by Antenna that Mijoo would be preparing for a solo. On May 31, 2022, Antenna announced that it will be holding 'Meet & Greet with Lee Mi-joo' at 3 p.m. on June 18, 2022 at Spigen Hall in Gangnam. On October 17, 2022, Mijoo released her first solo OST "RINGING" for SBS drama
Cheer Up.
Philanthropy
On August 12, 2022, Mijoo donated to help those affected by the
2022 South Korean floods
On 8 August 2022, large scale floods hit the capital of South Korea, Seoul, especially Gangnam District and surrounding areas. It was preceded by the highest rainfall in 80 years. 2,800 buildings were damaged and at least 9 people were killed. ...
through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.
In January 2023, Mijoo became the first donor in the
Okcheon
Okcheon County (''Okcheon-gun'') is a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.
Climate
Okcheon has a humid continental climate (Köppen: ''Dwa''), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen: ''Cwa'') using the ...
County Love Hometown donation project in
North Chungcheong Province
North Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청북도, ''Chungcheongbuk-do''), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region in the s ...
, donating 5 million won.
Discography
Singles
Filmography
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web show
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1994 births
Living people
South Korean female idols
South Korean women pop singers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean dance musicians
21st-century South Korean women singers
K-pop singers
Lovelyz members
Woollim Entertainment artists