In case you weren’t aware, popular Korean star YoonA will land in Singapore on Sep 28, for Estee Lauder events held at Ion Orchard and Paragon, as the brand’s Asia Pacific ambassador. The 33-year-old, also known as Im Yoon-ah, made her K-pop debut as part of the girl band Girl’s Generation (aka SNSD) in 2007, and has gone on to become a successful musician and award-winning actress. Her latest project, King The Land, is also making waves as one of the must-watch K-dramas of 2023. Here’s what to know about her.
1. She was onscreen 200 times before making it big
While her ascent to stardom began when she joined Girl’s Generation, the Hallyu idol appeared in numerous commercials, dramas, movies and music videos before that. In an interview with South Korean entertainment website Soompi, she shared that the numerous failures taught her that having confidence is important. She said, “Even if you’re not good at something, if you approach it in a confident manner, then that builds up to become a good experience.”
2. She is a philanthropist at heart
Yoona was the first K-pop idol to become an Honor Society member following a donation of over 100 million won to the Community Chest of Korea, and later on, donated another 300 million won. She has also participated as one of the few non-Chinese spokespersons for Power to Go, a charity that raises donations for children in impoverished areas of China so they can receive opportunities for better education.
3. She is quite the baker
When Covid-19 hit, many of us turned to baking at home, and Yoon-Ah was one of those who jumped on the bandwagon, with impressive results. She’s showed off her bakes on her Instagram, which run the gamut from these adorable lemon-shaped breads, to scones and pecan pies.
4. She is known as the ‘CF Queen’
Yoona has earned the nickname “CF Queen” thanks to her many television commercial films (CF), and has been a spokesperson for various brands. Apart from Estee Lauder, she’s also an ambassador for Miu Miu as well as Hong Kong-based luxury jewellery brand Qeelin. Other major endorsements include Michael Kors, Innisfree and Pandora.
5. She is reportedly worth US$20 million
With all the hit dramas, endorsements, and as part of one of the top K-pop girl groups, it’s no wonder Yoona has amassed plenty of wealth throughout the years. According to reports, she has an estimated net worth of USD $20 million as of 2023.
6. She loves Singapore’s chilli crab
Our iconic local dish has garnered many international fans, and that includes Yoona. During a 2018 visit to Singapore, she declared that “the No. 1 thing about Singapore is still chilli crab”, with pepper crab coming in a close second.
7. She can speak Chinese
In 2020, the star took to her Instagram stories to share that she had passed the Chinese Proficiency Test HSKK, captioning her test results, “Last year’s attempt, the new year’s passing.” The HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is an international standardised Chinese language test that measures the ability of non-native Chinese speakers to communicate in Chinese in daily lives, academic and work settings.