Arya News - From chaebol roots to late-blooming idol, Annie charted her own path to the stage.
SEOUL – When Allday Project debuted in June, it immediately captured the attention of K-pop fans not only because it was the first coed group introduced in nine years, but also because of the distinct and unconventional profiles of its members.
One member who especially drew attention was Annie, the group’s rapper, whose transition from chaebol heiress to rookie idol quickly became one of the most discussed narratives in this year’s K-pop rookie scene.
Born into the Shinsegae family, which controls one of South Korea’s largest retail empires, Annie is the granddaughter of Shinsegae Group chair Lee Myung-hee and the eldest daughter of company president Chung Yoo-kyung. Lee, the youngest daughter of the late Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul, is also the aunt of current Samsung chair, Lee Jae-yong.
Annie, the first known chaebol heiress to enter the K-pop industry, drew widespread attention long before her official debut. News that she was training under The Black Label went viral in February 2024, putting her in the public eye months ahead of schedule.
Annie from Allday Project, in a photo she posted to Instagram after news of her debut broke in early June. PHOTO: @ANNIESYMOON ON INSTAGRAM/THE KOREA HERALD
She has been active as a performer for a little over a year, and appears to have made a strong entry — particularly in South Korea, where chaebol families have long been viewed with skepticism over their wealth, influence and tight control of corporate management.
Annie has eased that scrutiny by presenting herself as a hard-working performer — a trait many ordinary Koreans say they can relate to.
“Korean society doesn’t feel friendly to chaebol-linked individuals, mostly because it feels like they get ahead without putting in as much effort. With Annie showing that she worked just as hard as any other idol to achieve her dream, she managed to earn sympathy and support from Korean fans,” said sociology professor Koo Jeong-woo of Sungkyunkwan University.
Koo added that Annie sharing that she also uses affordable, budget-friendly products, helps to “generate the narrative of ‘I’m not that different from you."”
Unlike most K-pop rookies — who begin training in their childhood or early teens, come from modest backgrounds and spend years in rigorous training — Annie’s upbringing was different. Like many chaebol children, she received an elite education, but her passion for K-pop was the same as ordinary would-be idols.
Born and raised in Seoul, Annie later moved to Manhattan, New York, at the age of 8. She went on to attend the elite Chapin School before later enrolling at Columbia University as an art history and visual arts major.
Allday Project’s Annie is seen practicing rapping during her time as a trainee at The Black Label, as seen on Allday Project’s short documentary “Day 1.” PHOTO: ALLDAY PROJECT/YOUTUBE/THE KOREA HERALD
In Allday Project’s short documentary “Day 1,” released three days before her debut, Annie said she had dreamed of becoming a singer since she was a child.
“Ever since I saw the performance of ‘Lollipop’ by Big Bang and 2NE1, I’ve always wanted to become a singer,” she said during the interview. “It was so shocking to me, like a whole new world had opened. I thought to myself at the time that I absolutely had to do what they were doing.”
However, as her family opposed the idea, she spent nearly 10 years trying to persuade them.
“When I first said I wanted to be a singer, they didn’t take me seriously,” said Annie. “Later, when I sat my parents down and seriously said that I wanted to be a singer, my mom said: ‘Absolutely not.’ I think that was the first-ever heartbreak I experienced in my life.”
As she neared her final two years in high school, her mother offered her a deal — that she would help Annie persuade other family members to support her dream of becoming a singer, only if she got into an Ivy League university.
“I basically gave up sleeping and worked really hard to get admitted to a university — and eventually, I was accepted,” Annie said.
The tough idol training regime made no exception for the heiress. Annie passed an audition for The Black Label when she was 16 and spent seven years as a trainee.
Of the seven years she spent as a trainee, four were done online, as she was attending school in the US.
“My lessons would be online and I’d have to film myself singing and dancing and would send it back for feedback,” said Annie. “When I came to Korea on vacation, I’d go to the label to practice.”
Allday Project’s Annie demonstrates her makeup routine on MBC’s “Omniscient Interfering View,” aired on July 19. PHOTO: MBC/THE KOREA HERALD
Although Annie initially worried that debuting at age 23 would be viewed negatively — as most idols debut in their teens — she has continued to receive strong support from fans for her genuine personality and approachable charm.
In her live broadcasts, Annie often shares her favorite makeup products with fans — many of them from affordable, budget-friendly brands. On MBC’s “Omniscient Interfering View,” Annie was also spotted using makeup brushes and a glasses case from the discount chain Daiso.
Annie has also earned praise from dog lovers for her love of dogs, after she was seen volunteering at a dog shelter with another Allday Project member, Woochan, on the group’s YouTube channel.
Allday Project’s Annie (left) and Woochan groom a puppy at a dog shelter in Gyeonggi Province as part of their volunteer work. PHOTO: ALLDAY PROJECT/YOUTUBE/THE KOREA HERALD
According to an Instagram post by the shelter, Annie had regularly volunteered at the shelter before her debut by playing with the dogs and cleaning their living space. Annie also has two dogs of her own, named Echo and Coda.
Annie debuted with Allday Project on June 23, with the main tracks “Famous” and “Wicked.” “Famous” placed as high as No. 43 on the Billboard Global 200 chart in a first for a K-pop coed group.
The group will release its first EP, “Allday Project,” including the prerelease track “One More Time” on Dec. 8.