Overview of Apink

‘Apink’ is a South Korean girl band under IST Entertainment that debuted on 19 April 2011. From 2022, the group functions as a five-member group with its members: Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Jeon Eun-ji, Kim Nam-joo, and Oh Ha-young. The other two members, Hong Yoo-kyun and Son Na-eun, ended their contracts with IST Entertainment in 2013 and 2022, respectively.

The group debuted with the EP (extended play) ‘Seven Springs of Apink’.

History & Formation

The first member of Apink is Son Na-eun. She was announced as the first member in February 2011. By the end of 2010, before the agency announced her as their trainee, Na-eun appeared in music videos like ‘Soom’, ‘Niga Jeil Joha’, and ‘Beautiful’.

Apink’s leader, Park Cho-rong, was announced as the second member. She was introduced through the Japanese musical video, ‘Shock’. The third member of the group is Oh Ha-young, and the fourth member is Jeong Eun-ji.

Later, the agency introduced Hong Yoo-kyung through a video, and the final members, Yoon Bo-mi and Kim Nam-joo, made their public appearances through Apink News, a reality show.

A week prior to the official debut of Apink, the girls were first introduced through a commercial for Ceylon Tea.

Debut & Initial Performances

On 19 April 2011, Apink released their debut EP, ‘Seven Springs of Apink’, and the music video of the lead single, ‘Mollayo’. They made their first stage performance on M Countdown (Mnet) with the lead single ‘Mollayo’ on 21 April.

The girls sang the soundtrack for the drama ‘Protect the Boss’, which was released in September 2011.

In November 2011, Apink and the boy band Infinite appeared in the television show, Birth of a Family. It was a show focused on caring for abandoned and sick animals for 8 weeks.

On 22 November 2011, Apink released its second EP, ‘Snow Pink’, with the lead single ‘My My’. As part of the album’s promotion, the group members cooked food and prepared drinks for the fans to raise money for charity.

The group got their first award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (2011) in November.

On 4 August, the girls performed in front of Japanese fans in Tokyo, and on 15 September they appeared in front of 6,000 Japanese fans in Osaka. The single ‘NoNoNo’ is the first Japanese single of the group. Apink released the Japanese single ‘NoNoNo’ and ‘My My’ (Japanese version) on 22 October. On behalf of their Japanese debut, the girls took the initiative to raise funds to help Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients.

Members

Park Cho-rong

Park Cho-rong is famous by her stage name, Chorong. She was born on 3 March 1991, in Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea. She is the leader, vocalist, rapper, and lead dancer of Apink. She has contributed a lot to writing lyrics.

Some of the nicknames for Chorong are Rong Leader, Rongcho, Mama Rong, and Rongrongie. Although she is the leader of Apink, Chorong has a shy personality. Sometimes, she is misunderstood as the maknae of the group.

Her father’s job as a Hapkido class director inspired her to learn the martial arts, and she has a 3rd-degree black belt. Chorong is very friendly by nature, and she is also known as ‘Apink’s country girl’. Apart from her roles as a K-pop artist, she has acted in ‘Reply 1997’ (2012), ‘Plus Nine Boys’ (2014), and ‘Special Law Romance’ (2017).

Yoon Bo-mi

Bomi, or Yoon Bo Mi, was born on 13 August 1993, in Suwon, South Korea. She is the main dancer, main rapper, lead vocalist, and center of Apink.

Bomi is nicknamed Bomi Angry, RillaYoon, and Angry Bom. Although she has a cheerful personality, she is shy and timid around the people she does not know. In Apink, she is the mood maker. The group members comment that she is more tom-boyish.

Bomi is a great fan of horror films, and she has acted in the 2017 K-drama ‘Because This is My First Life’. She has a 3rd-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

Jeong Eun-ji

Jeong Eun-ji, or Eunji, was born on 18 August 1993, in Busan, South Korea. She was originally named Jung Hye-rim. However, she changed her name to Jeong Eun-ji during her school days. She is the main vocalist and face of Apink.

Before debuting as a member of Apink, she trained for six months in the company. She is known for her unique vocals, and artists such as Heechul (Super Junio), Jinwoon (2AM), and Taeil (Block B) have complemented her voice.

In the group, she is known as the ‘Happy Virus’, and she likes humming tunes every time. She is a smart and optimistic person. Aside from her captivating vocals, she proved her talent for acting through the K-dramas: ‘Reply 1997’ (2012), ‘That Winter, The Wind Blows’ (2013), ‘Lovers of Music’ (2014), ‘Cheer Up’ (2015), and ‘Untouchable’ (2017).

Kim Nam-joo

Namjoo, or Kim Nam-joo, was born on 15 April 1995, in Seoul, South Korea. She is the lead dancer, rapper, and lead vocalist in Apink. She is a single child of her parents.

Namjoo is an active girl and calls herself ‘Beyonce’. She was the lyricist for Apink’s song ‘Forever Star’ in the mini-album ‘One and Six’. On 7 September 2020, she made her solo debut with the single album ‘Bird’.

She has acted in dramas like ‘Investigator Alice’ (2015), ‘Akdong Detectives’ (2017). Also, she appeared as a musical actress in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, in 2017. She sang a duet with Phantom for the song ‘Seoul Lonely’.

Oh Ha-young

Oh Ha-young, famous by her stage name Hayoung, was born on 19 July 1996, in Seoul, South Korea. In Apink, she is the rapper, vocalist, and maknae. She trained for one and a half years at the agency before her debut.

She is a single child to her parents. She has strong hands and can cut an apple into two with her bare hands. Also, she has a special talent for guessing correctly. Her mature behaviours make it hard for others to accept her as the maknae of Apink.

She collaborated with Jiggy Dogg on the track ‘The Best Thing I Did’ in 2014. She has acted in ‘Please Find Her’ (2017) and ‘Love in Memory’.

Discography

Awards

• Melon Music Awards 2018
  Top 10 Artist
• Korean Wave Awards 2018
  Hallyu Singer Award
• Fandom School Awards 2018
  Best Female Group
• Asia Artist Awards 2017
  Best Celebrity Award
• V Live Awards 2017
  Top 10 Global Artist
• Golden Disc Awards 2016
  Album Bonsang
• KKBOX Music Awards 2016
  Special Award
• Seoul Music Awards 2016
  Bonsang Award
• Gaon Chart Music Awards 2015
  Song of the Year (December)
• Japan Gold Disc Award 2015
  Best New 3 Artists (Asia)
• Golden Disc Awards 2015
  Album Bonsang
  Best Female Performance
• Korean Culture Entertainment Awards 2015
  Kpop 10 Singer Group
• Korean Entertainment Art Awards 2015
  Best Female Group
• Melon Music Awards 2015
  Top 10 Artist
• SBS Award Festival 2015
  TOP 10 Artist
• Seoul Embassies Day Awards 2015
  Hanbit Awards
• Seoul Music Awards 2015
  Bonsang Award
• Korean Entertainment Art Awards 2014
  Netizen Awards
• Melon Music Awards 2014
  Best Female Dance
• Gaon Chart Music Awards 2014
  Hot Performance of the Year
• Golden Disc Awards 2014
  Digital Bonsang
• Seoul Music Awards 2014
  Bonsang Award
• Gaon Chart Music Awards 2013
  Hot Trend Award
• Mnet Asian Music Awards 2013
  Next Generation Global Star
• Korean Culture Entertainment Awards 2013
  Kpop 10 Singer Group
• Asia Model Festival Awards 2012
  New Star Award
• Gaon Chart Music Awards 2012
  Rookie of the Year
• Golden Disc Awards 2012
  Best New Artist
• Seoul Music Awards 2012
  New Artist Award
• Korean Culture Entertainment Awards 2011
  Idol Music Rookie Award
• Mnet Asian Music Awards 2011
  Best New Female Artist

Interesting Facts about Apink

1. ‘Apink’ was a seven-member group when the group debuted, later it became a five-member group after Hong Yoo-kyung and Son Na-eun walked out of the group.
2. Hong Yoo-kyung was the first member to leave the group in 2013.
3. Bomi loves listening to ballad songs.
4. Eun-ji’s childhood ambition was to become a vocal trainer.
5. One of the biggest fan of Eun-ji is Hayoung’s father.
6. Chorong’s right arm has a scar and to hide it she always wears a bandage.
7. Hayoung’s grandmother was rumoured to be a Filipino, but Hayoung confirmed otherwise in a V Live.
8. Eun-ji’s hobbies include dreaming about music videos and playing her piano.
9. Chorong’s hobbies include doing her dishes, practising Hapkido, and watching movies.
10. After exiting Play M Entertainment, Na-eun remained a member of Apink till 8 April 2022 and later signed out from the group.

FAQs

1. Who is the leader of ‘Apink’?
   Chorong is the leader of Apink.
   
2. When did ‘Apink’ debut?
   19 April 2011.
3. Who is the youngest member of ‘Apink’?
   Ha-young is the youngest member of ‘Apink’.
   
4. What are the Instagram IDs of ‘Apink’ members?
   @mulgokizary (Chorong), @__yoonbomi__ (Bomi), @artist_eunji (Eunji), @sarangdungy (Namjoo), and @_ohhayoung_ (Hayoung). 
   
5. How many members are there in ‘Apink’?
   Five members.