Jun Hyo-seong

Jun Hyo-seong (; born October 13, 1989), often simply known as Hyoseong or Hyosung, is a South Korean singer and actress.

In 2005, she was a finalist in Mnet's Battle Shinhwa which led to her signing a recording contract with Good Entertainment. In 2007, she was going to debut in the group Five Girls, with G.NA, Wonder Girls' Yubin, After School's Uee and former T-ara member and former Spica member Yang Jiwon; however, the group disbanded before they were able to debut due to the company's financial problems. Hyoseong was later discovered by TS Entertainment through a show aired on SBS MTV called Diary of Five Girls and spent two years with the company as a trainee. In 2009, she debuted with Song Jieun, Han Sunhwa and Jung Hana as the four-member girl group Secret. Hyoseong debuted as a solo artist in 2014.

Life and career 1989–2004: Early life and childhood Jun Hyoseong was born in Cheongju, South Korea on October 13, 1989. Hyoseong's name is derived from the word '유성' which is Korean for 'meteor'. She was named this way as her father and maternal grandmother saw a shooting star across the sky on the day of her birth. Hyoseong's family struggled financially and she and her family earned extra money by delivering newspapers every morning since she was in 3rd grade. She admitted:

"I liked performing for others since I was little. I danced things to songs like Fin.K.L and SES at my friends' birthday parties. In 6th grade, I decided that I really wanted to become a singer, and all of my friends helped me try to make that dream come true." quote="I had about $30 for a month during my dorm life. But it didn't matter, because I could walk to school, so I only needed the money for bus fare to get to lessons. The company fed us, so that was no problem." However, when she got to 12th grade without any progress, she said, "I realized I couldn't just waste my time, so I started to prepare for college and started working at a part time job. A lot of people asked me when I was going to debut, but it wasn't as if I could do anything about it. I was happy that Yoobin debuted as a Wonder Girls member, but it made me wonder what I was doing." —Hyoseong, on her struggles after the disbandment of Five Girls Good Entertainment had initially intended for Hyoseong to debut in a three-member group along with Yoobin and Uee, but ended up adding G.NA and Jiwon. They were set to debut as a five-member group called Five Girls. Her father was still weak when he decided to go back to work to support his family and the cancer recurred, this time being much more aggressive. The doctors told Hyoseong's family to "be ready". Her father died of lung cancer in 2008. They released their debut single "I Want You Back" in October 2009.

In April 2010, Secret released their first mini album entitled Secret Time which spawned the hit single "Magic" and served as their breakthrough song in South Korea. In August 2010, they released their second mini album entitled "Madonna" and the title track continued their success as it topped the Gaon Single Charts.

In January 2011, the group deviated from their "sexy" and "sassy" image and released "Shy Boy", a "cutesy" and retro inspired song.

The same year, Secret began a foray of Japanese activities with the Japanese release of Madonna and Shy Boy.

In February 2012, she played Soo Yeon in the sitcom Salamander Guru and The Shadows that aired on SBS.

On the October 21, 2012 episode of Inkigayo, the live music show revealed a teaser video hinting that twenty of the most-wanted K-pop stars would transform into four new project groups in the yearly event. Hyoseong will be part of the girl group Dazzling Red with Sistar's Hyolyn, 4minute's Hyuna, After School's Nana and KARA's Nicole. Brave Brothers was set to produce the group's new title song. Slated to air on December 29, the group will perform the tunes only one time on stage and the profits from online streaming and downloading of the songs would be donated to people in need. The song "This Person" was released on December 27, 2012. receiving praises for her performance.

On May 12, 2014, she released her solo debut album Top Secret, holding a showcase at the Ramada Hotel Club Vanguard on the same day. A month later, she was cast in KBS1 daily drama My Dear Cat.

Hyoseong released her first extended play titled Fantasia on May 7, 2015. She took part in writing lyrics for the album on two songs. In the same year, Hyoseong reprised her role as Han Na-young in the second season of The Ghost-Seeing Detective Cheo Yong.

On March 28, 2016, Hyoseong released her second extended play titled Colored. Find Me was promoted as the lead single and featured TS Entertainment labelmate D.Action from the hip-hop duo Untouchable. Hyoseong's work on the drama earned her the Special Acting Award – Actress in a Genre Drama at the 2016 SBS Drama Awards.

In October 2016, it was announced that Hyoseong would be replacing Cao Lu as one of the hosts on the talk show Video Star.

In 2017, Hyoseong was cast as Kim Gyori on the tvN drama Introverted Boss. Hyoseong expressed her difficulty with this role in an interview with BNT International stating, "It was frustrating. I'm not the type to keep things to myself, but Gyori was the opposite. I think a lot and can be shy, but I am extroverted to the extent that I express what I want to say. The director allowed us to ad-lib some parts, and it was hard at times to keep my real outgoing personality from coming out."

2018–present: Agency transitions and continued activities Following her legal dispute with TS Entertainment , Jun signed with Tommy & Partners Entertainment in 2018 after her contract with the agency was declared invalid by the Seoul Western District Court. In November 2019, Jun established the independent one-person label JHS Entertainment to manage her solo activities. In 2021, she joined IOK Company. She later moved to Alien Company before signing with MAJOR9 and RBW (Rainbowbridge World) in 2026.

Legal dispute with TS Entertainment

On February 28, 2018, it was reported that Hyoseong was in legal disputes with her agency TS Entertainment due to issues with not receiving payments. On March 5, Hyoseong's lawyer revealed that she had filed a civil lawsuit in September 2017 to confirm that her contract with the agency was no longer valid. Aside for the unreceived payments, her lawyer cited a transfer of the management rights conferred by her exclusive contract to another party without her consent. Her lawyer also stated that it would be unlikely of Hyoseong to remain a member of Secret while under TS Entertainment due to the lack of trust and communication between the agency and the singer.

On October 29, it was announced that she would return to the entertainment industry after signing with Tommy & Partners Entertainment. Hyoseong suffered minor injuries and had a cast put on on a previously injured knee, while fellow Secret member Zinger broke her ribs. Following the accident, Secret went into hiatus, stopping their "Talk That" song promotions. She said:

Public image Hyoseong gained increased public attention after being selected as a model for the lingerie brand Yes (예스), with the campaign receiving significant media coverage. Promotional materials and media reports frequently highlighted her youthful image and physique, and she became associated with the Korean “bagel girl” (베이글녀) image, a term referring to a person with a youthful face and a curvaceous body.

She also attracted attention for her stage performances as a member of Secret, with entertainment media frequently noting her stage outfits and performance presence during promotional activities. Coverage of the group’s performances often emphasized her visual presentation alongside choreography and stage styling.

In a 2016 interview, Hyoseong stated that public perception of her had largely focused on her physical appearance, while her vocal abilities had received comparatively less attention. She expressed a desire to shift emphasis toward her singing ability rather than her figure, and said that she intended to gradually showcase her musical and vocal strengths through her solo activities.

According to The Korea Times, Hyoseong later reflected that attention focused on her physical appearance could be mentally taxing. She noted that her image had often been overemphasized compared to other aspects of her abilities, and expressed a desire to be recognized as both a “hot and talented” entertainer.

Personal life Hyoseong is the middle child out of three sisters. With the several pairs of choices given, the members of Secret were able to agree three times. After the MC declared this, Hyoseong then made a remark, stating:

The term "Minjuhwa ", translated as democratization, defined as the transition from an authoritarian regime to a more democratic political regime, has been used by the conservative Ilbe online community as a slang term meaning 'the citizens create chaos', 'to destroy', or 'to oppress'. In response to this, netizens began claiming that Hyoseong has used the term "democratization" in a negative manner. Both TS Entertainment and Hyoseong apologized for using the word without knowing its meaning on Ilbe.

The controversy did not subside immediately, netizens pointed out this was not merely a personal issue for Hyoseong, but rather a reflection of the flawed historical awareness of the younger generation. Media outlets similarly condemned the blunder, framing it as a demonstration of extreme carelessness and a lack of basic knowledge among young celebrities who blindly parroted internet trends without research.

On May 20, 2013, Hyoseong issued another formal apology, explaining she had accidentally adopted the slang while monitoring online boards to check fan reactions. Seeing her own name attached to the phrase "democratized by Jun Hyoseong," she had mistakenly assumed it was a positive trending phrase meaning "to recommend something you like." Following the incident, the group’s public appearances were limited for a while, as several universities cancelled their scheduled festival performances citing student complaints against Hyoseong. She subsequently studied for and passed the official Korean History Proficiency Test.

Campaign appearance and public reaction In 2021, Jun Hyo-seong appeared in a campaign video produced by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family addressing perceptions of dating violence as part of a public awareness campaign. In the video, she stated that she often felt concern about personal safety when returning home at night and emphasized the importance of a society where individuals can live freely without fear of violence.

Following the release of the campaign, the video received mixed public reactions online. Some users defended the campaign, emphasizing its focus on dating violence prevention and broader public safety concerns. Others criticized its framing, arguing in online communities that South Korea has relatively strong public safety conditions and that violence in public spaces can affect men as well, as well as referencing unrelated violent crime cases raised in discussion. These critics therefore questioned the framing of the campaign’s message. Some critics commented that the introduction of the term "gender-based violence" (gendeo-pokryeok) functioned as ideological rhetoric that framed men as potent criminals and default oppressors, and women as exclusive victims, thereby shifting the public debate from a universal message of safety into a polarized gender conflict.

The campaign also drew organized public criticism from the men’s rights group Shin Namnyeon Yeondae (신남성연대), which held a street demonstration opposing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. During the protest, the group used an image of Jun Hyo-seong from an episode of Saturday Night Live Korea in which she appeared in a cosplay costume exposing part of her chest and cleavage, displaying it on large banners and displays alongside slogans including “응, 누난 페미코인 못 타” (“You can’t ride the feminism coin”).

Media reports also noted that Jun had previously been active in entertainment under a “sexy concept” image highlighting her figure, which was also described in Korean media and online discourse as a “bagel girl” (베이글녀) image, and that criticism emerged online questioning the contrast between her earlier public image and her participation in the campaign. In addition, online discussions surrounding the campaign escalated into broader protest, with some users calling for the video’s removal. When it came to dancing, Hyoseong said that she was influenced by the American singer Beyoncé particularly. She also stated that Beyoncé is one of her music idols.

Endorsements Along with Han Sun-hwa, Kim Himchan and Bang Yongguk, Hyoseong was chosen as a model for Kellan sportswear 11/12 Winter Collection in September 2011. Hyoseong was an active endorser of the lingerie 'Yes' since being chosen as the brand model on January 29, 2013. In 2014, Hyoseong was chosen as the model of smartphone game Hero's Star. In 2016, Hyoseong was chosen as the model of a male cosmetic brand Swagger.

Discography

Extended plays Title Album details Peakpositions Sales KOR Fantasia Released: May 7, 2015 Label: TS Entertainment Format: CD, digital download 4 KOR: 16,086+ Colored Released: Mar 28, 2016 Label: TS Entertainment Format: CD, digital download 7 KOR: 6,364+ "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Single albums Title Album details Peakpositions Sales "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Singles Year Title Peak chart positions Sales Album KORGaon KORBillboard 2014 "Good-night Kiss" 9 14 KOR: 716,489+ Top Secret 2015 "Into You" 22 — KOR: 173,604+ Fantasia 2016 "Find Me (feat. D.Action)" 75 — KOR: 35,536+ Colored 2019 "Starlight" — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Collaborations Year Title Peak chart positions Sales Album KORGaon

Web series Year Title Role 2019 The Pure Memories of My Heart Han Seo-rin 2023 Celebrity Oh Min-hye

Television shows Year Title Role Notes 2005 Battle Shinhwa Contestant Finalist, Top 6 2007 Diary of Five Girls Cast Member With Five Girls 2009 Secret Story Regular cast Sonyeon Sonyeo Gayo Baekso MC Gom TV Music Chart (GMC) 2010 Bouquet Regular cast 2011 Oh! My School The Show MC Season 1 – Pairing with Luna of f(x) 2015 Law of the Jungle: Hidden Kingdom Special in Brunei Cast member Saturday Night Live Korea Host Episode 123 Beauty Bible 2015 Spring/Summer presenter Factual shows Duet Song Festival Singer Chuseok Special Pilot 2016 Real Men: Female Special Cast Member Season 4 (episode 146–153) Duet Song Festival Singer Episode 5 2016–2018 Video Star Host Permanent cast member 2019 Beauty Room Permanent cast member King of Mask Singer Contestant Episodes 201–202 – As "A Chocolate Factory" 2020 Things These Days Host with Yubin and Berry Good's Johyun 2021 I'm SOLO Season 1–2

Radio shows Year Title Role Notes 2022 Coexistence Diary 3 DJ July 11

Hosting Year Title Role Notes 2021 23rd Bucheon International Animation Festival MC of the opening ceremony with Bae Sung-jae

Ambassadorship Year Title 2021 Public relations ambassador for hanbok 2021

Accolades Awards and nominations

+ Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Korea Arts and Culture Awards 2021 Beauty Icon Award Jun Hyo-seong 2023 Grand Prize (Daesang) – Broadcast Performer / Actor Korea Drama Awards 2014 Best New Actress My Dear Cat Korea First Brand Awards 2017 Most Anticipated Female Entertainer (2018) Jun Hyo-seong MBC Entertainment Awards 2020 Rookie Award – Radio Category FM4U Mnet Asian Music Awards 2016 Best Dance Performance Solo Find Me Song of the Year SBS Drama Awards 2016 Special Acting Award – Actress in a Genre Drama Wanted Seoul International Webfest 2020 Best Actress The Pure Memories of My Heart World Star Entertainment Awards 2019 Excellence Award, Singer Jun Hyo-seong

Honors + Name of country and organization, year given, and name of honor or award Country Organization Year Honor or Award South Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism 2021 Spring Hanbok Love Appreciation Certificate Award