Pak Hjangnim

Park Hyang-rim (Korean: 박향림; Hanja: 朴響林; January 31, 1921 – July 8, 1946), born Park Eok-byeol, was a pioneering South Korean singer and performer who rose to national stardom during the Japanese colonial period.

Early life Park was born in 1921 in Gyeongseong-gun, North Hamgyong Province (modern-day North Korea).

Career Debut and Rise to Fame Park initially sought an audition with Okeh Records, but was famously rejected by its president, Lee Cheol.

The Jeogori Sisters In 1939, Park became a founding member of the Jeogori Sisters, widely recognized as the first K-pop girl group. Her story is a central focus of the musical SheStars!, which pays tribute to the original girl groups. Decades after her death, a popular magazine published an interview with a monk who identified as Park's son, whose birth had preceded her death. His story added a poignant, human dimension to the "Queen of Manyo's" tragic end.