Sooyoung

Choi Soo-young (; born February 10, 1990), known mononymously as Sooyoung, is a South Korean singer, actress, and songwriter. She was a member of the short-lived Korean-Japanese singing duo Route 0, which debuted in Japan in 2002. After returning to South Korea in 2004, Choi eventually became a member of girl group Girls' Generation in 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea's most widely known girl groups worldwide.

Apart from her group's activities, Choi has also starred in various television dramas such as The Third Hospital (2012), Dating Agency: Cyrano (2013), My Spring Days (2014), Squad 38 (2016), Man in the Kitchen (2017–2018), Tell Me What You Saw (2020), and most recently in Run On (2021), So I Married the Anti-fan (2021), If You Wish Upon Me (2022), Not Others (2023), Second Shot at Love (2025), and I Dol I (2026).

In October 2017, Choi announced that she had left SM Entertainment, although she clarified that she would continue to be a member of Girls' Generation. She joined Echo Global Group and released her first solo single "Winter Breath" in 2018, before moving to Saram Entertainment in 2019. In October 2024, Choi made her solo debut in Japan with the release "Unstoppable", under Japan label Avex Trax.

Early life and education Choi was born in Gwangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea, on February 10, 1990. She is the younger sister of Choi Soo-jin, who is a musical theatre actress.

Choi graduated from JeongShin Women's High School in 2009. She went on to major in film studies and graduated from Chung-Ang University in February 2016, receiving a lifetime achievement award at the graduation ceremony. Her fellow Girls' Generation member Kwon Yuri attended the same university.

Life and career 2000–2007: Career beginnings Choi was initially discovered through an SM Entertainment Open Audition when she was in fifth grade. She later won first place at the 2002 Korea-Japan Ultra Idol Duo Audition, leading to her debuting in Japan as a member of Route 0. The duo released three singles before ultimately disbanding in 2003.

Choi returned to SM Entertainment and eventually debuted in South Korea as a member of the girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007.

2008–2016: Acting roles and songwriting

Girls' Generation gained significant mainstream popularity with the release of their single "Gee" in 2009. Choi has said in an interview that she was also interested in acting before debuting as a singer, and had failed more than 70 auditions prior to her debut in Girls' Generation.

Aside from Girls' Generation's activities, Choi participated in various music and acting projects. Initially, her acting work mostly involved several small roles and guest appearances, including KBS2's sitcom Unstoppable Marriage (2007), the romantic comedy film Hello, Schoolgirl (2008), SBS's drama Oh! My Lady (2010), SBS's Paradise Ranch (2011) and SBS's A Gentleman's Dignity (2012). During this period, musically, she recorded two songs: one trot song titled "KKok" with Girls' Generation member Yuri for the SBS drama Working Mom, with another, "Feeling Only You", being a collaboration with Girls' Generation member Tiffany and South Korean duo The Blue.

As a member of Girls' Generation, Choi contributed songwriting credits. She penned the lyrics for three Girls' Generation songs: "How Great is Your Love" (2011), "What Do I Do" (2016), and "Sailing (0805)" (2016), while co-writing the song "Baby Maybe" (2013).

In September 2012, she landed her first major acting role in tvN's medical drama The Third Hospital. Her performance was praised by her co-actors Oh Ji Ho and Kim Seung-woo. In May 2013, Choi was cast in tvN's romantic comedy drama, Dating Agency: Cyrano, a spin-off of the 2010 movie Cyrano Agency. Park Ju-yeon from the Hankook Ilbo praised Choi for her lively character portrayal, stating that her performance lacked the "overdone emotions [that] commonly appear in acting newcomers".

In September 2014, Choi scored a lead role in MBC's melodrama, My Spring Days, playing a terminally ill patient who receives a heart transplant and meets her donor's husband, played by Kam Woo-sung. For this breakthrough performance, Choi won the "Best Actress in a Miniseries" award at the 2014 MBC Drama Awards and the "Excellence Award for Actress" at the 2015 Korea Drama Awards.

In 2015, Choi starred as the female lead in KBS2's special drama Perfect Sense, which was produced by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance to help raise public understanding of the disabled. She played a teacher named Ah-yeon who is visually impaired.

In June 2016, Choi starred as the female lead alongside Ma Dong-seok and Seo In-guk in the OCN crime drama Squad 38.

2017–present: Label change and continued acting In early August 2017, Choi starred as a television producer in the JTBC web drama Someone You Might Know. Later in August, she played the female lead in the MBC drama series Man in the Kitchen. In November 2017, Choi joined Echo Global Group after the conclusion of her exclusive contract with SM Entertainment.

In 2018, Choi was cast in the Korean-Japanese film Memories of a Dead End and the action comedy film Miss & Mrs. Cops.

In December 2018, Choi released her solo single, "Winter Breath", which marked her first song release following her departure from SM Entertainment. Choi launched her official Twitter and YouTube accounts to commemorate the single's release.

In May 2019, Choi signed with a new agency, Saram Entertainment. In February 2020, Choi starred in the OCN drama Tell Me What You Saw.

Following the release of Tell Me What You Saw in 2020, Choi starred in the JTBC romance drama Run On. Then in 2021, she starred alongside Choi Tae-joon in the Naver TV romantic comedy series So I Married the Anti-fan, based on the manhwa of the same name and appeared in the Netflix original series Move to Heaven.

In 2022, she starred in the KBS2 drama If You Wish Upon Me in the role of a hospice nurse. Choi participated in Girls' Generation's fifteenth anniversary album Forever 1 (2022), co-writing the songs "Seventeen" and "Villain" for the album.

On August 29, 2024, Saram Entertainment announced that Choi would be releasing her Japanese debut maxi single, titled "Unstoppable", on October 30, 2024.

In 2025, Choi starred opposite Kim Jae-yong in the ENA romance drama I Dol I. She played Maeng Se-na, a lawyer and boy group fangirl.

Personal life Choi was in a relationship with actor Jung Kyung-ho from 2012 to 2026.

Philanthropy Choi has engaged in various philanthropic activities. In 2012, she was appointed as ambassador to Korea's Retinitis Pigmentosa Society along with her bandmates Tiffany, Taeyeon and Seohyun. At the end of 2012, she launched a fundraising campaign with cable channel QTV for patients of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Since then, she has continued to serve as ambassador while conducting sponsorship events and supporting research on the disease.

In 2016, Choi launched a clothing brand called Beaming Effect with the aim to raise awareness for Retinitis Pigmentosa. She has held several charity bazaars throughout the years and donated the proceeds towards research for treatment. Notably, she held a funding with Kakao, a charity bazaar and a charity concert featuring various artists in 2017.

Choi has also been appointed ambassador to the Korean Day of Overcoming Rare Diseases, the Social Welfare Council and the National Disability Awareness Improvement Campaign. In 2014, she sponsored the operation cost for an individual with heart disease after playing the role of someone who received a heart transplant through organ donation in her drama My Spring Days.

Discography

Korean singles + List of Korean singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album Title Year Album As lead artist "Winter Breath" 2018 As featured artist "Feeling Only You" 2009 The Blue – The First Memories "Let's Get Away" 2018 The Light Promotional single "Be Yourself" 2020 Soundtrack appearances "I Am" 2005 Inuyasha OST "Kkok" 2008 Working Mom OST "Wind Flower" 2014 My Spring Days OST "To My Star" 2022 If You Wish Upon Me OST Part 8

Japanese singles + List of Japanese singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album

2024

JPN: 2,540

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 APAN Star Awards 2023 Excellence Award, Actress in a Short Drama Fanletter Please Blue Dragon Film Awards 2019 Best New Actress Miss & Mrs. Cops Jecheon International Music & Film Festival 2019 Discovery of the Year Award Memories of a Dead End KBS Drama Awards 2022 Popularity Award, Actress If You Wish Upon Me Korea Drama Awards 2013 Best New Actress Dating Agency: Cyrano 2015 Excellence Award, Actress My Spring Days Marie Claire Asia Star Awards 2022 Face of Asia Award If You Wish Upon Me MBC Drama Awards 2014 Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries My Spring Days Best Couple Award 2017 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Weekend Drama Man in the Kitchen 2022 Excellence Award, Actress in a Daily/One Act Drama Fanletter Please Best Couple Award Choi Soo-young Fanletter Please Mnet 20's Choice Awards 2012 20's Style Choi Soo-young SBS Entertainment Awards 2013 New Rookie Award (MC Category) TV Entertainment Tonight Style Icon Awards 2013 Best K-Style Award Choi Soo-young

Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Korean Film Council 2021 Korean Actors 200