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Kwon Yu-ri
Yuri wearing white
Yuri in 2023
Born (1989-12-05) December 5, 1989 (age 34)
Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Education Chung-Ang University
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actress
  • songwriter
Musical career
Genres
Instruments Vocals
Years active 2007–present
Labels SM
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised Romanization Gwon Yu-ri
McCune–Reischauer Kwŏn Yuri
Stage name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised Romanization Yu-ri
McCune–Reischauer Yuri
Signature
Yuri signature.png

Kwon Yu-ri (Hangul: 권유리; born December 5, 1989), better known by her mononym Yuri, is a South Korean singer, actress and songwriter. She debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation (and later its subgroup Girls' Generation-Oh!GG) in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea's most popular girl groups worldwide. Apart from her group's activities, she has acted in several television dramas such as Fashion King (2012), Local Hero (2016), Innocent Defendant (2017), Dae Jang Geum Is Watching (2018), Bossam: Steal the Fate (2021), and Good Job (2022). In 2013, she made her film debut in No Breathing. In 2018, she made her debut as a soloist with her first extended play The First Scene.

Early life

Yuri was born in Deogyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea, on December 5, 1989. She has one older brother, Kwon Hyuk-joon. She auditioned at the SM Entertainment Casting System and joined the company in 2001 after finishing in second place in the 2001 SM Youth Best Dancer Contest. She then underwent training for 5 years and 11 months before her debut. She graduated from Neunggok High School in 2008. She and Sooyoung were appointed as Chung-Ang University new ambassadors on May 20, 2014. On February 15, 2016, she graduated with a degree in Theater and Film as well as receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award as Honorary Ambassador of the school at the graduation ceremony.

Career

2007–2010: Girls' Generation debut and solo activities

Yuri made her official debut as a member of the 9-member girl group, Girls' Generation in August 2007. Aside from her group's activities, she had a small role in a television segment, The King's Boyfriend, which was part of the documentary Super Junior Show by S.M Entertainment's boy group Super Junior. She also made a cameo appearance as a ballerina in the film, Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, which also stars the members of Super Junior.

In 2008, Yuri had a recurring role in the 2008 KBS2 sitcom, Unstoppable Marriage, where she played as a high school student along with fellow member Sooyoung. In June, she sang a duet called "Kkok (Must!)" with Sooyoung for the soundtrack of SBS television series, Working Mom. Yuri also became a cast member in the second season of Kko Kko Tours Single♥Single, a dating show between celebrities.

In 2009, she was announced to be a host of MBC music program, Show! Music Core with fellow member Tiffany. In April, K.Will released the music video of "Dropping The Tears", featuring Yuri. She then performed a special stage with him for one of his performances of the song on Show! Music Core, playing the piano in the background. At the end of the year, Yuri was cast alongside Sunny as one of the 7 girl group members, dubbed as 'G7' in the KBS2 reality variety show, Invincible Youth, for which she earned a nomination as Best Female MC at the 2010 KBS Entertainment Awards.

As Girls' Generation started preparing for their Japanese debut, their schedules became busier. Because of this, Yuri and Sunny left Invincible Youth in June 2010. For the same reason, she and Tiffany also had to leave Show! Music Core in the following month to focus on the group's activities.

Yuri made her first contribution as a songwriter for Girls' Generation's third mini album, Hoot, where she wrote the lyrics for the track, "Mistake". In September, she was featured in the track "Like A Soap", from TVXQ's sixth Korean studio album Catch Me.

2011–2014: Acting career

Kwon Yu-ri at No Breathing VIP premiere on October 2013 01
Yuri at VIP premiere of the film No Breathing in October 2013

In October 2011, Tiffany and Yuri returned to Show! Music Core and hosted the show until January 2012 when Yuri left the show once again to focus on her drama debut.

In 2012, Yuri made her acting debut in SBS drama series Fashion King alongside actor Yoo Ah-in. Yuri received nominations at the 5th Korea Drama Awards and the 2012 SBS Drama Awards for her acting performance, and received the New Star Award at the latter on December 31.

In 2013, Girls' Generation released their fourth Korean studio album, I Got a Boy, which has two of its tracks' lyrics co-written by Yuri. "Baby Maybe" was co-written by Yuri and her fellow members Sooyoung and Seohyun, while "XYZ" was penned with Seohyun. In June, she appeared alongside Hyoyeon in Mnet's global dance survival show, Dancing 9. The two coached the show's contestants as "K-pop dance masters" along with other notable stars who also appeared as dance masters in their specific fields.

Yuri made her film debut in the same year, when she was cast as the female lead in South Korea's first swimming-themed film, No Breathing. In the coming-of-age film, Yuri portrayed the role of Jung-eun, a girl who dreams of becoming a musician who is also the love interest of the two male leads played by Lee Jong-suk and Seo In-guk. Aside from learning how to play the guitar for her character, Yuri also sang two songs for the film's soundtrack, "Bling Star" and "Twinkle Twinkle" which she performed in the film.

In October 2014, she acted as a couple with Lee Ji-hoon in the music video of "Without You" by S, which is the group's comeback single after 11 years.

2015–2017: Variety shows and return to acting

In January 2015, Yuri joined MBC's variety show, Animals, becoming the only female member of the cast. Yuri was also a guest on the programs Star With Two Job and Dating Alone. In May, Yuri was chosen to host Olive TV's travel program MAPS with Choi Kang-hee. She also joined the cast of Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education for its swimming special, showing off her swimming skills for the first time. On July 23, it was revealed that Yuri was cast as a host in an SBS reality show about rally drivers called The Rallyist alongside announcer Bae Sung-jae.

Yuri returned to acting in January 2016, playing the female lead in the OCN spy thriller, Local Hero. She also joined the new cast of SBS' reality-documentary show Law of the Jungle for its new season which was filmed in New Caledonia. The first episode of the show aired on July 2, 2016. In July 2016, Yuri starred as the female lead alongside Kim Young-kwang in the web drama Gogh, The Starry Night In August 2016, Yuri released a single titled "Secret" with fellow member Seohyun as part of SM Station.

In January 2017, she starred in the SBS' drama Innocent Defendant and played a lawyer for which she was nominated for an Excellence Award in the Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama category at the 2017 SBS Drama Awards.

2018–present: Acting activities and solo debut with The First Scene

In 2018, Yuri was cast in the second season of the sitcom, The Sound of Your Heart as the female lead, which premiered its first season on Netflix on October 29. In January, she released a collaboration single titled "Always Find You" with DJ Raiden. She was also cast in MBC's upcoming drama Dae Jang Geum Is Watching, which premiered in October.

In August 2018, Yuri was announced to be part of Girls' Generation's second sub-group, Oh!GG, which consisted of the five members who remained under SM Entertainment; the group released their first single, "Lil' Touch", in September.

Yuri released her six-track debut EP, The First Scene, on October 4, 2018, with the lead single "Into You". The album debuted at number two on the Gaon Album Chart and charted at number 10 on Billboard's World Albums chart in its first week with only one day to garner points to enter it. Yuri performed "Into You" on South Korea's music shows and her promotions for the album allowed her to top the Brand Reputation rankings for individual girl group members published by the Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute for the month of October.

Starting in November, Yuri appeared in the Channel A variety show, Makgeolli on the Rooftop, during which she and other celebrities learned how to brew makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice wine. In January 2019, she was cast in her first stage play, Grandpa Henry and Me ("L'Étudiante et Monsieur Henri"), which is a Korean version of the 2012 French play by Ivan Calbérac.

On August 26, 2020, Yuri joined Bossam: Steal the Fate as the female lead.

On May 1, 2021, Hyoyeon and Yuri make appearance on tvN's Amazing Saturday.

In September 2021, Kwon was confirmed to join the independent film Dolphin, making a comeback to the big screen since 2015.

Personal life

On March 21, 2023, it was revealed that Kwon had undergone varicose vein surgery and recovering from her health.

Discography

Extended plays

Title Details Peak chart positions Sales
KOR
US
World

The First Scene 2 10
  • KOR: 17,290

Singles

Title Year Peak
positions
Sales Album
KOR
US
World
As lead artist
"Always Find You"
(with Raiden)
2018 N/A SM Station Season 2
"Into You" (빠져가) 22 The First Scene
Promotional singles
"Secret"
(with Seohyun)
2016 149 10
  • KOR: 11,481
SM Station Season 1
Soundtrack appearances
"Kkok" ()
(with Sooyoung)
2008 N/A Working Mom OST
"Bling Star" (블링스타)
(with Masyta Band)
2013 No Breathing OST
"Twinkle Twinkle" (반짝반짝)
(with Masyta Band)
"Time of the Time" (이별 유예) 2021 A Week Delay of Farewell OST
"—" denotes songs that did not chart.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2007 Attack on the Pin-Up Boys Ballerina Cameo
2012 I AM. – SM Town Live World Tour in Madison Square Garden Herself Biographical film of SM Town
2013 No Breathing Jung-eun
2015 SMTown The Stage Herself Documentary film of SM Town
0TBA Dolphin Na-young independent Film

Television series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2007–2008 Unstoppable Marriage Kwon Yu-ri
2012 Fashion King Choi An-na
2015 Kill Me, Heal Me Ahn Yo-na Cameo (Episode 20)
2016 Local Hero Bae Jung-yeon
2017 Innocent Defendant Seo Eun-hye
2018 The Sound of Your Heart: Reboot (Seasons 1, 2) Choi Aebong
Dae Jang Geum Is Watching Bok Seung-ah
2020 Break-up Suspension Park Ga-ram
2021 Bossam: Steal the Fate Yi Soo-kyung
Racket Boys Im Seo-hyun Cameo (Episode 16)
2022 Good Job Don Se-ra

Web series

Year Title Role Ref.
2016 Gogh, The Starry Night Go Ho

Television shows

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2008 You Can Fly Special MC with Leeteuk
Kko Kko Tours Single Single: Season 2 Main cast
2009–2010 Invincible Youth Ep 1–32, 42
2009–2012 Show! Music Core Co-host with Tiffany
2013 Dancing 9: Season 1 Coach with Hyoyeon
2015 Animals Main cast Episode 1–5
MAPS Host
Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education Main cast Swimming – (Ep 113–124)
The Rallyist Host
2016 Law of the Jungle Main cast New Caledonia Episode
2018 Kim Je-dong's Talk to You: Season 2 Co-host
Rooftop Makgeolli Main cast
2021 My Teenage Girl Class teacher
2022 Off The Grid Main cast
2023 Business Genius Baeksajang Cast member with Baek Jong-won, Lee Jang-woo and John Park

Web show

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2022–2023 The Zone: Survival Mission Cast member Season 1–2

Hosting

Year Title Notes Ref.
2022 8th APAN Star Awards with Jung Il-woo

Theater

Theater play performances of Kwon Yu-ri
Year Title Role Venue Date Ref.
English Korean
2019 The Student and Monsieur Henri [fr] 앙리할아버지와 나 Constance Piponnier Daehangno Uniplex 1 March 15 to May 12
2020 Sejong Korean Theater Yeoju November 13 to 14
2020–2021 Yes24 Stage 1 December 3 to February 14

Ambassadorship

  • Ambassador of Korean Liquor Festival (2019–2022)

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 Ref.
APAN Star Awards 2022 Popularity Star Award, Actress Bossam: Steal the Fate Nominated
Best Couple Kwon Yu-ri (with Jung Il-woo)
Bossam: Steal the Fate
Nominated
Asia Artist Awards 2021 Best Acting Kwon Yu-ri Won
2022 Best Achievement X HITO Communications Won
Asia Celebrity (Actor) Won
Best Actor Award Won
Baeksang Arts Awards 2013 Most Popular Actress – TV Fashion King Won
2014 Most Popular Actress – Film No Breathing Won
Blue Dragon Series Awards 2023 Best Female Entertainer The Zone: Survival Mission Nominated
KBS Entertainment Awards 2010 Best Female MC Invincible Youth Nominated
Korean Arts and Culture Awards 2020 New Media Category Yuri's Winning Recipe Won
Korea Drama Awards 2012 Best New Actress Fashion King Nominated
MBC Entertainment Awards 2011 MC Special Award Show! Music Core (with Tiffany) Won
2018 Best Entertainer for Sitcoms Dae Jang Geum Is Watching Won
Excellence in Music and Talk (Female) Nominated
Best Couple Kwon Yu-ri (with Shin Dong-wook)
in Dae Jang Geum Is Watching
Nominated
2021 Special Award My Teenage Girl Won
Mnet 20's Choice Awards 2011 Hot Campus Girl Kwon Yu-ri Nominated
SBS Drama Awards 2012 New Star Award Fashion King Won
2017 Excellence Award, Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama Innocent Defendant Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kwon Yu-ri para niños

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