Lee Hyori facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Hyo-ri
Lee in 2017
Born	(1979-05-10) May 10, 1979 (age 46) Cheongwon, South Korea
Other names	Linda.G Lee Chun Ok
Occupation	Singer record producer activist actress television presenter
Agent	Antenna
Spouse(s)	Lee Sang-soon ​ (m. 2013)​
Musical career
Genres	K-pop R&B
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1998–present
Labels	DSP Mnet Media B2M Kiwi Media
Korean name
Hangul	이효리
Hanja	李孝利
Revised Romanization	I Hyori
McCune–Reischauer	I Hyori
Signature

Lee Hyo-ri (born May 10, 1979) is a famous South Korean singer, TV host, and actress. She also works as a record producer and an activist. Lee Hyo-ri first became known in 1998 as a member of the popular girl group Fin.K.L. This group was one of the biggest in South Korea in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Later, she also joined other music groups like Refund Sisters and SSAK3 in 2020.

Lee started her solo music career in August 2003 with her album Stylish.... This album sold many copies and featured the hit song "10 Minutes". The song became very popular in South Korea. Lee won many top awards, called daesangs, at major music shows. Her huge popularity in 2003 was even called the "Hyori Syndrome" by the media. Some people even called 2003 "the year of Hyori".

Her second album, Dark Angel (2006), had songs like "Get Ya!". Her third album, It's Hyorish (2008), was very successful. It became the best-selling album by a female solo artist in 2008. The song "U-Go-Girl" from this album was number one on music charts for many weeks.

Lee took a break from the entertainment world for a while. During this time, she became a strong voice for important causes, especially animal rights. On TV, Lee was known as the "Nation's Fairy" when she appeared on the show Family Outing. She even won a Grand Prize for her work on the program in 2009. In 2006, Lee became the highest-paid female singer in South Korea. The Korea Times newspaper named her one of the top 10 Most Influential Women in Culture since 1950.

Early Life and Beginnings (1979–2002)

Growing Up and First Steps in Music

Lee Hyo-ri was born in 1979 in Cheongwon County, South Korea. She was the youngest of three daughters. Lee grew up in a small barbershop.

She was discovered by an agency while taking photos with her friends. She trained to become a singer with SM Entertainment. Later, she joined the girl group Fin.K.L as their leader.

Starting with Fin.K.L (1998–2002)

Lee began her career as the leader of the K-pop girl group Fin.K.L. She was the last member to join the group before their debut in January 1998. Fin.K.L officially started on May 22, 1998, with their first song "Blue Rain".

Their second song, "To My Boyfriend", quickly became a number one hit. Fin.K.L became one of the most popular and successful K-pop groups ever. They were often compared to another famous girl group, S.E.S..

Solo Career and TV Fame (2003–2009)

Stylish... and Huge Success (2003–2005)

After Fin.K.L's fourth album, Lee released her first solo album, Stylish..., in August 2003. The main song, "10 Minutes", became one of her most famous hits. Lee won many top music awards, including seven daesangs.

Stylish... sold over 144,000 copies in South Korea. Her popularity was so big that people called it the "Hyori Syndrome". The Korean media even called 2003 "The Year of Hyori". She won many awards for "10 Minutes" at the end of the year.

In January 2005, Lee tried acting in the TV show Three Leaf Clover. However, the show did not get high ratings. Viewers also felt that her acting needed to improve.

New Music and TV Shows (2006–2007)

In February 2006, Lee released her next album, Dark Angel. The first song, "Get Ya!", faced some issues. Lee then signed a big contract with Mnet Entertainment. This made her the highest-paid female singer in South Korea at the time.

In 2007, Lee starred in a mini-drama called If in Love... Like Them. She also released a digital single for the drama's soundtrack. The main song was "Toc Toc Toc". This single sold very well, becoming the best-selling album that month.

Lee performing in 2007

TV Hosting and It's Hyorish (2008–2009)

During breaks from music, Lee hosted many TV shows. She co-hosted Happy Together with Yoo Jae-suk. She was also a main cast member of the popular variety show Family Outing. Mnet even made a show called Off the Record: Lee Hyori. It showed her daily life for three months.

Her third album, It's Hyorish, came out on July 14, 2008. The first song, "U-Go-Girl", quickly reached number one on music charts. On December 20, 2008, Lee held her first solo concert, Lee Hyori the Invincible. All the tickets for the concert sold out in just five minutes!

Later Career and Activism (2010–Present)

Music Comebacks and Reality Shows (2015–2017)

Lee performing in 2007

In 2015, Lee announced she would take a two-year break from entertainment. She wanted to have more time for herself. In October 2016, she hinted that she was working on new music. By November, it was confirmed she had signed with Kiwi Media Group for a new album in 2017. She also returned to social media in December.

In April 2017, it was announced that Lee and her husband would star in a new reality show called Hyori's Homestay. In June, her agency confirmed her music comeback for early July. Her sixth album, Black, was released on July 4, 2017. Lee wrote and composed most of the songs on this album herself.

New Groups and Hosting (2017–Present)

Lee and her husband, Lee Sang-soon, opened their home in Jeju Island as a guest house for the show Hyori's Homestay. In the first season, singer IU joined as an employee. In the second season, YoonA took over, and Park Bo-gum also worked as a temporary employee. In 2019, Lee reunited with Fin.K.L for a new reality show called "Camping Club".

In May 2020, Lee joined ESteem Entertainment. Through the TV show Hangout with Yoo, she formed a summer co-ed music group called SSAK3. She used the stage name Linda G. The group, with Rain and Yoo Jae-suk, released their debut song "Beach Again" on July 18, 2020. All the money from their songs and promotions was given to help communities in need.

Lee at a university festival in 2023

After the SSAK3 project, Lee formed another girl group called Refund Sisters. She chose Uhm Jung-hwa, Jessi, and Hwasa to join her. Yoo Jae-suk was their producer. They released their first song "Don't Touch Me" on October 10, 2020. This song also reached number one in South Korea.

In October 2021, Lee was announced as the host for the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards. She was the first woman to host the show by herself. In February 2023, Lee signed with Antenna. She also joined a TV show called Dancing Queens on the Road with other famous singers. On October 12, 2023, Lee released a new song called "Hoodie E Banbaji".

In January 2024, Lee started hosting the TV talk show The Seasons: Lee Hyori's Red Carpet. In September 2024, Lee and her husband moved back to Seoul after living in Jeju Island for over 10 years. They plan to be more active in their careers.

Musical Style and Influence

Music and Voice

After Fin.K.L, Lee's music style became more urban pop and dance-pop. With her album H-Logic, she started adding hip-hop sounds to her music. Later, her songs were influenced by country, blues, disco, folk, and rock music.

Lee often writes or co-writes songs for her albums. Later in her career, she started composing and producing much of her own music. Her songs talk about many topics, from love to empowering women and social issues. Lee is known for singing with a lot of emotion in her songs. She has said that she has grown to like her own voice.

Impact on Others

Lee Hyori has been listed many times on the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 list. This shows how influential she is. Many artists have said that Lee has inspired them. These include groups like Kara and members of Blackpink like Jennie. Other artists like Jeon Somi and Chungha also look up to her.

Other Activities

Activism and Charity Work

Lee is known as a "socialtainer" in South Korea. This means she uses her fame to support social causes and do charity work. She follows a pescetarian diet (eating fish but no other meat) for ethical and health reasons. She is a strong supporter of animal welfare and animal rights.

In 2012, she published a book called Closer. It was a photo-essay book about her daily life with her dog, Soonshim, whom she adopted from an animal shelter. In the book, Lee shared her thoughts on animal rights and shelters. She has also given money to shelters and taken in stray animals. Her work for animals even led her to interview the famous scientist Jane Goodall.

Lee has also spoken out on other social issues. In 2014, she publicly supported workers who were laid off from a car company. She encouraged her fans to vote during the 2012 presidential elections. In a 2012 poll, Lee was named one of "the socialtainers that best represents Korea".

Personal Life

Lee Hyo-ri married musician Lee Sang-soon, who is a guitarist in the rock band Roller Coaster. They got married on September 1, 2013, at their home on Mt. Halla in Jeju Island. Both Lee and her husband are members of an animal rights group. They started dating after working together on a song to support animal shelters in 2011.

Discography

• Stylish... (2003)
• Dark Angel (2006)
• It's Hyorish (2008)
• H-Logic (2010)
• Monochrome (2013)
• Black (2017)

Concerts

• The First Concert: Lee Hyori the Invincible (2008)

Filmography

Television Shows

Web Shows

Films

Hosting Events

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Lee Hyori para niños