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Qri
이지현
170614 T-ARA 06.jpg
Qri in June 2017
Born
Lee Ji-hyun

(1986-12-12) 12 December 1986 (age 38)
Goyang, South Korea
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actress
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • bass
Years active 2009–present
Labels
Korean name
Hangul 큐리
Revised Romanization Kyuri
McCune–Reischauer K'yuri
Birth name
Hangul 이지현
Hanja
Revised Romanization I Ji-hyeon
McCune–Reischauer Yi Chihyŏn
Signature
Qri's signature.png

Lee Ji-hyun (Hangul: 이지현; born 12 December 1986), better known by her stage name Qri (Hangul: 큐리), is a South Korean singer, actress, model and fashion designer. She debuted as a member of girl group T-ara in July 2009. Since 2009, Qri has been active in the entertainment industry from acting and variety shows to music to modeling. Her most notable works include her supporting role in hit drama Queen Seondeok, which received near-universal acclaim, winning over 20 awards and solidifying Qri's career in the field.

Qri showed high interest in fashion design in 2018 and ended up designing several commercial products. Qri launched her self-produced jewelry brand "Qriel" in 2021.

Early life and education

Qri at K Collection in Seoul, March 2012 03
Qri at K Collection, Seoul 2012

Lee Ji-hyun was born on 12 December 1986. She has studied at Juyeob High School, and then attended Myungji University, enrolling in the Department of Theatre and Visual Arts, the same class as fellow group member, Boram. She was a model, a famous ulzzang and was supposed to be a bassist of the rock band Six Color, before her debut as a T-ara member.

Career

2007–2009: Background and T-ara

Prior to her debut, Qri was a model and actress. She appeared on several TV dramas and shows on Children TV. She also modeled for South Korean brands including Casamia Furniture and Galbanara, as well as international brands such as LG Group and Maybelline New York. In 2007, she appeared on Shin Tae-kwon's "Even If We're Apart" music video.

Qri was the last of the three new members to be added to the group after two former members Jiae and Jiwon quit in mid-2009. It was later mentioned on tvN's Taxi that she was introduced to the CEO of Core Contents Media by her original company.

2007–2009: Acting debut and breakthrough

In September 2009, Qri made her acting debut in the drama Queen Seondeok as Kim Yu-shin's wife. The drama went on to become one of 2009's highest rated and most awarded drama in South Korea. On October 21, 2009, she appeared on the cover on Ceci Campus magazine. In 2010, She made a cameo appearance in the drama Master of Study. The same year, Qri was cast in her first main role on KBS's Drama special, titled Southern Trader Kim Chul Soo's Update which received a nomination at 2010 KBS Drama Awards,' and then she appeared on SBS's drama Giants as an on-stage singer. In 2011, She was cast for KBS' drama The King of Legend, starting from episode 47.

2013–Present: QBS and solo career

Qri, Boram and Soyeon formed a subgroup called QBS in May 2013, focused on the Japanese market. The subgroup released their debut single titled "Like the Wind" on 26 June 2013. The single debuted at number 7 on Oricon's Weekly Singles Chart. The group held a mini-live tour in 3 cities in Japan. The Tokyo show ,reportedly, was attended by more than 2,000 fans.

In July 2013, Qri became the new leader of T-ara under the group's rotating leadership system. On December 3, 2013, she, along with groupmate Eun-jung attended and gave a congratulatory speech at the 2013 Fashion Pictorial Exhibition at Seoul Institute of the Arts. In 2015, she played a main role on the web drama Sweet Temptation. The drama became one of Naver's most watched original shows.

In 2021, Qri released her very first solo digital single "Suri Suri". Qri participated in the writing and production of the song. No music video was filmed for the song. On 29 September, Qri expressed her gratitude to her fans for the song's success through Instagram. The song topped iTunes Vietnam for 3 days as well as charting in other countries. The song also debuted at #1 on multiple Chinese weekly charts including Migu China.

On August 2nd, 2024, OSEN reported that Qri would be returning to acting 9 years after her last appearance in Sweet Temptation. The actress would make a special appearance in the new MBN mini-series Bad Memories Eraser.

Other ventures

Endorsements

Prior to her debut as a singer with T-ara, Qri worked with several brands and shopping malls. Qri has worked with many Korean brands including Casamia Furniture and Galbanara, as well as international brands such as LG Group and Maybelline New York. In 2021, Qri became an advertising model for Castellbajac, she filmed multiple videos for the brand which were all released online.

Fashion design

In 2018, Qri announced the launch of her first self-designed product collection with "Celebrity hat brand" Sebs named "Seb.Q" . The collection featured colored hats and hoodies. It was announced that Qri participated in both the designing and production of the products. The project was a huge success with all products selling out and constantly being restocked since 2018. The same year she launched her self-designed clothing brand "Choute.rie" which was sold in South Korea and also exported overseas. In 2021, Qri established her own jewelry brand named "Qriel" for which she modeled herself.

Philanthropy

In September 2014, Qri along with T-ara members donated 1,500Kg of rice "Dongducheon Angel" Movement. She personally delivered the donation to "Dongducheon Angel" Headquarters and held an additional fan-sign event to celebrate the Chuseok holiday with Boram and Hyomin. In April 2017, Qri, along with her groupmate Hyomin, participated in the "Donation Applause 337 Relay" campaign.

Discography

Song Year Album Artist
"Soap Bubbles" (with Boram) 2013 Bunny Style! T-ara
"Do We Do We"
"Diamond" 2017 What's My Name?
"Suri Suri" 2021 Non-album single Qri

Songwriting credits

Year Album Song Lyrics
Credited With
2021 non-album single "Suri Suri" Yes BM, Oh Yu-won

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2010 Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp Cameo
2011 Ghastly

Television series

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2009 Queen Seondeok Young Mo
2010 Master of Study Cameo
Southern Trader Kim Chul Soo's Updates Lee Kyung
Giant Singer Cameo
2011 King Geunchogo Princess Bu Yeo-jin
2024 Bad Memories Eraser Lee Shin Special appearance

Web series

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2010 Bubi Bubi Qri
2015 Sweet Temptation Qri
scope="row" 0TBA Nebula Korean-Japanese series

Variety shows

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2009 M! Countdown Special Host K-Chart announcer
Mnet Scandal Cast With Hyomin
2012 M! Countdown Special Host With Boram
2016 Idol Intern King Main Cast
2021 South Korean Foreigners Contestant Girl group generations special

Music videos

Year Title Artist Album
2007 "Even If We're Apart" Shin Tae-kwon Song for You

Live performances

Award Shows

Year Dates Title City Country
2013 January 16, 2013 27th Golden Disk Awards Kuala Lampur Malaysia

TV Shows & Specials

Year Date Show Performed Songs Notes
2010 September 22, 2010 Idol Star Trot Match "Seoul Trot" (cover) Chuseok special program

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Award Ceremony Year Category Recipient Result Ref
LBMA Star Awards 2017 Korean Wave Star Award Qri Won

Listicles

Publisher Year List Placement Ref.
Forbes China 2017 Global Idol Chinese Popularity Ranking 37th

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Qri (cantante) para niños

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