Singer Annie, the eldest daughter of Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yu-kyung, opened up about her journey debuting as a member of the mixed-gender K-pop group Allday Project on the YouTube variety show “Salon Drip 2” on Tuesday.

"Whenever 2NE1 or Big Bang songs came on, I immediately copied the choreography," she said, sharing how she first dreamed of becoming a K-pop idol. "I always had to do [2NE1 member] CL’s parts. I even bribed my younger sibling with chocolate to memorize the other members' parts."


When asked what her parents nagged her about the most, Annie laughed, saying, “When I practiced my singing or dancing, they’d say I was too loud.”

She also recalled her parents telling her, “‘If you worked this hard at something else, you’d have built a house by now.’”

Annie said at first, her family didn’t take her dreams of becoming a singer seriously.

“When I said I wanted to be a singer, they just said it must be a passing phase,” she said. “So, I still hate that phrase — ‘a passing phase.’”

Annie said she took the initiative to audition for agencies herself. At the time, she was studying abroad in the United States and spent four years taking remote classes run by the agency.

“I couldn’t train in Korea, so I’d send in videos and receive feedback,” she explained. “I spent almost four years like that, and during school breaks, I came to Korea to train in person.”

Hearing this, comedian Jang Do-yeon, who hosts the show, complimented Annie’s “tenacity.”

Annie also shared that during her trainee days, her family became fond of Tarzzan, another member of Allday Project.

“When we were hungry after practice, and it felt awkward to eat at the company, we’d come to my house and order food,” she said.

“My family really adores Tarzzan. I’m not the type to be very affectionate with my family, but Tarzzan is, so they love him for that.”

She also recalled singing mixed-gender group Zaza’s 2007 song “In the Bus” with him at her house.


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]