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Chaebol idol opens up about struggle to gain family support for K-pop career

Published: 14 Jun. 2025, 14:40 Updated: 15 Jun. 2025, 17:23

Annie Moon, a member of the co-ed group All Day Project, in a YouTube video [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Annie Moon, a member of the upcoming mixed-gender quintet Allday Project and part of the Shinsegae Group family, revealed that her journey to becoming a singer faced strong resistance from her family.

Born in 2002, the 23-year-old is the granddaughter of Shinsegae Group Chairwoman Lee Myung-hee and the eldest daughter of Chung Yoo-kyung, president of Shinsegae’s department store division.

“One day, I casually asked my mom, ‘What would you think if I became a singer?’ and she just laughed it off, saying, ‘That’s ridiculous,’” Moon said in a video introducing the group’s members, uploaded on YouTube channel Allday Project on Friday.

“But two or three years later, I brought it up again — seriously this time — and told her, ‘I really want to become a singer,' to which she said, ‘What are you saying? Absolutely not.’ That was my first real heartbreak.”

The singer said her mother's opposition peaked during her final years of high school. “My mom eventually said that if I got into university, she would help convince the rest of the family,” she said. “So I didn't sleep and studied really hard and got accepted to a university," said Moon who is now a student at Columbia University.

“People often doubt whether I’m really serious about this path, so I’ve had to show more to prove how much it means to me," she said. “Even getting a little closer to debuting was good so I worked even harder each day. Now, it’s time for us to show the world what we’ve got.”

Moon also recalled how her love for music first began. “When I was seven, I happened to see the music video for ‘Lollipop’ by 2NE1 and Big Bang. It was so shocking — like a whole new world had opened up to me,” she said. “I knew right then that I had to do what they were doing.”

Allday Project is set to officially debut on June 23 under The Black Label, the agency led by producer Teddy, formerly of YG Entertainment. The group will be the label’s second idol act, following girl group MIAO.

Alongside Moon, the five-member Allday Project consists of: Bailey, Tarzzan, Woochan and Youngseo.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]