Lee Joo-yeon (born March 19, 1987), formerly known mononymously as Jooyeon, is a South Korean actress and singer. She is best known for being a former member of the girl group After School. Since leaving After School, she has focused primarily on acting. She made her acting debut in the drama ''

Smile Again Smile Again may refer to: * ''Smile Again'' (2006 TV series) * ''Smile Again'' (2010 TV series) * "Smile Again", a song by Blackbear from ''Everything Means Nothing'' * "Smile Again", a song by Neoton Família * "Smile Again", a song by Usher fro ...

'' (2010) and has participated in other dramas since then.

Career

2007–2014: Pre-debut and career beginnings

In 2007, Jooyeon made a cameo in the movie

My Tutor Friend 2 ''My Tutor Friend 2'' () is a 2007 South Korean romantic comedy film released on April 19, 2007. It was promoted as a sequel to the 2003 movie '' My Tutor Friend'', but the films' characters and plots are unrelated, and only share the basic premis ...

, playing the role of Azumi. Before her debut, Jooyeon was famous on the internet for being an

Ulzzang ''Ulzzang'' (, ), also spelled as ''eoljjang'', is a popular South Korean term literally meaning "best face" or "good-looking". A person desiring ''ulzzang'' status would gain popularity on the internet through entering contests where their photo ...

, or "best face" which consisted of her being well known for her natural beauty features. She made her first unofficial appearance with After School's on December 29, 2008, at the SBS Song Festival, performing "Play Girlz" with Son Dam-bi. On January 15, 2009, Jooyeon made her debut in South Korean girl group After School, with the release of their debut single "AH!" alongside their EP, ''New Schoolgirl''. On 17 January, the group made their live debut on MBC's,

Music Core ''Show! Music Core'' (), or simply ''Music Core'' is a South Korean music television program broadcast by MBC. It airs live every Saturday at 15:30 (KST). The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform live on stage. I ...

. In 2010, Jooyeon made her acting debut in the drama ''

'' and was a member of G7 in the variety show ''

Invincible Youth ''Invincible Youth'' () is a South Korean variety show which aired its first season on KBS2 from October 23, 2009 to December 24, 2010. Season 1 featured seven girls (collectively known as G7) from K-pop idol groups wherein they experience how it i ...

''. Over the years, she starred as supporting roles in various dramas and movies. In 2011, she became the leader of A.S. Blue. The sub-unit debuted with the single "Wonder Boy" on July 20. On December 31, 2014, Jooyeon's contract with Pledis Entertainment expired and she graduated from After School on June 30, 2015, after Japan promotions. Jooyeon was the only member, along with Jungah, who was in the group for all promotional periods.

2015—present: Acting career and further roles

In January 2015, following her graduation and departure from After School, Jooyeon signed with Better ENT to pursue her acting career. She made her first appearance under her new company in the film ''Sorry, I Love You, Thank You'', playing the role of Jung Hye-mi. She has since gone on to star in a number of dramas, such as ''All Kinds of Daughters-In-Law''. In 2017, Lee took on acting roles in crime flick '' The King'' and historical drama ''

Saimdang, Memoir of Colors ''Saimdang, Memoir of Colors'' () is a South Korean drama starring Lee Young-ae in the title role as Shin Saimdang, a famous Joseon-era artist and calligrapher who lived in the early 16th century. It aired on SBS every Wednesday and Thursday a ...

''. In 2018, Jooyeon's contract with Better ENT expired and she began looking for a new agency. She subsequently signed with

Mystic Story Mystic Story (formerly Mystic Entertainment, , abbreviated as MSTSTR) is a South Korean entertainment company established by South Korean singer-songwriter Yoon Jong-shin. It has three subsidiaries, including Mystic Actors, which manages actors ...

. Later that year, Jooyeon took on supporting roles in '' The Undateables'' and ''

Devilish Charm ''Devilish Charm'' () is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Choi Jin-hyuk, Song Ha-yoon, Lee Ho-won, and Lee Joo-yeon. It aired on MBN and Dramax from September 5 to October 25, 2018, every Wednesday and Thursday at 23:00 ( KST) fo ...

''. On May 27, 2021, Lee signed with

C-JeS Entertainment C-JeS Studios (formerly known as C-JeS Entertainment) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2009 that handles the management of various artists. History The agency was established to meet the management needs of Jaejoong, Junsu ...

Personal life

On February 22, 2011, Jooyeon graduated from

Dongduk Women's University Dongduk Women's University (DWU; ) is a private university in Seoul, South Korea. Dongduk Women's University is originated from Dongwon Girls School, founded in 1950. DWU is composed of eight colleges, six departments, 18 majors, 16 departments o ...

with a major in broadcasting. On November 21, 2011, Jooyeon was admitted to the hospital with acute

nephritis Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy. Types * Glomerulonephritis is inflammation ...

. On November 29, she was discharged and had resumed all group activities.

Discography

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Variety shows

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Joo-yeon 1987 births Living people Musicians from Seoul Actresses from Seoul Singers from Seoul People from Nowon District Pledis Entertainment artists South Korean female idols South Korean women pop singers South Korean television actresses South Korean film actresses Mystic Story artists Dongduk Women's University alumni After School (band) members 21st-century South Korean women singers Better ENT artists