Irene (Red Velvet) Profile, Bio, & Facts

Irene (아이린) is a South Korean singer, rapper, actress, and a member of the girl group Red Velvet under SM Entertainment. She is a member of Red Velvet’s subunit “Irene & Seulgi”.

Irene (Red Velvet) Profile

Irene (Red Velvet) Facts:

Early Life

– Irene was born in Daegu, South Korea.
– She went to Daegu Inji Elementary School and Unam Middle School.
– She moved to Seoul during her 3rd year of high school to pursue a career in performing.
– She graduated from Haknam High School.

Personal Life

– She cannot sleep in silence. If it’s too quiet, she keeps the TV on to sleep. (Allure 2019)
– She used to ask someone to buy her things but now she shops online. (Vogue)
– Her family consists of parents and a younger sister.
– Her hobbies include dancing and cooking seaweed soup, especially for the members’ birthdays.
– Her superpower of choice would be teleportation. (Buzzfeed)
– The song of her life is “Confetti” by Tori Kelly because it’s a song that tunes everything out. (Teen Vogue)
– She is friends with Sehun from EXO, and Solar from Mamamoo.
– During her trainee days, she had a close friendship with f(x)’s Amber.
– She looks up to and respects her mother for still regularly exercising. (Allure 2019)
– She admits to struggling with insecurities and often seeks validation from those around her regarding her performance.
– The stage name “Irene” is inspired by Greek mythology, signifying the “goddess of peace.”
– She feels lost when she only does things that she is told to so she always tries to find new things she wants to do. (Nylon)
– Her happiest summer vacation spot is Bali because she had a lot of fun with the members there. (Allure Korea)
– She tries to control her emotions to be in sync with what the song is representing before going on stage to perform. (Nylon)
– Due to her keen sense of smell, she often keeps pleasant fragrances nearby for comfort.
– Seulgi thinks of her as family, as a real older sister. (Glamour)
– Pink is her representative color.
– She is lucky as she often wins in various games or contests, whereas Wendy has the opposite luck, frequently losing in similar situations.
– Irene’s ideal type is someone warm.

Career

– Irene is the leader, main rapper, lead dancer, sub-vocalist, visual, and center in Red Velvet.
– She was scouted in 2009 through a public audition.
– She made her acting debut in the web drama ‘The Female Employees of a Game Company’ as the female lead, A-reum.
– She has made appearances in various music videos, such as Henry’s “143” and SHINee’s “Why So Serious.”
– Irene ranked #71 on the list of “The Most Beautiful Faces of 2016” and #55 on the list of “The Most Beautiful Faces of 2017.”
– She further ranked 41st on TC Candler’s “The 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2018.

Endorsements

– She has been appointed as a model for many brands including “Ivy Club”, “EIDER”, “DAMIANI” and “Clinique”.
– She was appointed as a Korean Ambassador for PRADA. (Naver)
– She was appointed as the muse of 2aN in 2023. (MORE)

Likes & Dislikes

– Purple is her favorite color.
– She likes rock music and ballads.
– Her favourite song from their first Japanese mini album is “Cause it’s you”. (Vogue Girl Japan)
– Her favorite number is 43 because 143 can mean ‘I Love You.’
– Her favourite summer music is “The Blue Night of Jeju Island”. (Allure Korea)

Food Preferences

– She can’t eat chicken because she got sick after eating it when she was young.
– She likes to eat vegetables in soups.
– Her favourite summer dish is soy bean noodle soup. (Allure Korea)
– She doesn’t like coffee.

Nicknames

– Irene has various nicknames such as “Cabbage” (Baechu), “Mother”, “Hyun-ah”, and “Grandma”.
– Her nicknames before her debut were “Daegu Beauty”, “Daegu Goddess”, and “Barbie of Unam Middle School”. (TMI Interview)

Abilities

– Her body is the most flexible among Red Velvet members.
– She can imitate the character Doraemon.
– She has acrophobia, a fear of heights.

Personality & Habits

– She has a habit of linking arms and holding hands with others.
– Joy describes Irene as initially shy and appearing cold, but once you get to know her, she is warm and kind.
– She described herself as someone who has to make plans for everything she does and does them in order. (Weekly Idol)

Controversy

– In October 2020, Irene faced backlash for mistreating a fashion editor, Kang Kook-hwa, who made allegations on Instagram.
– Irene issued an official apology on social media for her actions and SM Entertainment also released an apology statement addressing the controversy.
– This incident raised concerns about “gapjil” culture, referring to abusive conduct by individuals in positions of power or seniority, in South Korean society and public reaction highlighted gender disparities in South Korea, particularly regarding female idol group members being held to a higher standard than their male counterparts.
– Some individuals who had worked with Irene came to her defense, stating that she was respectful and appreciative towards her staff. Ellena Yim, a former SM stylist, mentioned that there are multiple sides to the story, and people should consider different perspectives.
– The involved fashion editor clarified that no monetary settlement occurred, only a mutual exchange of apologies.

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Instagram: renebaebae

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Spotify | Bugs | Melon 

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