Naeun

Who Is Naeun?

Naeun, born Son Na-eun on February 10, 1994, in Seoul, South Korea, is a singer, model, and actress best known as the former visual and center of the K-pop girl group Apink. Scouted as a teenager, she became the very first Apink member introduced to the public in early 2011, and went on to spend eleven years as one of the group’s most recognizable faces before stepping away in 2022 to focus fully on acting.

Early Life and Debut with Apink

Naeun attended Chungdam High School before transferring to the School of Performing Arts Seoul, graduating in February 2013. She later studied theatre and film at Dongguk University. Before debuting, she appeared in music videos for label-mates Beast (now Highlight), building early buzz around her visual. On April 19, 2011, she debuted alongside six other trainees as a member of Apink with the mini album Seven Springs of Apink, taking on duties as lead dancer, vocalist, rapper, and eventually center and visual of the group.

Acting Career Alongside Apink

Naeun balanced her idol schedule with an increasingly active acting résumé. She made her drama debut in 2012 in the historical series The Great Seer and appeared in the film Return of the Noble Family the same year. Her profile grew further through the reality dating show We Got Married, where she was paired with SHINee’s Taemin as a virtual couple, a partnership that earned her the Star of the Year award at the MBC Entertainment Awards. She went on to headline the tvN romantic comedy Cinderella and Four Knights (2016) and continued taking on television and film roles throughout the following years, including Dinner Mate (2020) and Ghost Doctor (2022).

Apink Y.O.S and Later Years with the Group

In April 2020, Naeun teamed up with fellow members Bomi and Hayoung to form the sub-unit Apink Y.O.S, releasing the single “Love Is Blind” as part of the group’s ninth mini album Look. In April 2021, she left her long-time agency, Play M Entertainment, but continued promoting with Apink while signing separately with YG Entertainment to manage her acting career, a dual-agency arrangement that let her keep one foot in music and one in film and television.

Departure from Apink and Life After

On April 8, 2022, Naeun shared a handwritten letter announcing that she was officially leaving Apink after eleven years, citing the difficulty of balancing acting and idol promotions. Since then, she has focused almost entirely on her acting and modeling career, taking on brand ambassador roles (including for The North Face in 2023) and continuing to appear in dramas. In May 2025, she signed with the agency J,WIDE-Company to continue her acting career. Though she is no longer a performing idol, Naeun remains one of the most fondly remembered members of Apink’s original lineup, celebrated for the visual and center presence she brought to the group throughout the 2010s.