Bona

Bona, born Kim Ji-yeon, is a main dancer, rapper, and vocalist of the South Korean girl group WJSN (Cosmic Girls) and a leading actress known for her breakout role in the hit drama Twenty-Five Twenty-One. As leader of WJSN’s original Wonder Unit and a member of the vocal sub-unit WJSN The Black, Bona has spent a decade proving she can shine equally on stage and on screen.

Early Life

Bona was born on August 19, 1995, in Dalseo District, Daegu, South Korea, where she also attended high school. Before joining Starship Entertainment in 2013, she trained under Cube Entertainment, giving her several years of preparation before her eventual debut as a K-pop idol.

Debut with WJSN

Bona was revealed as a member of WJSN’s Wonder Unit on December 15, 2015, and debuted with the full group on February 25, 2016, through the mini-album Would You Like? and its title track “MoMoMo.” Within WJSN, she’s recognised as a versatile triple threat — dancing, rapping, and singing — and often shares centre-stage moments during the group’s title-track choreography.

Acting Career

Bona made her acting debut in the 2017 KBS2 drama Hit the Top, followed by the female lead role in the teen drama Girls’ Generation 1979. She earned Best New Actress at the 2020 KBS Drama Awards for her role in Homemade Love Story. Her biggest breakthrough came in 2022, when she played gold-medalist fencer Ko Yu-rim in the acclaimed tvN series Twenty-Five Twenty-One alongside Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk — one of the highest-rated Korean cable dramas of all time. She followed this with lead and supporting roles in Joseon Attorney (2023) and Pyramid Game (2024), often credited under her real name, Kim Ji-yeon, for her acting work.

Balancing Music and Screen Work

Despite her busy filming schedule, Bona has stayed committed to WJSN. She rejoined the group for the third round of Mnet’s Queendom 2 in 2022 after wrapping Twenty-Five Twenty-One, helping WJSN clinch the competition’s final win. She is also part of WJSN The Black, the group’s four-member vocal-and-visual sub-unit formed in 2021 alongside SeolA, Exy, and Eunseo.

Personality and Public Image

Bona is widely praised for her striking visuals, work ethic, and down-to-earth personality. She has picked up several honors recognising her dual career, including the Best Acting Performance award at the 2022 Asia Artist Awards and a Best Couple prize at the 2023 MBC Drama Awards. As the leader of WJSN’s Wonder Unit and one of its most recognisable faces in Korean television, Bona continues to be one of the group’s biggest crossover success stories.