Chorong

Who Is Chorong?

Chorong (초롱), born Park Cho-rong on March 3, 1991, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and actress best known as the leader of Apink, one of K-pop’s longest-running girl groups. Since Apink’s debut in April 2011, Chorong has held the group together through lineup changes, agency shifts, and a run of hit songs, all while carving out her own space as a lyricist and actress.

Early Life and Trainee Days

Chorong grew up in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, the middle child of three sisters. Her father ran a Hapkido academy, and she trained under him for eight years, eventually earning a third-degree black belt. In 2009 she auditioned for JYP Entertainment alongside future SISTAR member Dasom, making it to the final round before ultimately becoming a trainee at Cube Entertainment, the agency that would soon launch Apink under its A Cube Entertainment label.

Debut and Life as Apink’s Leader

Chorong was revealed as Apink’s second member through a Japanese teaser video for Beast’s “Shock,” and she debuted with the group on April 19, 2011, with the EP Seven Springs of Apink. As leader, she has steered the group through albums like Secret Garden, Pink Blossom, and Pink Luv, as well as the lineup changes that saw the group go from seven members down to five. Among Apink’s members, Chorong is known as the most active songwriter for the group’s side tracks, having written the fan song “April 19th” for the group’s first anniversary and contributed to numerous tracks since.

Acting Career

Chorong’s acting career actually predates Apink itself, with a small role in the 2010 sitcom “All My Love.” She went on to appear in the hit drama “Reply 1997,” landed her first lead role in “Plus Nine Boys” (2014), starred in the web drama “Special Law Romance” (2017), and made her feature film debut in “Road Family” (2020).

Apink ChoBom and Recent Activities

In 2022, Chorong and fellow member Bomi launched Apink ChoBom, the group’s first official sub-unit, debuting with the single album “Copycat.” The following year, she signed with Choi Creative Lab alongside Bomi, Namjoo, and Hayoung after choosing not to renew her contract with IST Entertainment, while Eunji stayed on separately. In 2024 she released her solo digital single “Fallin’,” and by 2025 her management had transitioned to With Us Entertainment. In 2026, Chorong led Apink through their fifteenth anniversary celebrations with the EP Re : Love.

Quick Facts

With fifteen years of steady leadership, songwriting credits, a growing acting resume, and the creation of Apink ChoBom, Chorong remains one of the most trusted and enduring figures in K-pop, admired as much for her calm reliability as for her talent.