Irene – Bio, Career, Age, Achievements

Get to know Irene

Irene is a South Korean singer, actress, and rapper who is best known as the leader and visual of the K-pop girl group Red Velvet under SM Entertainment. She debuted with Red Velvet on August 1, 2014, with the single “Happiness.” She is also a member of the sub-unit Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi, which debuted in July 2020 with the EP Monster. Known as a “CF Queen” for her numerous endorsement deals, she has been an ambassador for brands including Prada, Clinique, and Damiani. She released her debut solo EP Like a Flower in November 2024 and her first studio album Biggest Fan in 2026, followed by her first solo Asia tour “I-WILL.”

Birth name: Bae Joo-hyun (배주현)

Career
Singer, actress, rapper, model, MC

Birthday
March 29, 1991

Age

Zodiac Sign:
Aries

Birthplace:
Daegu, South Korea

Nationality:
South Korean

HOW BIG IS Irene ON THE NET?

Irene is one of the most recognized faces in K-pop and South Korean entertainment. She has a massive following on Instagram under the handle @renebaebae. She is widely regarded as one of the top visuals in K-pop history and has been hailed as a “CF Queen” due to her enormous marketing power and numerous endorsement deals spanning cosmetics, luxury fashion, and consumer brands.

HOW DID Irene become famous?

Irene joined SM Entertainment as a trainee in 2009 and trained for five years. She was introduced as a member of SM Rookies in December 2013 before debuting as the leader of Red Velvet on August 1, 2014. Red Velvet quickly established themselves as one of the top K-pop girl groups, with hits like “Ice Cream Cake,” “Red Flavor,” “Peek-a-Boo,” “Bad Boy,” “Power Up,” and “Psycho.” Her hosting of Music Bank with Park Bo-gum from 2015 to 2016 also boosted her popularity.

BEFORE THE FAME

Before becoming a K-pop idol, Irene was born in Daegu, South Korea. She moved to Seoul during her third year of high school to pursue a career as a performer. She joined SM Entertainment in 2009 and spent five years as a trainee. During her trainee years, she appeared in music videos for labelmate Henry Lau and was introduced as part of SM Rookies alongside future NCT members Jaehyun and Taeyong.

CLOSE WITH (ASSOCIATED)

Irene is the leader of Red Velvet alongside Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri. She formed the sub-unit Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi with Seulgi. She has hosted Music Bank with actor Park Bo-gum and has worked with brands including Prada, Clinique, and Damiani.

Personal Life and Relationship

Irene keeps her personal life very private. She is known for her generous philanthropy, having donated ₩100 million to the Community Chest of Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She graduated from Haknam High School and is known for her quiet, reserved personality off-stage.