Lee Hyori is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of the successful pop

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 girl group

Girl group

A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...

 Fin.K.L

Fin.K.L

Fin.K.L was a Korean pop girl group that debuted in 1998.Their name stands for Fin Killing Liberty, and was intended to mean that the group stood against "the oppression of all freedom" . The group's name was selected by a poll of young people by the record company before the group's inception...

, but has since become a solo artist. In 2003 she released her debut solo album Stylish which won many "Daesangs" (a Korean award equivalent to "Artist of the Year"). In 2006, she was the highest-paid female singer in South Korea when she signed a contract with Mnet Media

Mnet Media

Mnet Media is a South Korean entertainment company under the label CJ Group, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It produces, broadcasts, distributes and provides variety of music and entertainment. Once the home to top-selling groups such as Lee Hyori and SG Wannabe...

.

Beginning in Fin K.L.

She started her career as part of the Korean pop girl group Fin.K.L

Fin.K.L

Fin.K.L was a Korean pop girl group that debuted in 1998.Their name stands for Fin Killing Liberty, and was intended to mean that the group stood against "the oppression of all freedom" . The group's name was selected by a poll of young people by the record company before the group's inception...

. As the oldest member, she would become the leader of the group. Lee was discovered while taking sticker pictures with her friends and was actually the last to join Fin.K.L., just before their debut in January 1998. Fin.K.L. debuted officially on May 22, 1998 with their first single "Blue Rain." It was received quite well. The second release from their first album, To My Boyfriend

To My Boyfriend

"To My Boyfriend" is a song by Fin.K.L, released as the second single from their first album Blue Rain.This song proved that Fin.K.L. truly deserved their popularity. "To My Boyfriend" became the first of their numerous number one hits of 1998....

, became the first of their multiple number one hits. Fin K.L. became one of the most popular and successful Korean groups of all-time, rivaling fellow popular girl group S.E.S.

S.E.S. (band)

S.E.S. , was a popular pop girl group that signed with SM Entertainment. Lasting from 1997 to 2002, they were viewed as the female version of H.O.T., another SM group who also enjoyed phenomenal popularity during the same years.S.E.S. was the first highly successful female K-pop group...

.

2002–2005:Solo Debut

A year after Fin K.L.'s fourth album Forever, her solo album was released at the end of 2003, entitled Stylish...E. The singer nearly swept the 2003 Daesangs, the most prestigious South Korean music award, winning more than seven of them, including three of the four most prestigious Daesangs. STYLISH...E hyOlee sold over 144,182 copies in South Korea alone, according to the Music Industry Association of Korea in 2003. Her popularity in her various activities eventually was dubbed as the "Hyori Syndrome" in South Korea, and the Korean Media nicknamed 2003 "The Year of Hyori" as she was rarely out of the news all year.

Lee Hyori has also appeared as the lead female actress in the SBS drama Three Leaf Clover co-starring opposite Ryu Jin

Ryu Jin

Ryu Jin is a South Korean actor.-Profile:*Name: 류진 / Ryu Jin*Birth Name: Im Yu Jin*Date of Birth: November 16, 1972*Height: 185 cm*Weight: 75 kg*Marital Status: Married to airline worker Lee Hye Sun- TV dramas :...

, Kim Jung Hwa, Kim Kang Woo and Lee Hoon. However, the ratings were continually low, and it ended after 16 episodes. On August 8, 2005 she co-hosted the annual Korean Music Festival for the second year running.

2006–2007: Move to M-Net and Dark Angel

In February 2006, Lee released her follow up album, Dark Angel. The first single, "Get Ya", was controversial as the songwriters of Britney Spears

Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...

' single "Do Somethin'

Do Somethin'

"Do Somethin" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her first greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative. It was released on February 14, 2005 by Jive Records as the second single from the album worldwide except North America...

" accused the "Get Ya" songwriters of plagiarism

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...

.

In November 2006, it was revealed that Hyori had signed a three-year contract with M-Net Entertainment for ₩

South Korean won

The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...

2.2 billion, becoming the highest paid female singer in South Korea (approx. $650,000/year).

Meanwhile, Hyori prepared to appear in a new "mini-drama" during February 2007, despite the failure of her previous drama. She starred alongside Lee Dong Gun in If In Love... Like Them which, although originally announced as being only one episode long, ran for four episodes on MNet. An edited two-episode version of the drama also ran on SBS. During filming for the drama, part of a roof Lee was standing on collapsed. Only her foot fell through the roof and she was able to be saved, and as it was reported the fall would have been fatal if co-star Lee Dong Gun had not rescued her.

In February 2007, Lee announced her new digital single which would essentially be the soundtrack to If In Love... Like Them. She had her comeback on SBS Inkigayo on February 25, 2007, performing all three main tracks from the single. The lead song was "Toc Toc Toc", which was a sexy R&B number like her previous efforts. However, the single also gave Lee an opportunity to sing ballads and to slowly move her image away from the "sexy superstar" that she is known to be. The single, although initially given a digital-only release, was given a limited retail release of only 30,000 copies, and was titled If In Love Like Them. Released on March 6, 2007, it included three of the tracks found in the digital single, along with a reworked version of "Toc Toc Toc". It was the best-selling album for that month, selling 27,845 copies.

Although her single succeeded, her drama was heavily penalized for violating advertising guidelines, as If In Love had several scenes advertising the products of its sponsors, in addition to using Lee's songs in the soundtrack. The Korean Broadcasting Committee has ruled that the drama can never be aired in South Korea again, and that the network must apologize to its viewers.

According to The Chosun Ilbo

The Chosun Ilbo

The Chosun Ilbo is one of the major newspapers in South Korea. With a daily circulation of over 2,200,000, the Chosun Ilbo has undertaken annual inspections since Audit Bureau of Circulations was established in 1993...

, Lee has also been promoting her work in Japan. Japanese network Fuji TV decided to air If In Love... Like Them and has even invited the singer/actress to visit Japan to promote the drama, where she will be treated to the same VIP treatment offered to other international stars. However, the drama was broadcast on satellite station

Satellite television

Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...

 CS Fuji, a smaller network that Fuji TV owned. The Japanese considered the leading part of this drama to be Lee Dong-gun

Lee Dong-gun

Lee Dong-gun is a South Korean actor.-Career:Lee made his debut in 1998 as an actor and singer. However, he has long since given up his singing career...

.

2008–2009: TV hosting and It's Hyorish

During breaks in her solo music career, Lee also hosted various television programs, including Time Machine and Happy Together, which she co-hosted with Yoo Jae-suk in 2006. It was reported on March 26, 2008 that Lee would join KBS's Sang Sang Plus as a co-host alongside Country Kko Kko members Shin Jung-hwan

Shin Jung-hwan

Shin Jung-hwan is a Korean singer and entertainer. Known first for being part of K-pop groups Roo'ra and Country Kko Kko, he has since become a "comedian", or an entertainer, on various variety shows. In November 2005, he encountered some controversy after he was caught gambling and he...

 and Tak Jae-hoon, replacing various outgoing hosts; she debuted on April 8, 2008. She was one of the original co-hosts of Change, a show on SBS's Good Sunday line-up, before leaving in early July. She is also a former cast member of season one of the variety show Family Outing

Family Outing

Family Outing Season 1 was a South Korean variety show; a part of SBS's Good Sunday lineup, along with Gold Miss is Coming . It was first aired on June 15, 2008, and was one of the top rated programs on Sunday Korean television...

. Mnet also ran a 12-episode show called "Off The Record: Lee Hyolee" in which Hyori's life was on the set for three months. The purpose of the show was to lessen the gap between the superstar and her fans/anti-fans by letting them see that she is just another human being like anyone.

Her third album, It's Hyorish, was released on July 16, 2008. "U-Go-Girl", her first single, hit #1 on various online and offline charts, including the various television music shows.

In November 2009, the contract with M-net was set to expire. Lee planned to sign a contract with Gil Entertainment and work with Gil Jong Hwa who was Fin.K.L's co-manger and worked since as Fin.K.L debuted. However, her 2010 album is released under the label of Mnet Media.

2010–Present: H-Logic

Almost two years after her previous album, Lee returned with H-Logic on April 13, 2010. The album has 14 tracks, including a collaboration with Daesung

Daesung

Kang Daesung is a member of K-Pop group Big Bang. Daesung was born in Itaewon, South Korea and attended high school but he dropped out and focused more on Big Bang. Then in late 2008, he focused on college entrance exams. He attended Kyunghee University in Seoul...

 from Big Bang, 4Minute's

4minute

4Minute is a popular South Korean girl group founded by Cube Entertainment in 2009. The group consists of Nam Jihyun , Heo Gayoon, Jeon Jiyoon, Kim Hyuna and Kwon SoHyun. The girls released their first single on June 15, 2009 and made their debut stage last June 18, 2009 on Mnet M! Countdown...

 Ji Yoon, After School's

After School (band)

After School is a South Korean girl group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2009. They are the first group to debut with a unique admissions and graduation concept in Korea, where members are added or withdrawn in a “natural” manner...

 Bekah, Gary from Leessang

Leessang

Leessang is a South Korean Hip-hop duo, composed of Kang Hee-gun and Gil Seong-joon . Formed in 2002, Leessang is known for its collaborations with Drunken Tiger, Yoon Mi Rae, Big Mama King, Hwayobi, and many others. Leessang is composed of one vocalist and one rapper...

, and Sang Chu from Mighty Mouth. The singer also worked with E-Tribe

E-Tribe

E-Tribe are a South Korean Record Production duo consisting of Ahn Myung-won and Kim Young-deuk aka E.D.. They are best known for producing hit singles like “Gee” by Girls' Generation, “U-Go-Girl” by Lee Hyo-ri, “Yayaya” by T-ara, “It's You” by Super Junior, "Naeng Myun" by Jessica of Girls'...

, the team behind "U-Go-Girl", the lead single from her previous album.

A music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 was released for "Geu-ne" , featuring Gary from Leessang

Leessang

Leessang is a South Korean Hip-hop duo, composed of Kang Hee-gun and Gil Seong-joon . Formed in 2002, Leessang is known for its collaborations with Drunken Tiger, Yoon Mi Rae, Big Mama King, Hwayobi, and many others. Leessang is composed of one vocalist and one rapper...

, on March 31, 2010. The lead single "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and its music video were released soon after. The self-penned song, which features Ceejay (from Freshboyz), was released the same day as her album.She won two mutizens within two weeks for her lead single.

Seven of the songs in her H-Logic album, given by Bahnus

Bahnus

Bahnus whose real name is Lee Jae-Young is a South Korean composer and producer. Until May 10, 2010, he was a member and leader of Bahnus Vacuum, a group that consisted out of 7 composers...

, were accused of plagiarism, including Canadian girl group Cookie Couture's "Bring It Back", soon after the album's release. On June 21, 2010, Hyori had announced and admitted that the plagiarism accusations placed against her album were confirmed and that she would temporarily stop all her activities as a singer and also suspended her TV appearances.

Endorsements

Lee has done many endorsements for various companies, her most prominent commercials being for Samsung

Samsung

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

 Anycall

Anycall

Anycall is a South Korean mobile phone brand established by Samsung Electronics in 1993. Like other mobile phone brands in South Korea, they provide technology such as cameras, internet access, and digital TV through Digital Multimedia Broadcasting.Samsung mobile phones are sold through the...

. In late 2003, Lee signed an advertising contract with Samsung

Samsung

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

, for which she would make three musical commercials and songs for their Anycall cell phones. The first commercial and song, "Anymotion", was released in early 2005, featuring Eric Mun

Eric Mun

Eric Mun Jung Hyuk, , mononymously credited as Eric, was born on 16 February 1979. He is a South Korean entertainer, known as the leader and rapper of six-member boy band Shinhwa and his lead roles in Korean dramas The Phoenix and Super Rookie.-Career:Eric attended John Burroughs Middle School...

 from Shinhwa

Shinhwa

Shinhwa is a popular South Korean boy band and hip hop group. The group has six members , and debuted on March 24, 1998. It has enjoyed massive success alongside the likes of Sechs Kies, g.o.d., Turbo , Fin. K.L., H.O.T. and S.E.S...

. In early 2006, the followup commercial "Anyclub" was released in two parts; the music video starred Eric Mun and Korean actor Kwon Sang Woo. The song "Anyclub" featured Park Teddy of 1TYM

1TYM

1TYM is a four-member Korean hip hop group. The four members are: Oh Jin Hwan , Park Hong Jun , Song Baek Kyoung , and Im Taebin . Leader Teddy and lead vocalist Danny originated from the United States and moved to South Korea when they were accepted under YG...

. The songs from the commercials served as singles for Lee in between her albums. The final commercial was released in December 2006, titled "Anystar" and differed from the first two in that it featured mostly dialogue. The commercial starred Korean actor Lee Jun Ki

Lee Jun Ki

Lee Jun Ki is a South Korean actor, model and singer, who Koreans regard as a quintessential kkonminam idol. He rose to fame as Gong-gil in The King and the Clown...

 and YG Family trainee Park Bom

Park Bom

Park Bom , is a South Korean idol singer, Born in Seoul, South Korea, she eventually moved to the United States where she learned English. She is the main vocalist of girl group 2NE1, where her stage name became solely "Bom"...

 (2NE1

2NE1

Both the song and the group became popular online: Fire topped Mnet's online chart and 2NE1 became a popular search term. The group was awarded three Cyworld Digital Music Awards; "Lollipop" and "Fire" both won "Song of the Month" and the group won "Rookie of the Month" for May 2009...

).

Hyori also became a model for Black Bean Therapy, a health drink, and she made several CF (commercials). Hyori finished her contract with Biotherm

Biotherm

Biotherm is a luxury skin care company owned by L'Oréal under the Luxury Products division. Biotherm was acquired by L'Oréal in 1970. It is developed and manufactured in research laboratories in Monaco, under the direction of biologist Lucien Aubert and his team of researchers.Biotherm originated...

 early February 2007 and is no longer a representative for the company. Her contract with Samsung has also ended in December 2007. She has recently signed on with KB card and has starred in commercials along with fellow K-pop sensation Rain. She was chosen as the first ever Asian-wide model for Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein

Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....

 Jeans, modeling for the "Pure Calvin" Collection. She was also briefly featured in a 2010 CF for clothing company Adidas

Adidas

Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...

. Also in 2007, she starred in a commercial for Korean cosmetics company Isa Knox

Ĭsa Knox

Ĭsa Knox is a Korean cosmetics company. It is owned by LG Household & Healthcare Ltd. Celebrity endorsements include Hyori Lee and Jessica Alba....

 with Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba

Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...

.

She has done so many CFs in Korea, she is known as being the 'CF queen.'

Discography

Studio albums

• Stylish (2003)
• Dark Angel (2006)
• It's Hyorish
  It's Hyorish
  It's Hyorish is the third album by Lee Hyori, featuring singles "U-Go-Girl" and "Hey Mr. BiG". A limited edition featuring an alternative cover was also released. A staggering 60,000 preorder copies were sold with ten days left before the official release...
  
   (2008)
• H-Logic
  H-Logic
  H.Logic is the fourth studio album by the South-Korean singer Lee Hyori, released on the 12th of April 2011. The album has 14 tracks, including a collaboration with Daesung from Big Bang, 4Minute's Ji Yoon, After School's Bekah, Gary from Leessang, and Sang Chu from Mighty Mouth...
  
   (2010)

Digital/Commercial Singles

Year	Track	Album
2005	Anymotion	Samsung Anycall CF
2006	Anyclub ft Teddy Park Teddy Park Park Hong-jun , better known as Teddy Park or just Teddy, is a Korean-American rapper and record producer. Born in South Korea, Park moved to the United States as a young child. There, he learned English. After moving back to South Korea, he majored in English at Myongji University.Teddy Park...  & Kim Ji Eun	Samsung Anycall CF
	Anystar	Samsung Anycall CF
2008	Cat on the Roof	Lee Hyori - 'Off The Rec OST

TV Series

Year	Title	Role
2005	Three Leaf Clover	Kang Jina
2007	If In Love... Like Them	Lee Na
2008	Off The Record: Lee Hyolee	Herself
	On Air	Herself (cameo, ep1)

Variety shows

Year	Title
2001	Happy Together Happy Together Happy Together may refer to:In music:* "Happy Together" , a 1967 song by The Turtles that has been covered several times* Happy Together * Happy Together * Happy Together...
2006	Happy Together Friends Happy Together Happy Together may refer to:In music:* "Happy Together" , a 1967 song by The Turtles that has been covered several times* Happy Together * Happy Together * Happy Together...
2008	Sang Sang Plus
	Change
	Family Outing Family Outing Family Outing Season 1 was a South Korean variety show; a part of SBS's Good Sunday lineup, along with Gold Miss is Coming . It was first aired on June 15, 2008, and was one of the top rated programs on Sunday Korean television...
2010	Running Man (Ep 1 guest)

Music Videos

Year	Song	Artist
2008	"I love you even though I hate you"	Davichi Davichi Davichi is a South Korean duet female group made up of Lee Hae-ri and Kang Min-kyung . Davichi is derived from the Korean word "Dabichi" meaning the light to shine over the world....
	"Sad Promise, A Sad Love Song"	Davichi Davichi Davichi is a South Korean duet female group made up of Lee Hae-ri and Kang Min-kyung . Davichi is derived from the Korean word "Dabichi" meaning the light to shine over the world....
	"Fading Star"	Wheesung Wheesung -EPs:*2006: Against All Odds*2008: 스마일 프로젝트 Vol.2 'Love Seat*2009: 휘성 with D.O*2009: Insomnia*2010: Realslow Is Back*2010: Winter Night*2011: Words That Freeze My Heart-OSTs:*2006: 중천의 기억*2009: 우리집에 왜 왔니...
2009	"The Girl Who Can't Break Up, the Boy Who Can't Leave"	Leessang ft Jung in

Awards and nominations

Year	Event	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref
2003	KBS Music Awards KBS Music Awards The KBS Music Awards was a major music awards show that is held annually in South Korea.-KBS Music Awards, era:*2005: Kim Jong Kook*2004: Rain*2003: Lee Hyori*2002: Jang Nara*2001: g.o.d.*2000: g.o.d.*1999: Jo Sungmo*1998: H.O.T....	Daesang
		Bonsang
	14th Seoul Music Awards Seoul Music Awards The Seoul Music Awards is an awards show founded in 1990 that is presented annually by the Sports Seoul for outstanding achievements in the music industry in South Korea.- Categories :...	Daesang
		Bonsang
	M.net KM Music Festival M.net KM Music Festival The Mnet Asian Music Awards , is a major music award show that is held by Mnet Media annually in South Korea, involving the participation of some of the most well-known actors and singers...	Popular Music Video
	18th Golden Disk Awards Golden Disk Awards The Golden Disk Awards is an awards show founded in 1986 that is presented annually by the Music Industry Association of Korea for outstanding achievements in the music industry in South Korea...	Bonsang
2007	Mnet 20's Choice Awards Mnet 20's Choice Awards The Mnet 20's Choice Awards is a major music awards show that is held annually in South Korea.-2011:*Hot Drama Actor: Cha Seung Won*Hot Drama Actress: Gong Hyo Jin*Hot Style Icon: Gong Hyo Jin*Hot Korean Wave Star: KARA...	Hot Style Icon
2008	M.net KM Music Festival M.net KM Music Festival The Mnet Asian Music Awards , is a major music award show that is held by Mnet Media annually in South Korea, involving the participation of some of the most well-known actors and singers...	Best Female Solo Artist
		Best Dance Music
	Mnet 20's Choice Awards Mnet 20's Choice Awards The Mnet 20's Choice Awards is a major music awards show that is held annually in South Korea.-2011:*Hot Drama Actor: Cha Seung Won*Hot Drama Actress: Gong Hyo Jin*Hot Style Icon: Gong Hyo Jin*Hot Korean Wave Star: KARA...	Hot Style Icon
		Hot Performance Musician
2009	SBS Entertainment Awards	Daesang
		Netizene Best Popularity Award
		Best Teamwork Award	Family Outing
	Mnet 20's Choice Awards Mnet 20's Choice Awards The Mnet 20's Choice Awards is a major music awards show that is held annually in South Korea.-2011:*Hot Drama Actor: Cha Seung Won*Hot Drama Actress: Gong Hyo Jin*Hot Style Icon: Gong Hyo Jin*Hot Korean Wave Star: KARA...	Hot Multitainer
		Hot Style Icon
		Hot Body
2010	1st Seoul Arts & Culture Award	Best pop artist
	Mnet Asian Music Awards	Female Singer Award
	Mnet Asian Music Awards	Best Dance Performance – Solo	“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”

See also

• Contemporary culture of South Korea
  Contemporary culture of South Korea
  The contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...
  
  
• K-pop
  K-pop
  K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
  
  
• Korean music
  Korean music
  Traditional Korean music includes both the folk, vocal, religious and ritual music styles of the Korean people. Korean music, along with arts, painting, and sculpture has been practiced since prehistoric times....
  
  
• List of Korea-related topics
• List of Koreans

External links

• Hyolee World