Min Sun-ye (born August 12, 1989), known professionally as Sunye, is a South Korean singer and missionary known for her work as a former leader and main vocalist of girl group Wonder Girls.[1] In early 2013, following her marriage, she became an inactive member of the Wonder Girls[2] and officially departed from the group in July 2015.[3]
Sunye returned to the entertainment industry in August 2018, signing with the company Polaris Entertainment. Sunye made her official solo debut with the EP Genuine on July 26, 2022, after signing with Blockberry Creative, a subsidiary of Polaris Entertainment, in February 2022.
Early life
Sunye was born on August 12, 1989, in Seoul.[4] She attended Korea Arts High School and Dongguk University. In 2001, Sunye was discovered by JYP Entertainment during Park Jin-young's "99% Challenge" project, where she sang and danced. She then trained at JYP Entertainment until she debuted in the Wonder Girls in 2007. Sunye was one of the longest serving trainees at JYP Entertainment, along with Jo Kwon of 2AM and Min of Miss A.[5][unreliable source?]
In 2006, Sunye was revealed as the first member of Wonder Girls as the leader and main vocalist. The group, created and managed by JYP Entertainment, released their debut single, "Irony," in 2007.[6] On January 26, 2013, JYP Entertainment confirmed that Sunye would stop her official promotions with the Wonder Girls just before marrying James Park, her Korean-Canadian fiancé. Following the news, the agency reassured fans that the group was not disbanding and that Sunye was not retiring her position as a member of the group regardless of her inactive status.[1][7][unreliable source?][8][9][10]
In December 2014, Sunye stated in an interview with Joongang Ilbo's US branch at a non-profit church concert that she would continue missionary work; this was reported in the press as her leaving the Wonder Girls and the entertainment industry.[11][unreliable source?] This was dismissed by JYPE as a misunderstanding, however, in July 2015, Sunye officially confirmed her departure from the group.[12][13][unreliable source?]
Singing career
Sunye performing at Wonder World Tour in 2012
Sunye has contributed her vocals on the tracks of various Korean artists, including Mighty Mouth's "Energy" and Park Jin-young's "Afternoon Separation." She recorded the single "Maybe" for the soundtrack of the popular KBS Korean drama, Dream High.[14][unreliable source?] In November 2010, Sunye recorded "This Christmas" with her JYP labelmates as the title track for the debut of JYP Nation with a subsequent music video released on December 1, 2010.[15][unreliable source?]
On August 8, 2018, it was announced that Sunye had signed with Polaris Entertainment and would be making her return to the entertainment industry after her long hiatus.[19]
In 2021, the teaser for reality show Mama the Idol was released with Sunye confirmed as one of the cast members. On December 10, 2021, the first episode of the show aired on tvN. On the January 14 broadcast, members competed for the position of main vocalist which Sunye ultimately won. On January 28, Mamadol then released their debut digital single "Mama The Idol".
In February 2022, Sunye signed a contract with Blockberry Creative.[20] On July 12, 2022, Blockberry Creative announced Sunye's first mini album Genuine, which was released on July 26. It features the lead singles "Glass Heart" and "Just A Dancer"; "Glass Heart" was pre-released on July 19.[21]
On August 28, 2022, Sunye released "My Regards", a collaboration with Jo Kwon.[22]
On June 29, 2023, Sunye announced through her social media account that she had terminated her contract with Blockberry Creative.[23]
Philanthropy
Along with the other Wonder Girls members, Sunye often makes charitable donations to various charities, hospitals, and orphanages around Korea.[24] In September 2010, she made a visit to an elderly man who had secluded himself in the mountains after being a victim to many cases of fraud. According to the producer that followed her, "Sunye prepared clothes, shoes, a radio, food, and various other presents for the man. He hasn't been able to wash in a while so there was a very bad stench coming from him but Sunye paid no attention to it and held his hands tightly, asking him to live a long life. She also prayed for his good health."[25]
In May 2011, Sunye went on a week-long volunteer mission to Haiti, where she cared for children in an orphanage and treated victims of cholera.[26][unreliable source?]
On March 18, 2014, Sunye announced she and her husband would leave for Haiti in July, where they would live for five years to continue doing missionary work.[30] On January 28, 2018, Sunye announced that she had left Haiti after only two and a half years. She explained that she had committed to the missionary work prior to her pregnancy and that she left due to concerns over the health of her child, such as lack of clean water, extreme temperatures, and public safety concerns.[31][unreliable source?][32]
Personal life
Sunye was raised by her grandparents because her mother died when Sunye was a child and her father suffered from a health condition that kept him bedridden.[33][unreliable source?] In the fall of 2007, prior to the Wonder Girls' promotions for their single "Tell Me," Sunye's grandfather died. In October 2009, her father was rushed to the intensive care unit after his condition turned for the worse. She took the first flight from New York, where she resided at the time, to South Korea, skipping out on numerous promotional events to be with her father.[34][unreliable source?] On June 23, 2010, Sunye's father died due to a chronic illness he had been suffering from for over 20 years.[35][unreliable source?]
In 2013, Sunye married James Park. She gave birth to her first daughter, Eun-yoo (Hailey), on October 16, 2013.[36][37][38] On April 22, 2016, she gave birth to her second daughter, Ha-jin (Elisha).[39] On January 30, 2019, she gave birth to her third daughter, Yoo-jin (Madison).[40]
^Kang Da-yoon (February 17, 2022). "선예, 블록베리크리에이티브와 전속계약 "음악으로 위로와 힘 드릴 것" [공식]" [Sunye, exclusive contract with Blockberry Creative "I will give you comfort and strength through music" [Official]] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Myung-mi (July 13, 2022). "선예, 26일 첫 솔로앨범 'Genuine' 발매..금발 파격 변신" [Sunye releases her first solo album 'Genuine' on the 26th..Blonde transformation] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022 – via Naver.
^Park, Sang-hoo (August 25, 2022). "조권·선예, 28일 '안부' 리메이크 발표… 절친 시너지 기대" [Jo Kwon and Sunye to announce the remake of 'Hello' on the 28th... Best friend synergy] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022 – via Naver.
^Oh, Seung-hyun (June 29, 2023). "'이달소' 떠난 블록베리, 선예와도 계약 종료...선예 "감사한 지난 시간들"" [After Loona departure, Blockberry's contract with Sunye ended...Sunye "Thank you for the past times"] (in Korean). X-ports News. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023 – via Naver.
^Kim Ji-soo (January 28, 2022). "박진영 '대낮에 한 이별', 15년 만에 리메이크…선예·임슬옹 듀엣" [Park Jin-young's 'Goodbye in broad daylight' remake after 15 years... Sunye and Im Seulong duet] (in Korean). The Fact. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kang Da-yun (November 18, 2021). "원더걸스 출신' 선예, '엄마는 아이돌'로 3년 만에 방송 복귀 [공식]" ['Wonder Girls' Sunye returns to broadcasting after 3 years with 'Mother is an Idol' [Official]] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021 – via Naver.
^Choi Jeong-ah (November 1, 2022). "선예, 성경 바탕 뮤지컬 '루쓰' 출연…당찬 여성 모습 그린다" [Sunye to appear in the bible-based musical 'Luth'... Draw a bold woman] (in Korean). Sports World. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022 – via Naver.
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