# Bona (singer)

Kim Ji-yeon (Korean: 김지연; born August 19, 1995), also known by the stage name Bona (Korean: 보나), is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of the South Korean girl group WJSN, and also its sub-unit WJSN The Black. She made her acting debut in the KBS2 drama Hit the Top (2017), and was cast as the female lead in the teen drama Girls' Generation 1979 (2018).
Bona gained recognition for her portrayal as world champion and gold medalist fencer Ko Yu-rim in the tvN television series Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022). Credited under her full name, she later starred in the television series Joseon Attorney (2023) and Pyramid Game (2024).

## Early life and education

Bona was born on August 19, 1995, in Dalseo District, Daegu, South Korea and attended high school in the same city. Bona was a trainee under Cube Entertainment before joining Starship Entertainment in 2013.

## Career
### 2015–2020: Music career debut with WJSN as Bona and acting debut

She was revealed to be a member of WJSN and its Wonder Unit on December 15, 2015, and proceeded to debut with them on February 25, 2016, with their debut mini-album Would You Like? and the single "MoMoMo".
In 2017, she made her acting debut in the KBS2 drama Hit the Top, and was cast as the female lead in the teen drama Girls' Generation 1979. She made a cameo in Radio Romance in 2018, before her second lead role in Your House Helper. Bona was revealed to have joined the cast of Law of the Jungle in Northern Mariana Islands.
In 2020, Bona joined the KBS2 drama Homemade Love Story, playing as Lee Hae-deun. She earned the Best New Actress at the 2020 KBS Drama Awards for her acting in the series.

### 2022–present: Rise in popularity and credited in full name

In 2022, Bona rose to prominence for her role as a world champion and gold medalist fencer alongside Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk in the tvN drama Twenty-Five Twenty-One. The drama became one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history.
After scheduling conflicts with the filming of Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Bona joined WJSN in the third round of Mnet's competition show Queendom, which the group ultimately won in June 2022.

#### Credited as Kim Ji-yeon

In March 2023, Kim starred in the historical legal revenge drama Joseon Attorney (2023) as a princess during the Joseon dynasty.
In February 2024, Kim under her full name starred in the series Pyramid Game (2024) as Sung Soo-ji of Class 5 at Baekyeon Girls' High School, who was bullied in the school under the pretext of a game.

## Discography
### Soundtrack appearances

List of soundtrack appearances with selected chart position, showing year released and album name :
| Title | Year | Peak chart position | Peak chart position | Album |
| Album ||
| Title | Year | Gaon | Hot | Album |
| "With" (with Choi Hyun-wook, Kim Tae-ri, Lee Joo-myung, and Nam Joo-hyuk) | 2022 | 40 | 54 | Twenty-Five Twenty-One OST |

## Filmography
### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | Hit the Top | Do Hye-ri | |
| 2017 | Girls' Generation 1979 | Lee Jung-hee | |
| 2018 | Radio Romance | DJ Jay | Cameo (Episode 3) |
| 2018 | Your House Helper | Im Da-young | |
| 2020–2021 | Homemade Love Story | Lee Hae-deun | |
| 2022 | Twenty-Five Twenty-One | Ko Yu-rim | |
| 2023 | Joseon Attorney | Lee Yeon-joo | |
| 2025 | The Haunted Palace | Yeo-ri | |

### Web series

| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
| 2024 | Pyramid Game | Sung Su-ji | |

### Television shows

| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
| 2018 | Law of the Jungle in Northern Mariana Islands | Cast member | |

## Accolades
### Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination :
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2022 | Popularity Award – Actor | Bona | Nominated |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2022 | Best Acting Performance | Twenty-Five Twenty-One | Won |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2021 | Acting Idol of the Year (Female) | Bona | Won |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2017 | Best New Actress | Hit the Top, Girls' Generation 1979 | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2017 | Best Actress in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama | Girls' Generation 1979 | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2018 | Best Couple Award | Bona (with Ha Seok-jin) Your House Helper | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2020 | Best New Actress | Homemade Love Story | Won |
| Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards | 2022 | Excellence Award, Actress | Twenty-Five Twenty-One | Won |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2022 | Best New Actress | Twenty-Five Twenty-One | Won |
| Korea First Brand Awards | 2019 | Female Idol-Actor Award | Bona | Won |
| Korea First Brand Awards | 2020 | Best Idol Actress | Homemade Love Story | Won |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2023 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Joseon Attorney | Nominated |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2023 | Best Couple Award | Bona (with Woo Do-hwan) Joseon Attorney | Nominated |

### Honors

Name of country or organization, year given, and name of honor or award :
| Country or Organization | Year | Honor or Award | Ref. |
| Newsis K-Expo Cultural Awards | 2024 | Seoul Tourism Foundation Award | |