Kim Seol-hyun
Kim Seol-hyun (born January 3, 1995), better known by the mononym Seolhyun, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of the South Korean girl group AOA and has starred in television dramas "Orange Marmalade" (2015), "" (2019), "Awaken" (2020–2021) and movie "Memoir of a Murderer" (2017). Early life and education. Seolhyun was born on January 3, 1995, in Bucheon, South Korea. She has an older sister named Joo-hyun, who is a fashion editor for "Cosmopolitan". She attended Kachiul Elementary School, Sungkok Middle School and Gyeonggi Arts High School. Career. 2012–2014: AOA and  acting debut. In 2010, Seolhyun won the 8th Smart Model Contest (스마트 모델 선발 대회), a competition in which ordinary students wear uniforms. At the event, several talent agencies were present, and Seolhyun was scouted by her current management, FNC Entertainment. She has also appeared in the music video for boy band F.T. Island's song "Severely" from the EP "Grown-Up". On July 30, 2012, Seolhyun made her debut as a member of AOA on Mnet's "M Countdown" with the song "Elvis" from their debut single album, "Angels' Story". Soon afterwards, she made her acting debut in the  television drama "My Daughter Seo-young", playing the role of Lee Jung-shin's girlfriend. In 2013, she was cast in the daily drama "Ugly Alert". She played the youngest daughter of the family, a bright girl who dreams of becoming an actress. Seolhyun stated, "I'm nervous about doing a new project, and I'm also burdened. But I want to work hard again by thinking of it as another learning experience. I also want to touch the hearts of people". 2015–present: Acting roles and rising popularity. Seolhyun first attracted attention with her appearance on the KBS variety  show, "Brave Family" (2015), where she charmed viewers with boyish and unaffected demeanor. Later that year, she gained fame through a commercial for SK Telecom which led to increased advertising offers for the star. The same year, Seolhyun starred in KBS's vampire romance "Orange Marmalade". Although it racked a mere two percent viewer ratings, the show brought her praise for her acting. She also featured in the action noir film "Gangnam Blues", and won a "popular star" award at the 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards. Seolhyun, along with "Gangnam" co-star Lee Min-ho were selected as promotional ambassadors  for "Visit Korea Year". In January 2016, Seolhyun was named “Model of the Year” at the 2015 TVCF Awards; having modeled for noteworthy brands across industries such as fashion, food and beverage, cosmetics and e-commerce. She placed second in a study conducted by Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation (Kobaco) to select the top spokesmodel by consumers. In March 2016, Seolhyun was selected as an official ambassador to Korea national elections in 2016. In May 2017, Seolhyun was cast in historical film "The Great Battle", directed by Kim Kwang-sik. Principal photography started in August and the film premiered in 2018 . She then starred in the thriller "Memoir of a Murderer", playing the role of a murderer's daughter. In 2019, Seolhyun was cast as female lead in JTBC's historical drama "My Country". This marks her first small-screen role in four years. In 2020, Seolhyun was cast in tvN’s romantic mystery drama Awaken, which will air on November 30, 2020. At the end of 2021, Kim will join the MC KBS Song Festival along with Cha Eun-woo and Rowoon, making a comeback in five years. Personal life. Philanthropy. In December 2017, Kim contributed to various causes: On  December 1, Kim donated 50 million won to relief efforts following the November 2017 Pohang earthquake, On December 7, Kim and Shin Jimin participated in a fundraiser arranged by LOVE FNC on Naver's "Happy Bean" platform to support childhood education overseas, and on December 29, Kim donated 50 million won to Seoul School for the Deaf as a scholarship for students. In February 2018, Kim and CNBLUE's Lee Jung-shin traveled to Kalaw, Myanmar to volunteer at the 4th LOVE FNC school for underprivileged children. In November and December 2018, Kim collectively donated 100 million won to the  Community Chest of Korea to support child-care facilities for low income families, In December 2019 Kim donated 50 million won to Samsung Medical Center through LOVE FNC to support children from low income families battling cancer. In January 2020, in honor of her 25th birthday, Kim donated 50 million won to LOVE FNC to help build a shelter for homeless and neglected youth. In March 2020, Kim's family donated 50 million won to Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to be used in the battle against COVID-19 in South Korea.