Park Sun-young (; born May 30, 1989), known professionally as Hyomin (), is a South Korean singer, actress, businesswoman, and creative director, known for her work as a member of South Korean girl group T-ara. Apart from her group's activities, Hyomin has also starred in various television dramas such as My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox, and Gyebaek, and in various films such as Ghastly and Jinx!!!.
She debuted as a solo artist with her debut mini-album, Make Up, on June 30, 2014, with the lead track "Nice Body" which earned her three nominations at the Seoul Music Awards. Since then, she has released two EPs: Sketch (2016) and Allure (2019). In 2019, Hyomin released the digital single "Cabinet", which topped Vietnam's V Heartbeat monthly chart for four consecutive months.
Hyomin is known for her direct involvement with project-making, including songwriting, production, styling and design. KBS referred to her as "one of the leading fashionistas in girl groups" in 2016. Since 2011, Hyomin has put out several personalized items and has established her own brands including, make-up brand MINITT, clothing line "Say No More", liquor brand HyominSour, and most recently contact lens brand EYETIST, all of which received commercial and critical success.
Early life and education Hyomin was born Park Sun-young on May 30, 1989, in Busan, South Korea, an only child. In 1997, she won the MiMi Princess modeling contest, and became a well-known internet ulzzang before debuting with T-ara. She was a trainee under JYP Entertainment and was considered to be a replacement for Hyuna, who was a member of the Wonder Girls in 2007. She got accepted into Sungkyunkwan University in 2008, prior to her debut, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree of Fine Arts in Acting in 2011.
Hyomin is Catholic and her baptismal name is Christina.
Career 2009–2011: Career beginnings Hyomin debuted in 2009 as a member of T-ara, which made their debut stage on July 30 on the music program M Countdown with their single "Lie".On June 14, 2011, Core Contents Media announced that Hyomin would take over leadership as T-ara's third leader for their comeback album, John Travolta Wannabe, and Japanese promotions. The leader is responsible for the group's dynamic as well as determining its artistic direction by meeting composers and stylists and participating directly in album concepts and styling. She later passed on her leadership to fellow member, Park So-yeon.
Hyomin was a regular cast member of KBS' variety show Invincible Youth from October 23, 2009, to December 24, 2010. The show received positive reviews both fans and critics, earning several accolades, including an appreciation plaque from the Korean Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, a President's commendation from Korea Rural Community Cooperation, and a special award at the 16th Hongcheon WaxyCorn King Festival. In November 2009, she was cast in the musical production of I Really Really Like You, an adaption of the popular drama Love Truly.
She starred in the drama My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox as Ban Sun-nyeo, which aired from August 11 to September 30, 2010. The drama achieved nationwide and later international success, ranking among the Top 10 most-watched dramas during its run. Hyomin made her big-screen debut in the horror film Ghastly, released on August 4, 2011.
2012–2013: Acting career and T-ara N4 In 2012, Hyomin was cast in the musical "Our Youth Roly-Poly" along with group members Park Ji-yeon and Park So-yeon, a musical adaptation of T-ara's 2011 hit song "Roly Poly". Hyomin was also cast in the Chinese version of We Got Married, in which her partner is Fu Xinbo, a Chinese idol. On June 14, 2012, it was confirmed that Hyomin was cast in a supporting role in MBC's fantasy sitcom The Thousandth Man.
On February 10, 2013, Hyomin was cast in a lead role in the Japanese film Jinx!!!, starring Kento Yamazaki and Kurumi Shimizu. which earned a special nomination at Tokyo International Film Festival and marked Hyomin's first appearance at the said event. In April 2013, Hyomin along with T-ara member Hahm Eun-jung, Park Ji-yeon and former member Areum formed a subgroup called T-ara N4, releasing their first mini-album titled Jeon Won Diary.
2014–present: Solo debut and label changes On June 30, 2014, Hyomin released her first solo extended play Make Up, featuring the lead single "Nice Body". The song was hit in both in and outside Korea, peaking at number 1 on YinYueTai chart, the largest Chinese streaming platform. Her second extended play Sketch with the title track "Sketch" was released on March 17, 2016. The album earned Hyomin's first award at the YinYueTai V-Chart Awards for Best Female Artist.
In January 2018, Hyomin left MBK Entertainment after her contract ended. She intends to continue promoting with T-ara in the future. In May 2018, Hyomin joined Sublime Artist Agency to pursue her solo career in South Korea and China.
On January 20, 2019, Hyomin released her second digital single, "U Um U Um" as a pre-release ahead of her third mini-album, which was scheduled for mid-February. On February 20, 2019, Hyomin released her third extended play, Allure, with title track of the same name. The album became Hyomin's second to surpass 10,000 physical copies sold on Gaon Chart and her first to Top the Taiwanese album chart. Additionally, the song "Allure" became her fifth Number-one hit on YinYueTai chart, setting a record for the most chart-toppers by any Korean female artist.
In May 2021, Hyomin left Sublime Artist Agency after her contract with them had expired. In June 2023, Hyomin signed with new agency Andmarq.
Personal life On February 11, 2025, Sports Kyunghyang announced that Hyomin will get married on April 6, 2025, to a non-celebrity who works in finance. The wedding was held in Seoul at Hotel Shilla. The couple married on April 6, 2025.
Artistry Much like her own group's career, Hyomin's discography is known for its versatility and creativity, with her experimental music and album concepts, while being directly involved in all aspects of production, from songwriting to costume design. Her debut single, "Nice Body", sparked discussions on societal beauty standards, with PopMatters praising the music video's commentary on the pressure placed on women and pop stars. She's known for conveying emotions through her singing as well as delivering a sharp performance for her more intense songs.
Hyomin is credited as the executive producer for her albums, contributing to the production of its costumes, hair styling, packaging, choreography, music video, design, and more. Described as the best K-pop female rapper by Vietnam's Women's Newspaper, her debut song as a songwriter garnered praise, particularly for its thoughtful lyrics. In 2018, her third EP was part of a "color project", starting with the release of the single "Mango" (Yellow), proceeded by "U Um U Um" (Emerald green), and concluding with "Allure" (Red), the latter became the lead single for the EP of the same name.
Public image and impact
Fashion In 2012, Kim Ji-il from The Korea Economic Daily praised Park's fashion sense in his article Rise of the New Fashion Icon, after one of her photos gained significant attention in South Korea. He highlighted her distinctive appearance, along with her airport fashion and stage outfits. Vietnamese magazine Kenh14 selected Hyomin as one of the top Korean celebrities with the best style in 2013 praising her simple airport outfits and recognizing her as one of the idols with the best fashion style.
"The Fashion Icon" and "South Korea's Fashionista", as E-Times and Chosun Ilbo described her, Park has been recognized by multiple local and international publications. In 2013, Asia Time editor Cho Seonghwa referred to her as "a certified fashionista. Since 2016, Cosmopolitan has frequently featured her, highlighting her fashion choices across different styles as a source of inspiration for readers.
Additionally, She has landed multiple covers and editorials of numerous prominent fashion magazines both in Korea and abroad, including for High Cut, Allure, Cosmopolitan , Vogue, Marie Claire , #Legend (Hong Kong), GQ, Shanghai Entertainment (China), Nylon, Harper's Bazaar, InStyle, Dazed and BNT International. Hyomin has been a regular VIP guest at the Seoul Fashion Week since 2012, modeling for otable brands like Beyond Closet, YCH, FleaMadonna and pushBUTTON.
Fashion experts frequently place her on "The Best Dressed" lists, particularly for casual wear. In January 2016, Allure Magazine praised her Seoul Fashion Week outfits for making trendy pieces wearable. Hailed as "20s Wannabe Star", she is recognized as an influence for women in their 20s, especially for "bold" choices of clothes.
Writing for E-Times, Hwang Yeong-cheol highlighted Hyomin's strong presence in the fashion industry, particularly after her appearances at various fashion events. In 2016, Hyomin received an invite to attend the menswear brand Beyond Closet's pop-up launching show held at PMQ Shopping Mall in Hong Kong. The event, which included about 50 celebrities from the beauty industry, saw Park as the only foreign celebrity invited. In May 2022, Hyomin's fashion style on her 1-month trip to Australia became a Cosmopolitan article in which she was described as "well-rounded". An editor of the magazine praised her trip looks, focusing especially on her casual outfits.
Cultural impact Hyomin frequently topped the most visited and popular Cyworld pages, an old popular social platform at the time, since her debut with hundreds of thousands of weekly views. Over the years, Hyomin has been selected as a role model for several newer idols. In July 2018, (Former) IOI and Weki Meki member Yoojung revealed that she was inspired by Hyomin's "Nice Body" performance to become an idol as quickly as possible. In 2017, she was placed at 14th on Forbes China's Global Idol Chinese Popularity Ranking. In 2018, Hyomin's Weibo live broadcast of her birthday event Hyom's Restaurant recorded 5,6 Million live viewers and 3,33 million likes, taking the top spot among Korean female celebrities.
Business endeavors Creative direction On June 14, 2011, Hyomin was appointed as T-ara's leader, under the group's rotational leadership system. Leaders in this system played a critical role in conceptualizing ideas, collaborating with composers, deciding on styling, and managing group activities and schedules while providing support for members' individual projects. During her tenure, she oversaw the promotion period for T-ara's John Travolta Wannabe and Roly Poly In Copacabana.
Earlier that year, she became the stylist and creative director for labelmate Gangkiz's debut, personally curating costumes for their debut song "Honey Honey". Hyomin also served as the group's assistant photographer for their high-profile debut project, valued at approximately (~), and narrating their reality show 9 Days 8 Nights in Europe.
In April 2013, Hyomin extended her creative contributions to T-ara's sub-unit, T-ara N4, where she took charge of styling for their debut single album Jeon Won Diary. She personally curated hip-hop-inspired stage costumes, incorporating baggy clothing with electronic elements and traditional South Korean themes.
In an interview with Dazed, she shared that she personally selects her outfits for airport appearances and public events. Additionally, she plays an active role in conceptualizing her pictorials and photoshoots, choosing the outfits and brands featured.
In 2023, Italian-Korean tote bag brand Toitt Bag selected Hyomin as their newest model, producer and stylist for the line's future seasonal line.
Fashion lines and collaborations