Kwon Yu-ri / Yuri (권유리)

Also known as Yuri, Kwon Yu-ri debuted in music, film, and TV in the same year, won the Baeksang Arts Awards for TV and Film, and starred in a popular romance series—WITHOUT any kissing scene!

Photo from HanCinema/Cosmopolitan

Birthday: December 5, 1989

Instagram: @yulyulk

2007 was a big year for Yuri, debuting at the age of 17 as a member of Girls’ Generation (SNSD), a group which went on to become one of the most popular South Korean girl groups in the world. She also appeared in the movie Attack on the Pin-up Boys and in the series Unstoppable Marriage.

In 2012, she was cast as Choi An-na, a woman who works at a top fashion design company, in the romance drama Fashion King. For her portrayal of someone caught in complicated love lines involving the characters of Yoo Ah-in, Shin Se-kyung, and Lee Je-hoon, she won the Baeksang Most Popular Actress (TV).

In the following year, Yuri starred in No Breathing opposite Lee Jong-suk and Seo In-guk. She portrayed the role of the aspiring musician Jung-eun, adding on to the rivalry of the two competitive swimmers. For the coming-of-age movie, she learned to play the guitar and sang "Bling Star" and "Twinkle Twinkle" for the OST. Her efforts paid off as she won the Baeksang Most Popular Actress (Film).

In 2018, she released her first EP The First Scene as a solo singer. The year after, she took the lead role Constance Piponnier in her first theater project, L'Étudiante et Monsieur Henri (Grandpa Henry and Me).

Last year, she portrayed the widow Princess Hwain mistakenly kidnapped by Ba-woo (Jung Il-woo) in the historical romance drama Bossam: Steal the Fate. Even without any kissing scenes, she had amazing chemistry with Jung Il-woo. In fact, the series became so popular that it achieved an average nationwide rating of 9.8% on its last episode (Nielsen Korea), the highest viewership rating by any series in MBN history.

2022 has been a busy year for her and the rest of SNSD as the group promoted its first music release in five years, Forever 1—and even had its own variety show Soshi Tamtam (2022). Yuri continued mentoring in the MBC girl group audition show My Teenage Girl (2021-22) and was a regular member in The Zone: Survival Mission 1. She and Jung Il-woo reunited for the ENA rom-com Good Job with an even more palpable chemistry between them (their fans rejoiced with their long-awaited kissing scene).

She will be in season 2 of The Zone: Survival Mission and will star in the independent film Dolphin.