Annie (Real name: Moon Seoyoon), a member of the co-ed group AllDay Project, is returning to school.
According to her agency, The Black Label, on January 14, Annie will return to Columbia University in New York this month. She is expected to focus on the spring semester through May, but there's a possibility she may still participate in scheduled events like fan-signings during the semester.
Annie is the granddaughter of Lee Myunghee, the chairwoman of Shinsegae Group, and also the eldest daughter of Jung Yookyung, the chairwoman of Shinsegae. She is majoring in Art History and Visual Arts at Columbia University, a member of the prestigious Ivy League. After training at The Black Label under executive producer Teddy, she officially debuted in the music industry on June 24 last year as a member of AllDay Project. She had previously taken a leave of absence from college to focus on group activities.
In a video released on AllDay Project's official channel last June, Annie shared the story behind her college admission and debut as a singer. She recalled, "I asked my mom (Shinsegae chairwoman, Jung Yookyung), 'Mom, what would you think if I became a singer?' She just laughed and said, 'That doesn't make sense.' Two or three years later, I seriously brought it up again and said, 'Mom, honestly... I really want to be a singer,' and she told me it was nonsense and said, 'Absolutely NO.'"
Annie explained that opposition from her family grew even more intense during her junior and senior years of high school. She said, "I told them I couldn't give up. So, my mom made a proposal. She said that if I got into college, she would help me persuade the rest of the family. From that point on, I basically gave up on sleep and studied so hard for college entrance exams and I eventually got accepted. My mom said she didn't actually think I'd get in. She thought, 'This girl spends all day at the studio practicing dance. When would she find time to study?"
She continued, "A lot of people thought I wasn't serious about this path and doubted me. That made me feel that I had to prove how desperate and sincere I was about this dream. Just being able to get a little bit closer to the chance of debuting made me so happy, so I worked harder every single day. I think that's how I was able to push myself so fiercely."
On the November 15 broadcast of JTBC's 'Knowing Bros,' she also shared a story related to the Ivy League. When MC Kang Hodoong said, "I heard you went to the Ivy League school because of a promise to your parents?" Annie replied, "I wanted to be a singer so badly. They told me, 'If you want to be a singer, you have to get into an Ivy League school." She added that they didn't think she'd actually get in. On MBC's 'Point of Omniscient Interfere,' she drew a lot of attention after revealing that she scored 1,530 out of 1,600 on the SAT.
1. [+558][-16] She's the real gold spoon here. Being a celebrity is just a hobby to her.
2. [+449][-67] Still, it's nice to see her works so hard to do what she truly wants.
3. [+346][-15] I'm so jealous of gold spoons like her... They have so many choices... Same with Lee Seojin.
4. [+45][-2] From Teddy's perspective, she's a high-value member. She wasn't even a trainee to begin with, so he didn't have to invest money in training her... She boosts the group's recognition and brings in CF deals, making them a lot of money. If a controversy ever breaks out, Shinsegae would cover it up with their money. From a company's standpoint, where else can you find a better member?
5. [+44][-7] What about the other members she's working with?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ She's working two jobsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ That is so selfish.
