▶A glimpse into the history of Yoon Eun Hyes K-pop career. . .BABY V.O.X (1999-2005)
At the tender age of 15, Yoon Eun Hye debuted as the youngest and the last member to join the girl group "Baby VOX" (VOX standing for 'Voice of eXpression'). Possessing a bright personality, she quickly gained the recognition of being tagged as the "cute" one among the group.
Yoon Eun Hye joined Baby VOX in 1999, just in time for the group's third album's release titled 'Come Come Come Baby'. In that same year, they were a huge hit in the Chinese market and thus have created a stronger fan base. In 2000, a new album titled 'Why' was released. Showing elegance and graceful looks, coupled with huge singles like 'Why', 'Baeshin' and 'Hu Rak' (Affection) hitting the top charts, Baby VOX's popularity grew more and more and thus has established themselves as one of Korea's biggest female groups similar to SES and FinKL. Making use of their youthfulness and vibrancy, they made it a point to excel in their dancing and performances on stage which added more to their popularity.
Come their fifth album, Baby VOX once again amazed their fans as they portrayed a rather sharp, boyish look. Among the singles released from the 'Boyish Story' are 'Game Over' and 'In Hung' (Doll). In this album they ventured into the world of song writing as each member wrote and composed songs thus proving that they have more than just image alone; these girls also has their strengths and talents to bank on.
The group released a compilation album titled 'Special Album' come May of 2002. Inside the special box set are three music CDs with a VCD and a small photo book. Two CDs contained Baby VOX hit songs turned into non-stop dance mix; the third one was filled with ballads. The VCD sported a new music video for their then new single 'Go' and the rest were of fun self cameras. It was a nice set showing off all of Baby VOX's accomplishments through out the years.
Around that time each member started branching off a bit, each person doing projects of interest. Yoon Eun Hye modeled for various companies. The group also started popping up on various television game and talk shows.
In September of 2002, Baby VOX finally took the next big step when they held their first live full length concert that lasted for two hours. It was a full stage production; singing songs starting from their second album to the special album. Each member also performed small side productions. The concert was later released in a VCD format and has proven a great success for Baby VOX.
In the winter of 2003, Baby VOX launched a 'world tour' where they visited Hong Kong, USA, Thailand, China, and other spots. They were well received around the world and the tour was again added to the list among the other success of the group.
Another international highlight for Baby VOX was accomplished in March of 2003 where they released their first Japanese mini album featuring their hit song 'Go' sung in Japanese. There were a few 'Go' remixes included in this album, as well as songs from the fourth and fifth album.
In April of 2003, 'Devotion' their sixth album was released. Living up to their reputation of constant image renewal, this album featured a highly techno and trance both in sound and style. Singles from this album are 'What Should I Do', 'Devotion' and 'I'm Still Loving You'. The song 'I'm Still Loving You' was sung in Mandarin as a tribute to all their Chinese fans. The album also includes songs such as 'Majimaken' and 'Catch me' Music videos were made for three songs in this album ('What Can I Do', 'Devotion' and 'I'm Still Loving You'), and another one was released for the song 'Maybe it's Love'.
After much anticipation, Baby VOX finally released their first ever photo album in May of 2003. It was a 93-paged photo book filled with sexy and sometimes racy photos of each member. The photo book was surrounded by controversies as fans worried that the group was going down the road of lost innocence which would in turn elicit unwanted attentions. But Baby VOX proved to the world that it's possible to achieve good music, talent and a good, fun and sexy image all at the same time when this album became another hit.
On April 16, 2004, Baby VOX released their seventh album titled 'Ride West'. Popular songs that came from this album are 'Xcstasy' and 'Play'. During this time, each member was then working on their solo projects as well.
Success after success, Baby VOX showed their versatility and new looks in every album released. They had become one of the famous girl groups in the industry during their time. They were recognized to be among the leaders promoting the K-pop frenzy that has been spreading across Asia.
[Credits to Peko of beautifulvoices.net, jnccrs
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: Why the CEO of BV's management company chose YEH
he was just talking about YEH, and he was saying how there was this one time when YEH asked him why he chose her outta the many many girls who were more talented and prettier than she was..
and he said how her audition wasn't that great and others had shown a better performance but he was watching YEH as she was walking outta the audition room and just before she stepped out the CEO saw YEH punching the wall outta frustration (for stuffing up her audition) ^^
the CEO added that by seeing YEH do that, he could see the determination in her and found himself having no choice but to pick her ^^
: During her Baby VOX days, Yoon Eun Hye was often criticized for her weight. Although she sported a skinnier body in early 2005, various netizens noted that she appeared to had experienced a yoyo effect.
: Yoon Eun Hye suffered in the hands of the detractors of the group when she joined Baby VOX. In a water gun incident, Baby V.O.X. was scheduled to appear on 'Music Engine' and was waiting inside their van when she was shot by a water gun by an unidentified man. The man pretended to be a passionate fan of Baby V.O.X. and attempted to offer a Pikachu doll as a present. Suddenly, he took out a water gun and shot Yoon Eun Hye right in the eye before running away. After being shot, Yoon Eun Hye expressed severe pain and could not open her eyes for a long time. Baby V.O.X. had to cancel their performance and headed straight to the hospital where she was treated in emergency. The hospital informed that her cornea was damaged. Baby V.O.X. members claimed they smelt soy sauce and vinegar from the water that came out of the water pistol. [Thanks and credit to flyingseagull for translating the article]: Yoon Eun Hye made a cameo appearance along with the other Baby VOX members in the movie Emergency Act 19 (긴급조치 19호, Gimgeubjochi 19; aka Emergency Measure 19) in 2002.
: Yoon Eun Hye appeared in the "Marie France Bodyline Model Competition" in March 21, 2005 showing her new sexy image. From 54kg her weight was reduced to 48kg. Yoon Eun Hye commented:
"Since high school, I've been trying a lot of slimming methods but failed, I even used the most famous method - "not eating anything" and fainted instead."
After loosing 7 kg in two months, she was appointed to be the Marie France Bodyline model. Despite though, she still wished to further lose another 1-2kg. The good thing about the slimming program was she can wear whatever she wanted and her energy didnt drop despite loosing weight. She was still able to perform singing and dancing without having to worry about her energy level dropping. [Original story at koreaII / translated by hunny at solid07]
: Yoon Eun Hye became a VJ (on and off for about a year [2004-2005]) on KMTV "Show! Music Tank"
: Yoon Eun Hye left Baby VOX in July 2005.
: Yoon Eun Hye was left with no management company when she left Baby VOX and DR music for a while until Eight Peaks took her in and gave her the project Goong.
: While in X-Man, Yoon Eun Hye had a scandal with K-pop singer Kim Jong Kook claiming that they were involved in a romantic relationship. After a year, she left X-man to pursue her acting career.
: Yoon Eun Hye played the female-centric lead in one of Kim Jong Kook's music video "Saying You Love Me" which was released in July 2006.
: The Yoon Eun Hye way: How she was personally picked for her role in Goong
Arranged to sit together in the same table, PD Hwang In Roe coincidentally met Yoon Eun Hye in a funeral. During dinner, Yoon Eun Hye sat in a crossed-leg position a big No-No in the Korean custom. He was surprised, and at the same time, intrigued by Yoon Eun Hyes daring behavior considering that the person in front of her is many years ahead of her age.
Despite the many protests and signature petitions to replace Yoon Eun Hye with a more experienced actress for the role of the Crown Princess, PD Huang insisted for this role to be given to her all the same. He feels that Yoon Eun Hye and Shin Chae Gyung have a lot of similarities thus he stood by his decision and gave her the role anyways. The rest is history. [Thanks to jnccrs for sharing the following details]
: At first glance: a first impression that did not last
Determined to find an actress that would be suitable to play Lee Ji Hyuns character, the PD of The Vineyard Man arranged a meeting with Yoon Eun Hye.
I already kept her in mind the very first time I met her. I have a tendency to dislike beautiful actresses instinctively (but it doesn't mean that she isn't pretty, dont beat me I will hurt).
TVM PD told Yoon Eun Hye that Lee Ji Hyun cannot be played by a beautiful woman, for which he felt embarrassed and nervous for shortly afterwards. He knew that these were not the proper words to say in front of an actress; he never forgot though the first sentence that Yoon Eun Hye said: I am not pretty. Why would you say that, haha.
TVM PD was happy with how the meeting has turned out. In the darkness of the caf he couldnt figure her appearance out so he thought that what she said could be true. As she went out of the caf he finally saw her clearly and instantly thought otherwise:
she is so beautiful, tall and have long legs. I thought I made a mistake. I couldn't sleep at home. If she acted as a beautiful girl in this drama it would have been a great trouble. I was regretful to the extent that I wanted to prick my eyes (because I was wearing glasses I already knew it cannot hurt my eyes...)
Furthermore, according to TVM PD, the first reason why he likes Yoon Eun Hye was because she gave up her self and engrossed in her role without any hesitations. Sweating under the sizzling heat of the sun, wearing no make up, portraying an urban girl adapting her self in rural life Yoon Eun Hye did not complained despite the arduous tasks and conditions she had to face while filming. Rather than complaining, she suggested setting arrangements and funny stories that can further improve the drama. She also shared her own designs like the cell phone case made of rubber shoe, modified lots of the working-pants her self and so on. Moreover TVM PD further imparted how Yoon Eun Hye did not stop looking through scripts:
Whenever I look for her with my expectation that she maybe be dozing off out of sight, she was always practicing script-acting with Tekki(OMS), with other staff or by her self. It was big relief for us to see YEH always smiling brightly with tanned face so The Vineyard Man was able to become one of the natural and good dramas.
[Thanks and credits to asterionhls for translating the article]
: At first, The Vineyard Man suffered from very low ratings due to strong competition from Jumong. This however changed as the drama ratings gradually increased and reached a successful 15.6% on its finale. This drama was the only one that came anywhere near enough to hinder the ratings of Jumong.
: Why PD LEE chose YEH for the role of Go Eun Chan:
"The first time I saw Eun Hye and after we chatted for 5 minutes, she began to cry. No big deal but looks like she had something in her mind. We talked for about 2 hours, then I send her a message in the evening saying that 'I would have chosen you even if you were a debuting (new) actress.' I felt that YEH is really a very good person, a warm-hearted and sincere person." [Credits to liweich for the translation]
source article: http://www.magazinet.co.kr/Articles/articl...rticle_id=46161
: For the drama Coffee Prince, Yoon Eun Hye decided to cut off her hair short in order to portray her role well. Furthermore, she also researched on how to act as a man. [Credits to soy for the translation]
: In an interview with Gong Yoo, he mentioned how he was surprised by Yoon Eun Hyes passionate effort in making a mans voice:
Yoon Eun Hye came to the set with a hoarse voice by purposely shouting out her lungs in a karaoke room. [Credit: teal] ----------------------------------------
▶What Yoon Eun Hye thinks of. . .Coffee Prince
"Coffee Prince is something brimming, full of memories, sadness, feeling like I'd really die after it's over."
Gong Yoo
"I feel he's very handsome and good when we filmed the drama together. Thanks Gong Yoo for taking good care of me.
If I was without Gong Yoo, I could have only brought out half of Eun Chan. He really is a very charming and handsome person."
Ju Ji Hun
"(he) doesn't look like a prince at all, because i see a lot of his usual self which is very bubbly and gives people a sense of humor
when he starts to perform, he's very serious and totally ignored my existence but that's only when he's performing.
When he's his usual self, he's very bubbly and cheerful so he doesn't look like a prince at all"
Kim Jong Kook
"In the beginning we only exchanged greetings but after the scandal we became really close;
we occasionally eat out together and we also talk on the phone.
He has really good manners and overall his a very charming oppa to me.. My mother likes him especially.
He has a good character, is very loyal and has etiquette for both males and females.
I doubt theres anyone in the entertainment industry that doesnt like him" ▶What others think of Yoon Eun Hye. . .Eon
During MBC's Lee JaeYong & Jung SunHee's Happy Day interview: [pp. 857, post # 17124]
"Unlike Eunchan, she is very feminine... one day after a day of shooting, i phoned her [to compliment her on her great acting, after watching the CP episode at home]and i got a big shock, because her voice was so different from the voice of Eunchan on the set. It sounded so pretty. It just goes to show how great of an actress YEH really is."
Samsung Group's online "thank you" campaign interview:
[pp. 855, post # 17087/pp. 857, post # 17124]
"YEH shows many aspects of adulthood and maturity despite her young age. She especially has this great ability to express herself and her thoughts without hurting the other person's pride and their self respect, which i find outstanding"
Gong Yoo
[pp. 861, post # 17220]
"I'm not sure why but I feel that the YEH without make-up looks more lively. Haha, but each time I compliment her, she'll give me an incredulous look as though I've made a mistake. " In CP, Eun Chan is supposed to be straightforward and dauntless like a male but during some scenes, YEH will subconsciously reveal her girlish side but that's understandable. It's quite impossible to change habits you've had over twenty years all of a sudden. Like recently, she's starting to sit with her legs apart and this really made us uncomfortable. Also, I was really surprised when YEH filmed the scene of her EC cycling up and down the slope because everyone thought she wouldn't be able to do it. There was no safety harness and having to cycle down a steep slope on a bicycle... it's dangerous even for male artistes. Yet, she aced it. Moreover, for the first filming, in order to portray EC's mellow voice well, YEH made a trip to the singing practice rooms. When she arrived on the set, her voice was evidently hoarse. Frankly, her earnest attitude surprised me but more so, touched. YEH is a singer-turned-actress yet the impression of her as a singer was etched in me for quite a while. But now, I think she can be fully recognised as an actress"
Gong Yoo's interview in Vogue October 2007
[page 959, post # 19173]
"She's good! She's a very composed actress. Despite the pre-conception that immediated from the fact that she rode the wave of popularity as a singer from a young age - i have come to realise that she is abundant as an actress. There are actors and actresses who are self focussed and only have concern for themselves, and there are actors and actresses who care for their fellow partners and provide their support for them. Yoon Eun Hye is the latter."
Gong Yoo's Videoland interview:
[size=1][page 1154, post # 23072]
"a singer & a great entertainer in variety shows (i cant find the proper words for this part, sorry folks), that was my impression of yeh before the filming (coffee prince). i was abit apprehensive in the beginning, becos her starting out is different from mine. she was a singer and a entertainer who appeared on variety shows and it was much later that she started acting."
Ju Ji Hun
[pp. 976, post # 19520]
"YEH is a wise person. She is the type that can express her feeling throw the screen. She is really very intelligent. One can act very well, but if you dont get to the viewer, it has no meaning, because this is to show the viewer. And just in this she is good to express.
When I saw CP, I dont know if it was because she is a very good friend of mine is a bit difficult to see, but when Eun Hye is sad, I also get sad. I have to admit that she has a good performance tecnic."
Kim Dong Wook
[pp. 857, post # 17124]
~"despite the fact that YEH is the youngest of the princes, she is a lot of compassion and looks out for us.
She really possesses a kind heart and loving soul."
Kim Jae Wook
During YEHs birthday celebration with fans [pp. 951, post # 19003]
~ "Eun Hye is someone who you cant help but love.. she is such a loveable and charming person..
i find her loveable when she eats well.. i find her loveable when i see her looking out for others.. you cant help but fall in love with Eun Hye"
Lee Jin
During the press conference for "The King and I": [pp. 857, post # 17124]
~ "Unlike Eunchan, she is very feminine. "
~ "I am very thankful to YEH for breaking the preconception and biased views on singers who have turned to acting. Like YEH, i will put all my effort into acting well enough to break that image as well."
Lee Min Ki
- Ceci Interview of Lee Minki (on YEH) - November 2007 [pp. 975, post # 19485]
~ "I was drawn to her charms after I saw that image of her. And again, after watching her performance <Coffee Prince> I thought to myself that she would be a very good/nice person. I became a fan."
See the whole translation of this article here: click
- Ceci Interview of Lee Minki (on YEH) - February 2009 [pp. 1414, post # 28279]
Ceci: [previous Question was regarding his ideal girl] Now that I think about it, you chose Yoon Eun Hye-ssi as your ideal woman during our interview from 2 years ago
LMK: Yes, I told you I wanted to meet a woman who was healthy, with a great personality and one who has a lovable nature embedded right into her body like a habit.
Now that hasn't changed even till this day. I liked the real-self of Yoon Eun Hye-ssi from back during the days of "Xman" as well as the character she played in "Coffee Prince". I fall for a woman who says "thank you" when she's thankful and when someone falls over asks "are you alright?" almost unconsciously out of natural habit.
Son Jung Wan (Designer)
April 2009 Interview: [pp. 1432, post # 28634]
Interviewer: Who is your muse?
SJW: Yoon Eun Hye. Rather than women embedded in history, who I have never met before, I get much more of my inspiration from women who I can meet with and carry out a conversation with, women who are in the present. Yoon Eun Hye has a charmingly outstanding outward appearance, but when you get to converse with her, you come to the realisation that she is a lady who embodies both a sharp sense of humanity (compassion) and humour. Although she is young and daring she is a wise young lady who knows how express herself above and beyond the expected level.
Posted 04 October 2005 - 06:06 PM
fighting!
