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Wendy (Red Velvet) Height, Age, Boyfriend, Family, Biography & More

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Marital Status: Unmarried
Hometown: Seongbuk
Age: 29 Years

Wendy

Bio/Wiki
Real nameShon Seung-wan [1]Allkpop
Other nameWendy Shon [2]Star News
Nickname(s)• Wan-ah
• Olaf [3]Koreaboo
Profession(s)• Singer
• Host
• DJ
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 158 cm
in meters- 1.58 m
in feet & inches- 5’ 2”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 45 kg
in pounds- 99 lbs
Figure Measurements (approx.)28-26-30
Eye ColourBlack
Hair ColourBlack (Being a K-pop idol, Wendy changes her hair colour frequently.)
Career
DebutSinger (Red Velvet): Happiness (song) (2014)
Poster of the 2014 South Korean song 'Happiness'
Actor (Film): SMTown: The Stage (documentary) (2015)
Actor (Television): Descendants of the Sun (2016) on KBS2 as 'herself'
Wendy in a still from the 2016 TV show 'Descendants of the Sun'
Singer (Solo): Like Water (EP) (2021)
Poster of the 2021 EP 'Like Water' by Wendy of Red Velvet
Singer (Got the Beat): Step Back (song) (2022)
Poster of the 2022 song 'Step Back' by Got the Beat
Actor (Theatre): I (2023) as 'Rebecca'
Wendy as Rebecca during the 2023 theatrical production 'I'
Awards, Honours, Achievements Awards (Red Velvet)
2015: Rookie Award at the Golden Disc Awards
Red Velvet after winning Rookie Award at the Golden Disc Awards 2015
2015: Best Rookie Award at the Korean Entertainment Arts Awards
2015: Best Female Dance Award for the song ‘Ice Cream Cake’ at the Melon Music Awards
2016: Digital Bonsang for the song ‘Ice Cream Cake’ at the Golden Disc Awards
2016: Netizen’s Choice Award at the Korean Entertainment Arts Awards
2016: Main Award at the Seoul Music Awards
2017: Summer Queens of the Year by Dong-A.com’s Pick newspaper
2017: Ceci Asia Female Icon Award Golden Disc Awards
2017: Best Female Group at the Korean Entertainment Arts Awards
2017: Seoul Mayor’s Award at the Seoul Conference on Social Welfare
2018: Digital Bonsang at the Golden Disc Awards
Red Velvet after winning Digital Bonsang at the Golden Disc Awards 2018
2018: Performer of the Year – Singer (Daesang) at the Korea PD Awards
2018: Group Dance Award for the song ‘Power Up’ at the Korea Popular Music Awards
2018: Best Pop Song Award for the song ‘Red Flavor’ at the Korean Music Awards
2019: Grand Prize (Daesang) – Song of the Year Award for the song ‘Umpah Umpah’ at the Asia Artist Awards
2019: Best Female Group Award at the Korean Entertainment Arts Awards
2019: Choice Electronic/Dance Song for the song ‘Close to Me (Red Velvet Remix)’ at the Teen Choice Awards
2019: Artist of This Year and World Wide Icon at the The Fact Music Awards
Red Velvet after winning Artist of This Year and World Wide Icon at the The Fact Music Awards
2020: Best Music Video (Overseas) for the song ‘Psycho’ and Outstanding Group of the Year (Overseas) Award at the Asian Pop Music Awards
2020: Most Influential Female Idol Award at the Brand Customer Loyalty Awards
2020: 20th Anniversary Awards – Most Loved Music for the song ‘Red Flavor’ at the Bugs Music Awards
2020: Main Award at the Seoul Music Awards
2020: This Year’s Artist at The Fact Music Awards
2021: Best Group (Overseas) Award and Top 20 Albums of the Year (Overseas) Award for the album ‘Queendom’ at the Asian Pop Music Awards
2021: Digital Bonsang for the song ‘Psycho’ at the Golden Disc Awards
2021: Artist of the Year (Digital Music) – August for the song ‘Queendom’ at the Circle Chart Music Awards
2022: Best Female Performance Award at the Genie Music Awards
2023: Generation Icon Award at the Hanteo Music Awards

Awards (Solo)
2022: Radio DJ of the Year Award for SBS Power FM’s radio show ‘Wendy’s Youngstreet’ at the Brand of the Year Awards
2022: Radio DJ for the radio show ‘Wendy’s Youngstreet’ at the Korea First Brand Awards
2022: Radio DJ Award – Power FM for the radio show ‘Wendy’s Youngstreet’ at the SBS Entertainment Awards
Wendy after winning Radio DJ Award at the SBS Entertainment Awards 2022
2022: Ballad Award at the Seoul Music Awards

Honours
2018: Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation by South Korea
Red Velvet after receiving the Culture Minister’s Award in 2018
Achievements
2018: Ranked 11th on Korea Power Celebrity list by Forbes
2019: Ranked 5th on Korea Power Celebrity list by Forbes
2020: Listed among 100 Digital Stars (Asia) by Forbes
Personal Life
Date of Birth21 February 1994 (Monday)
Age (as of 2023)29 Years
BirthplaceSeongbuk District, Seoul, South Korea
Zodiac signPisces
SignatureSignature of Wendy
NationalitySouth Korean
HometownSeongbuk District, Seoul
SchoolShattuck-Saint Mary’s School, Faribault, Minnesota, USA
Richmond Hill High School, Ontario, Canada
Food HabitNon-vegetarian
Wendy having a non-vegetarian meal
ControversyIn 2020, during an episode of the Korean talk show tvN's 'Talkmon,' Wendy faced criticism for her impressions of various North American dialects. Responding to questions, she imitated how she believed popular white and black women spoke. Her portrayal of the stereotypical 'sassy black woman' drew significant backlash from international fans who considered it racist and harmful, especially in a country with limited exposure to black people and cultures. Many were disappointed, highlighting that this wasn't the first time Wendy had engaged in impressions perpetuating negative stereotypes about black people. A similar incident occurred in 2014 on a radio show, where she used stereotypical gestures and language. However, neither of these instances was acknowledged by Wendy or her company. [4]Koreaboo
Relationships & More
Marital StatusUnmarried
Family
Husband/SpouseN/A
ParentsNames Not Known
Wendy's parents and sister
SiblingsSister- Shon Seung-hee (elder)

Note: Image in the parents' section.
Favourites
SingerJessie J
Film(s)Begin Again (2013), The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
PerfumeByredo Mojave Ghost, Le Labo Gaiac 10
FoodGuk (soup), Kimbap, Bibimbap
HobbyNail art
TeaYuja-cha
Number77
Money Factor
Net Worth (approx.)$4 million (as of 2023) [5]Lifestyle Asia [6]KBIZoom

Wendy

Some Lesser Known Facts About Wendy

  • Wendy is a South Korean singer, host, and DJ. She is famous for being a member of the popular South Korean girl group ‘Red Velvet’ under the record label SM Entertainment.
  • She was born in a wealthy family in Seongbuk District, Seoul, South Korea. [7]South China Morning Post [8]KBIZoom
  • When she was six years old, she became interested in pursuing a career as a singer. She lived with her family in Jecheon, South Korea, until the fifth grade, after which she moved to Canada with her older sister, Shon Seung-hee, for international studies. Later, she moved to Minnesota, USA. While living in the USA and Canada, she became fluent in English and also gained some proficiency in French and Spanish. [9]Star News [10]Osen
  • When she was studying at Richmond Hill High School in Ontario, she actively took part in the school’s show choir, Vocal Fusion.

    Wendy with her school choir at Richmond Hill High School, Canada

    Wendy with her school choir at Richmond Hill High School, Canada

  • Initially, her parents opposed her pursuit of a music career, urging her to prioritize her studies. However, during her high school years, they eventually allowed her to audition to become a singer in South Korea.
  • In 2010, while still in high school, she participated in an online audition for Koreaboo’s Global Auditions in 2011 under Cube Entertainment. She did not emerge as the final winner; however, she was one of fifteen finalists.
  • Wendy didn’t initially plan to audition for SM Entertainment, instead, she was discovered by the company when accompanying a friend to the S.M. Global Audition in Canada in 2012. During the audition, she sang Kim Gun-mo’s ‘Moon of Seoul’ and successfully passed. [11]Sports Chosun
  • After training for less than two years, Wendy was introduced as a member of SM Entertainment’s pre-debut group, SM Rookies, on 14 March 2014.
  • In the group Red Velvet, Wendy is associated with the colour Blue, according to the group’s concept and imagery.
  • On 1 August 2014, Seulgi debuted as a member of the K-pop girl group ‘Red Velvet,’ which included three other members: Irene, Seulgi, and Joy.

    Initial four members of the South Korean girl group 'Red Velvet' (from left - Joy, Irene, Seulgi, and Wendy)

    Initial four members of the South Korean girl group ‘Red Velvet’ (from left – Joy, Irene, Seulgi, and Wendy)

  • The music video of their debut song ‘Happiness’ garnered over two million views on YouTube within the first 24 hours of its release. However, it was later removed due to controversy related to certain background images, and an edited version of the music video was subsequently uploaded. In August 2014, ‘Happiness’ became the second-most viewed K-pop music video worldwide. Red Velvet made history as the first K-pop girl group to have their debut single ranked on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart, reaching number four.
  • On 13 September 2014, the group released their second digital single, ‘Be Natural.’

    Poster of the 2014 song 'Be Natural' by Red Velvet

    Poster of the 2014 song ‘Be Natural’ by Red Velvet

  • In 2018, Yang Hyun-suk, the founder of YG Entertainment, revealed that Wendy had auditioned for the company but was not accepted. [12]Seoul Daily
  • In 2015, Seulgi and her groupmates Seulgi and Joy participated as contestants on KBS’s popular South Korean television music program ‘Immortal Songs.’

    Wendy (extreme right) with Seulgi and Joy in a still from the 2015 South Korean singing show 'Immortal Songs'

    Wendy (extreme right) with Seulgi and Joy in a still from the 2015 South Korean singing show ‘Immortal Songs’

  • She has taken part as both a contestant and host in numerous South Korean reality and variety shows, including ‘King of Mask Singer’ (2016), ‘Raid the Convenience Store’ (2017), ‘King of Mask Singer’ (2019), and ‘Mysterious Record Shop’ (2021).
  • In November 2018, she was selected as a spokesperson for Dongwon Yangban Rice Porridge, sharing this endorsement with Irene.
  • In 2018, Seulgi, along with her fellow Red Velvet group members, had the unique opportunity to perform in front of Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea. This special performance took place during a concert featuring South Korean musicians at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea.

    Members of Red Velvet with Kim Jong-un in a group photo taken in North Korea

    Members of Red Velvet with Kim Jong-un in a group photo taken in North Korea

  • On 25 December 2019, Wendy encountered an on-stage mishap during her solo rehearsal at the 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon. The incident resulted from what was described as a failure to implement proper safety measures in the stage design by the show’s crew. The absence of the lift stairs led to a fall of around 2.5 meters (8.2 ft). Wendy suffered injuries, including a pelvic fracture, a broken wrist, and various facial injuries, particularly a cracked cheekbone, all on the right side of her body. [13]Dispatch [14]Naver Because of the accident, she had to withdraw from all planned activities. [15]Billboard Wendy was discharged from the hospital in February 2020 after a two-month recovery and commenced outpatient treatment. She made her comeback on 1 January 2021, at the SMTOWN Live Culture Humanity event in South Korea.
  • In 2020, Seulgi lent her voice to play the characters of Wani and Queen Poppy in the American animated movie ‘Trolls World Tour.’
  • In 2020, she contributed 100 million won (US$92,000) to the Covid-19 relief efforts in Daegu, South Korea. [16]South China Morning Post
  • On 31 December 2020, L’Occitane Korea launched their ‘Be Happy, Smile Again’ campaign, featuring Wendy as a muse to celebrate the debut of their Happy Shea 2021 edition.

    Wendy promoting L'Occitane Korea's 'Be Happy, Smile Again' campaign

    Wendy promoting L’Occitane Korea’s ‘Be Happy, Smile Again’ campaign

  • In February 2021, she was featured in Pond’s campaign for the Pink Essence product. Following this, in March 2021, Wendy took on the role of the new spokesperson for Pond’s.

  • In May 2021, Wendy was honoured as the 2602nd member of the Honor Society of the Community Chest of Korea charity organization for her donation of 100 million won to the organization. [17]Allkpop
  • She is skilled at playing several musical instruments, including the piano, guitar, flute, and saxophone.
  • According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Seulgi’s personality type is ISFP (Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving). [18]YouTube – Singles Korea
  • She is often spotted consuming alcohol in public.

    Wendy holding a glass of alcohol

    Wendy holding a glass of alcohol