Aahana Swrup
The docuseries’ Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE’ follows the journey that brought KATSEYE, HYBE x Geffen’s first global girl group, together through a rigorous survival show, ‘The Debut: Dream Academy.’ After 20 girls from diverse backgrounds and shared musical aspirations competed in a number of Missions, six individuals were crowned as winners, becoming members of the K-pop style girl group. Despite being one of the later entries into the ‘Dream Academy’ program, Yoonchae Jeong’s impressive skill set — in both singing and dance — earned her fourth place in the competition and a spot in KATSEYE on November 18, 2023. Naturally, since her and her bandmates’ debut in the music industry, Yoonchae has invited significant curiosity and intrigue from fans.
Yoonchae Jeong is the Youngest Member of KATSEYE
In the early stages of HYBE and Geffen’s search for the members of their upcoming global girl group, the labels hand-picked a number of contestants from around the world who underwent a training and development program. During this months-long process, the executives continued looking for other talent in preparation for their planned survival show. Eventually, right before the show, six more contestants, including Yoonchae Jeong, were scouted. Yoonchae, a 15-year-old from Korea, had always dreamed of becoming a K-pop idol and had enrolled in a K-pop academy at 14. As such, even though she wasn’t a part of Dream Academy’s T&D Program, her prior training had honed her skill set.
Since Yoonchae was only fluent in Korean, she experienced a bit of a language barrier among her co-contestants. Nonetheless, her admirable performance usually spoke for itself, as she remained one of the top contestants throughout the competition. As such, after successfully making it through the three Missions, Yoonchae ranked fourth in the finale and became a KATSEYE member. Thus, through ‘The Debut: Dream Academy,’ Yoonchae achieved her dreams, debuting as a K-pop idol in June 2024.
Yoonchae Jeong is Promoting KATSEYE’s First EP Drop in Full Force
Since becoming a member of KATSEYE, Yoonchae Jeong has been on a rollercoaster journey through her earliest foray into the music industry. In December 2023, she attended the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert with her bandmates, Sophia Laforteza, Lara Raj, Daniela Avanzini, Megan Skiendiel, and Manon Bannerman—marking one of their first public appearances as a band. Since then, Yoonchae has continued to be based in Los Angeles with the rest of her girl group and consistently participates in social media content creation to keep her fans updated.
Through Yoonchae’s social media presence, her close friendship with her bandmates remains evident as the six girls share their thrilling rise to fame together. Eventually, on June 28, 2024, KATSEYE released their first single, aptly titled, ‘Debut,’ which the fans received with much excitement. Shortly afterward, on July 26, their second single, ‘Touch,’ was released and became an instant fan favorite. The song quickly caught on across social media platforms, going viral and starting a choreography trend. Since then, various artists, such as TXT’s Yeonjun, have participated in the trend.
Recently, KATSEYE came out with their first EP, ‘SIS (Soft Is Strong),’ marking the start of an exciting chapter in Yoonchae’s career. In the last few weeks, she has attended numerous events, including an appearance at Good Morning America. Furthermore, she and her bandmates also met Olivia Rodrigo backstage while the American pop star was on her GUTS tour. They also performed at the KCON festival in July. In August, the group performed their first-ever fan event. Needless to say, with her bandmates by her side, Yoonchae’s career will only continue to soar in the coming future.
Yoonchae Jeong is Now a High School Graduate
Since joining KATSEYE, Yoonchae Jeong has experienced various milestones not only in her professional endeavors but in her personal life as well. In December 2023, she celebrated her 16th birthday, for which her friends and family threw her a surprise party. Furthermore, she also finished her high school education in June 2024, completing a special graduation. As of now, she lives in Los Angeles alongside her bandmates. Currently, her life seems to revolve around the promotion rollout for ‘SIS (Soft is Strong),’ which includes photoshoots, music videos, and much more.
Yoonchae is also reportedly working on her English with the help of his bandmates and is eager to get rid of any persisting language barriers. Likewise, after moving from South Korea to LA, she experienced a bit of a cultural shock. Nonetheless, Humberto Leon — who works with the group as their stylist — has helped her learn about the city’s culture, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. As her growing popularity continues to put her under a bigger microscope, Yoonchae seems to prefer a more private approach to her personal life and only shares tidbits with her fans.
Read More: KATSEYE: Where Are the Pop Stars Now?
