Who are the Current Members of Apink and Why Did Yookyung Leave?

In an entertainment clime that is inundated by the presence of k-pop boy bands, Apink has successfully held down a seat at the entertainment table since they emerged in 2011. Since their debut, the all-girl group has released at least 14 albums in total when you count all their Korean and Japanese albums. With the exception of Yookyung, all the current members of Apink have been there from the beginning and continue to wax strong.

The group has done really well for themselves. After their first music program award in January 2012, Apink has gone on to garner more than 30 music program awards and at least 30 music awards for their efforts. So who are the past and current members of the group?

The Current Members Of Apink From The Beginning

While all the members of the group came in at different points, all seven of the original members were brought in before the group made its debut, starting with Son Na-eun and ending recruitment with Yoon Bo-mi and Kim Nam-joo.

1. Park Cho-rong

Before Apink, the vocalist, dancer, and rapper had appeared sparingly in the music video for Beast’s “Shock”. She was the second member to join the girl group and was appointed its leader. Born on March 3, 1991, Cho-rong is also the oldest in the group. She also has some other talents besides singing and dancing. The musician is a 3rd-degree black belt holder in the Korean martial arts of Hapkido, thanks to her father who is a Hapkido class director.

2. Son Na-eun

Going by the stage name ‘Naeun’, the singer cum dancer was the first girl to be recruited for the group by A Cube Entertainment. Son is 3 years younger than Park Cho-rong and is a polyglot, knowing how to speak Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. She has also been in numerous videos for the k-pop boy band, Beast and has been in a number of movies like Cinderella and Four Knights (2016), Second Time Twenty Years Old (2015), and The Great Seer (2012).

3. Oh Ha-young

In February 2011, Oh Ha-young was announced as the third entrant into the group. She is the youngest member of the group, having been born on July 19, 1996. Many fans still find it difficult to believe this because she looks more physically mature than most of the others in the group. Oh launched her solo career on August 21, 2019, when she released her title track “Don’t Make Me Laugh”. She also started her acting career two years prior with a role in the movie “Please Find Her”. Despite her extra ventures, the singer remains one of the current members of Apink.

4. Jeong Eun-ji

In March 2011, Eun-ji became the fourth member of the group. A Cube announced her deal with them through a twitter post that was a video of her singing a cover of “Love You I Do” by . Although she is not the leader of the pack, Eun-ji serves as Apink’s main vocalist and the frontman for the group. The singer who has plans to be a vocal coach also has a career as a solo artist and actress. However, she is the only member of the group who has never appeared in the “Beautiful” music video for Beast.

5. Yoon Bo-mi

She is a dancer, lead vocalist, and rapper for the group. One of the last to be brought in, Yoon “Bomi” Bo-mi joins Park Cho-rong as a no-nonsense ass-kicking martial artist. The entertainer has trained in the art of Taekwondo since she was a child, and like Cho-rong, she is also a 3rd-degree black belt. Besides manning the microphone, Bomi can also play the drums and is one-half of the girl duo, Pink BnN.

6. Kim Nam-joo

As one of the current members of Apink, Nam-joo fulfills the same responsibilities as Yoon Bo-mi. Kim is the other half of Pink BnN alongside her Apink sister. Kim and Yoon were both announced to the world at the same time when they were revealed in Apink News, a reality show chronicling the launch of the group. Nam-joo is also a musical actress and has performed the role of Juliet in a musical production of Romeo & Juliet in 2017.

 

Why Did Yookyung Leave Apink?

Hong Yookyung was announced in much the same way as Eun-ji, except in her announcement video, she was playing the piano and not singing. While Yookyung was a member of the group, she was fondly referred to as “milk” and “tofu” by the others. Hong was more of a dancer but was cast as a singer and the group’s main rapper instead. She was the shortest-serving member of the group. Yookyung left Apink in April 2013.

When ACube announced the departure of Yookyung from the group, it did not go down well with fans of the group. To further complicate matters was the ACube’s public statement about her departure which did nothing to clear up the reason for Yookyung leaving. The statement merely said that the singer was leaving the group to focus on her studies as she had just been admitted into the university.

But the rumor mill was firing on all cylinders and was spreading the idea that she was kicked out by the entertainment company for being the least popular in the group. There was also a rumor that Yookyung may have been mistreated by the other girls, the current members of Apink. However, her father’s alleged attempt to get her back into the books throws a wrench in the legitimacy of that idea. While it is not yet known which of these is the real reason for Yookyung’s departure, pictures have popped up everywhere of the ex-Apink star out and about in school and looking happy. That’s something to smile about at least.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.

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