Kim Tae-yeon

Kim Tae-yeon (born 9 March 1989), most often credited as Taeyeon, is a South Korean singer. She is a member of South Korean girl group Girls' Generation, its subgroup TTS, and SM the Ballad. She has also recorded singles for various television dramas and movies as well as participated in a number of variety shows. Tae-yeon made her solo debut on 8 October 2015 with her first extended play, I.

Early life

Tae-yeon was born on 9 March 1989 in Jeonju, South Korea. Her family consists of her parents, an older brother and a younger sister.

At the age of 13, Tae-yeon proclaimed that she was "only talented at singing". During her years in middle school, she was accepted as a trainee at SM Entertainment and commuted from Jeonju to Seoul on every Sunday to receive her vocal training. In 2004, her former vocal instructor Jung Sun Won, also known as The One, "wanted to acknowledge Tae-yeon's potential" and gave her a chance to be in his song "You Bring Me Joy". Later on, she won the first place at the SM Youth Best Competition and officially received a contract from SM Entertainment. Tae-yeon continued her training under SM Entertainment and debuted as a part of Girls' Generation in 2007. In 2008, Tae-yeon graduated from Jeonju Art High School and was awarded with the school's Lifetime Achievement Award. During her pre-debut days, Tae-yeon was inspired to become an entertainer by BoA. Then a teenager, she "wanted to be like her and have activities in Japan and around the world", which later came true when Girls' Generation debuted in Japan in 2010.