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Jeff Benjamin

Wheein, of K-pop girl group Mamamoo, is an idol with a message.
Since their debut in 2014, Mamamoo’s foursome have become one of the leading female groups in K-pop thanks to their soulful performance style and energy. Despite being signed to a relatively small entertainment label, RBW, the group (made up of Wheein, Solar, Moonbyul and Hwasa) have released multiple chart-topping albums and songs centred around a refreshing, retro-inspired sound.
Their throwback style has piqued international interest, too, and the group have completed multiple tours in Japan, appeared at major music festivals such as South by Southwest (SXSW) and KCON, and released albums that have hit the Billboard charts – something only the biggest girl groups can achieve in America.
Here’s what you need to know about Wheein’s life so far.

Her early life
She was born Jung Whee-in in the city of Jeonju, popular with tourists for its food, architectures and festivals. In 2018, she opened up about having grown up without support from her biological father, who her mother divorced in 2012 after he incurred debts that became a burden on her and Wheein.

She was forced to speak of her childhood after a media report that the father of a Mamamoo member had defrauded a family of millions of Korean won. She said she hadn’t spoken to her father for several years.
Although Wheein grew up an only child, she found in her middle-school classmate Ahn Hye-jin – Mamamoo’s Hwasa – a lifetime sister, and the two would rehearse and perform Girls’ Generation songs together. Wheein was also a fan of K-pop boy band Super Junior when she was younger.
Together, Wheein and Hwasa followed their dream of becoming singers by moving from Jeonju to Seoul. The two K-pop hopefuls auditioned for different agencies, with Wheein at one point training under MBK Entertainment, the home of girl groups such as T-ara and DIA. Eventually, Wheein and Hwasa began training with entertainment agency RBW and debuted in a group together – something that happens rarely for friends in the K-pop world.

Her role in Mamamoo
The members of Mamamoo pride themselves on being able to sing, rap and dance, with Wheein’s strengths considered to be singing and her live performances. Wheein’s fluttery vocals fit comfortably any of the group’s songs.
The singer stands out for her goofy personality. On variety shows or during interviews, Wheein’s hearty laugh often makes viewers laugh just as hard. Meanwhile, fans are known to get a kick out of screenshotting the star when she pulls “derp” faces for the camera – a blank, slack-jawed look used to characterise people as stupid.


Her solo work
A healthy solo career was nearly guaranteed for someone with Wheein’s vocal abilities, and the singer stepped out on her own on the silky, electro-R&B single Easy, which featured rapper Sik-K.
Wheein, though, broke new ground as a solo artist with her “Soar” EP that included the chart-topping single Good Bye. Not only did Wheein land her biggest solo hit with the gorgeous piano ballad, but its accompanying music video of an unexpected love story between two women was seen as a statement of support for the LGBT community.

Her image
As she approaches her sixth year in the industry, Wheein’s image has remained mostly spotless. Fans have focused on her warm, hard-working personality instead of issues such as the minor controversy surrounding her estranged father or a social media post that appeared to make light of the damage caused by Typhoon Prapiroon in 2018.
One of the best examples of Wheein’s compassionate side came when a deaf fan visited Mamamoo at a private event. Wheein used her knowledge of sign language to speak with the fan and even taught her fellow member, Solar, some words too.
In the summer of 2019, Wheein took a break from her scheduled activities due to health issues including anxiety and nervousness. Wheein has missed a few appearances since then, but there’s been no indication that she will take another hiatus, and many fans have applauded her for being open about her struggles.

In her own words
In the K-pop world, dating is considered a major taboo, but the ever-confident Wheein has spoken about her past relationships and even revealed how she would like to see the industry’s stance change on dating publicly.
“I view it in a positive light,” she said during an appearance on the show Life Bar on Korean channel tvN. “Times have changed. People meeting and breaking up is the same for everyone, so I don’t think too much about it. I think about it in a good way.”

In addition to being open about her mental health struggles, Wheein has also spoken of the difficulties she has faced while pursuing her dream.
“I feel sorry to my fans for saying this, but there were a lot of times when it wasn’t fun,” Wheein shared on Secret Sister, a Korean show that aired in 2018.
“When I had fallen into a deep slump – it wasn’t recently, but maybe one or two years ago – the slump hit me in full force and I had a really hard time. It wasn’t all happy but because singing and performing is something I like to do, from a certain point on, I realised that I was having fun. It was confusing … these days, I try to think more deeply about things.”


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Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Music


Wheein, who grew up estranged from her biological father, found a family in girl group Mamamoo, and a sister in fellow group member Hwasa
The singer is loved by fans for her goofy personality, hearty laugh and hard work



Part of a group signed to a relatively small entertainment label, Mamamoo’s Wheein has found freedom to talk about some K-pop taboos like dating and her mental health issues. Fans like her for her personality and compassion.


Fame and celebrity

Wheein of Mamamoo is a singer who challenges K-pop norms with her frank talk about dating and her mental health struggles

Wheein, who grew up estranged from her biological father, found a family in girl group Mamamoo, and a sister in fellow group member Hwasa The singer is loved by fans for her goofy personality, hearty laugh and hard work

Wheein, who grew up estranged from her biological father, found a family in girl group Mamamoo, and a sister in fellow group member Hwasa

The singer is loved by fans for her goofy personality, hearty laugh and hard work