Im Yoon-ah

Lim Yoona, born May 30, 1990, and known mononymously as Yoona, is a South Korean singer and actress. She initially achieved widespread fame as a member and center of the South Korean girl group Girls' Generation, which debuted in August 2007 and became one of the country's best-selling musical acts. Alongside her group activities, including later joining the subgroup Girls' Generation-Oh!GG, Lim established herself as a prominent idol-actress through extensive work in television series and feature films.

Lim was born in Daerim-dong, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, South Korea, where she grew up with her father and an older sister. In 2002, she passed the SM Saturday Open Casting Audition and underwent five years of training in singing, dancing, and acting. Before her music debut, she appeared in commercials and music videos, such as TVXQ's "Magic Castle" in 2004. She graduated from Daeyoung High School in 2009 and earned a degree in theater studies from Dongguk University in February 2015, receiving a lifetime achievement award upon graduation.

Lim began acting in 2007 with a minor role in the television drama Two Outs in the Ninth Inning, followed by an appearance in Woman of Matchless Beauty in 2008. Her major career breakthrough occurred later in 2008 when she landed her first leading role as Jang Sae-byuk in the KBS drama You Are My Destiny. The show achieved high viewership ratings, and her performance won her Best New Actress honors at both the KBS Drama Awards and the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards. She subsequently starred in series such as Cinderella Man, Love Rain, and Prime Minister & I, receiving an Excellence Award at the 2013 KBS Drama Awards for the latter.

Expanding her work, Lim made her Chinese television debut in the 2016 historical drama God of War, Zhao Yun, and took on an action-thriller role in tvN's The K2 that same year. She launched a solo music career with singles including "Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway" in 2016 and released her debut extended play, A Walk to Remember, in May 2019. In cinema, Lim debuted in the 2017 action film Confidential Assignment and secured her first leading film role in the 2019 disaster feature Exit, which became a major box-office success in South Korea.

Lim continued to take on leading roles across drama and film, starring in series such as Big Mouth in 2022, which earned her a Top Excellence Award at the MBC Drama Awards, and the 2023 romantic comedy King the Land. Her film work included Miracle: Letters to the President and the sequel Confidential Assignment 2: International, the latter winning her a Best Supporting Actress award at the 58th Grand Bell Awards. In 2025, she played a chef in the fantasy drama Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, winning the Grand Prize in the Culture Sector at the National Brand Awards, and starred in the film Pretty Crazy, winning Best Actress at the 29th Chunsa Film Art Awards.

Beyond performance, Lim has maintained a prolific presence in advertising and brand endorsements, earning recognition as a prominent spokesperson for numerous domestic and international brands, including a long-term collaboration with Innisfree. She has served as a global ambassador for luxury houses such as Miu Miu, Qeelin, Valentino, and Sulwhasoo. Additionally, Lim has held promotional ambassadorships for public institutions and causes, including UNICEF's UNIHERO campaign, the National Tax Service, and the Korea Tourism Organization.