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Ryujin of Itzy: the ‘successful fan’ who became a real K-pop star, and pushes for gender equality
- Ryujin, the lead rapper of Itzy, was spotted at a fan concert for Got7, auditioned and signed to JYP
- She gained fame as a trainee on reality shows and in film, before debuting with Itzy
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Fans of K-pop use the term “successful fan” to refer to the select few who are able to get noticed by or sometimes even develop a direct relationship with their idols.
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Ryujin of girl group Itzy seems to have upgraded that definition with her remarkable rise from fangirl to K-pop artist.
Here’s how she became so successful, both as a fan and an artist.
Her early life
Shin Ryu-jin was born in South Korea’s capital city of Seoul in April 2001. A young Ryujin developed an early interest in performing, looking up to early K-pop diva Lee Hyori as a role model and eventually studying practical dance at the Hanlim Multi Art School in Seoul.
As a teenager, Ryujin was a big fan of boy band Got7 who made their debut in 2014 with K-pop label JYP Entertainment. While attending a fan meeting concert celebrating the group’s first anniversary in 2015, Ryujin ended up with an offer to audition for JYP and was quickly signed to the company.
The rise of Gai, Chinese hip hop icon
During her four years preparing under JYP, Ryujin became a well-known K-pop trainee through a range of promotions. She was a part of the cast of the award-winning, box-office hit movie The King in 2017 where she played a sexually abused student alongside top South Korean actors including Jo In-sung and Jung Woo-sung.
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