Kim Yon Ja

Other Name: 김연자

Age: 66

Birthday: January 25, 1959

Nationality: South Korean

Gender: Female

Kim Yon Ja is a South Korean trot and Enka singer. She attended Gwangju Supia Girls' Middle School but dropped out and was later awarded an honorary degree from middle and high school. She was exposed to Lee Mi Ja's songs when she was a child, and her father, who owned a barbershop, asked her to sing in front of regular customers. In 5th grade, she went to the "Cherry Blossom Song Contest" in Gwanju with clothes her mother got after pawning several items from their home as their economic situation was not very good and eventually won the Popularity Award. As the competition was televised, many people began recognizing her in the neighborhood and in school. When she was 14, she would often miss class as her teachers asked her to sing in the nearby church, so her father decided she would quit school and become a singer and sent her to Seoul. She began working in cabarets and nightclubs at age 18 and became the main breadwinner of the family. She officially debuted in 1974 with the single "Tell Me" and became a well-known star in Japan as an Enka singer in the 1980s and 1990s, but she decided to focus on the South Korean market since the 2010s. She has recorded numerous albums and performed countless times in TV, radio and other events. In 2016, she released the single "Amor Fati", which has brought her more fame as now younger generations recognize her for the song and in 2024, she will celebrate her 50th anniversary since becoming a singer with several concerts around the country. (Source: Korean = NamuWiki || Translation = MyDramaList).