Kwon Ah-yoon (Korean권아윤; born March 13, 1991), better known by the stage name Kwon Nara (권나라), is a South Korean actress and former singer. Before she transitioned to acting career she is best known as one of the original members of the South Korean girl group Hello Venus.[3]

Kwon Nara
Kwon in 2024
Born
Kwon Ah-yoon

(1991-03-13) March 13, 1991 (age 33)
Incheon, South Korea[1]
Alma materDongduk Women's University
Occupation
  • Actress
Years active2012–present
AgentGhost Studio [ko][2]
Musical career
GenresK-pop
InstrumentVocals
Years active2012–2019
LabelsFantagio
Formerly ofHello Venus
Korean name
Hangul
권나라
Revised RomanizationKwon Na-ra
McCune–ReischauerKwŏn Nara
Birth name
Hangul
권아윤
Hanja
Revised RomanizationKwon A-yun
McCune–ReischauerKwŏn Ayun
Websiteghoststudio.net

Career

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Beginnings and acting debut

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Kwon in June 2013

Nara became an acting trainee for Fantagio Entertainment when she was in middle school.[1] She joined the girl group Hello Venus as a founding member where she went by the stage name "Nara". They debuted on May 9, 2012, with the mini-album Venus, which contained four tracks.[4] The single "Venus" reached number 35 on the Gaon chart.[5][6]

Aside from her group activities, Nara appeared as a cameo role as a stewardess on the 20th episode of the SBS drama Take Care of Us, Captain with fellow Hello Venus member, Yooyoung.[7]

2017–present: Rise in popularity and lead roles

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Kwon in August 2017

In 2017, Nara played her first major acting role in SBS's romantic comedy drama Suspicious Partner.[8][9] In 2018, Nara starred tvN's melodrama My Mister,[10] followed by SBS legal drama Your Honor.[11]

In 2019, Nara got her first lead role in the KBS' medical prison drama Doctor Prisoner.[12] In June 2019, Nara signed with new agency A-Man Project.[13]

In 2020, she starred in JTBC drama Itaewon Class, based on the webtoon of the same name.[14] The series was a commercial success and became the seventh highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history.[15][16] She was also cast in historical comedy TV series Royal Secret Agent as Hong Da-In, a courtesan whose beauty is comparable to Hwang Jini.

In March 2021, Nara was confirmed to be starring in tvN's fantasy drama Bulgasal: Immortal Souls.[17] in the role of Min Sang-woon, a woman who used to be an immortal, but goes through a tragic event that turns her into a human. The drama premiered in December 2021.[18]

In June 2022, Nara signed with new agency C-JeS Entertainment.[19] In September 2022, Nara joined an essemble casts featuring actors from television dramas Love in the Moonlight, Itaewon Class, and The Sound of Magic in the TVING-produced reality tv show Young Actors' Retreat.[20]

Discography

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Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2006 Mr. Wacky High School Girl Cameo
2018 Fantasy of the Girls Ha-nam [21]

Television series

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2012 Take Care of Us, Captain Cameo [22]
2014 I Need Romance Season 3
Single Cunning Lady [23][unreliable source?]
2016 Entertainer Song-hee
2017 Suspicious Partner Cha Yoo-jung
2018 My Mister Choi Yoo-ra
Your Honor Joo-eun
2019 Doctor Prisoner Han So-geum
2020 Itaewon Class Oh Soo-ah
2020–2021 Royal Secret Agent Hong Da-in [24]
2021–2022 Bulgasal: Immortal Souls Min Sang-woon / Kim Hwa-yeon [25]
2024 The Midnight Studio Han Bom [26][27]
2025 Knock-Off Moon Yoo-bin [28]

Web series

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2013 After School – Lucky or Not Cameo
2014 After School – Lucky or Not 2 Mal-soon

Television shows

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016 Law of the Jungle in East Timor Cast member Episode 238–240

Web shows

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Year Title Role Ref.
2022 Young Actors' Retreat Cast member [29]

Awards and nominations

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Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Baeksang Arts Awards 2019 Best New Actress – Television My Mister Nominated [30]
2020 Best Supporting Actress – Television Itaewon Class Nominated [31]
KBS Drama Awards 2019 Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Doctor Prisoner Nominated [32]
Best New Actress Won
Netizen Award Nominated
2021 Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Royal Secret Agent Won [33]
Korea Drama Awards 2019 Best New Actress Doctor Prisoner Won [34]
SBS Drama Awards 2017 Best New Actress Suspicious Partner Nominated [35]
2018 Your Honor Nominated [36]
Seoul International Drama Awards 2021 Outstanding Korean Actress Royal Secret Agent Nominated [37][38]

Listicles

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Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Forbes 2020 Korea Power Celebrity 40 33rd [39]

References

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  1. ^ a b "My name is 나라, 윤조". 10Asia (in Korean). January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  2. ^ "Artist – Ghost Studio". Ghost Studio. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "HELLOVENUS' debut date announced". 10Asia. April 24, 2012. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  4. ^ Hello Venus - 'Venus' Archived December 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. Naver Music (May 8, 2012). Retrieved on May 14, 2012.
  5. ^ "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  6. ^ "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  7. ^ "HelloVenus Yooyoung and Nara's Past as Actresses Revealed". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  8. ^ "Hello Venus's Nara, Opens Her Eyes to The World of Acting (Interview)". 10Asia. July 31, 2017. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  9. ^ "Girl Group Member Hungry for More Roles After Acting Debut". The Chosun Ilbo. September 30, 2017. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  10. ^ "[단독] 헬로비너스 나라, '나의 아저씨' 출연...이선균·아이유와 호흡". Nate (in Korean). December 13, 2017. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  11. ^ "Nara to star in 'Dear Judge'". Kpop Herald. May 28, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  12. ^ "Hello Venus's Nara to star in 'Doctor Prisoner' with Namgoong Min". KBS World. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  13. ^ "권나라, 에이맨프로젝트와 전속계약..이종석과 한솥밥(공식)". Newsen. June 7, 2019. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  14. ^ Sim, Eon-kyung (June 25, 2019). "권나라 측 "'이태원 클라쓰' 출연, 제안 받고 검토 중"[공식입장]". Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2020 – via Naver.
  15. ^ Park, Se-yeon (March 22, 2020). "종영 '이태원 클라쓰' 16회 자체 최고 시청률로 '유종의 美'". MK (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020 – via Naver.
  16. ^ Choi, Ji-won (January 30, 2020). "Park Seo-jun to show perfect sync with original webcomic in 'Itaewon Class'". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  17. ^ 김, 미화. "'불가살' 이진욱X권나라X이준 캐스팅 확정..K판타지 온다 [공식]". Naver News (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  18. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (November 3, 2021). "From BTS to 'Squid Game': How South Korea Became a Cultural Juggernaut". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  19. ^ Son, Jin-ah (June 2, 2022). "권나라, 씨제스에 새 둥지(공식)" [Kwon Nara, a Bird's Nest in C-JeS (Official)] (in Korean). MK Sports. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022 – via Naver.
  20. ^ "'전역 2개월' 박보검, 군기 바짝 "다나까"..박서준, '게임구멍' 불명예('청춘MT')[종합]" ['Two months from military service' Park Bo-gum, "Tanaka" with close discipline.. Park Seo-joon, 'Game Hole' disgrace ('Youth MT')] (in Korean). Osen. September 9, 2022. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022 – via Naver.
  21. ^ Park, Dong-je (June 13, 2016). "영화 '소녀의 세계', 노정의-조수향-헬로비너스 권나라 캐스팅..9일 크랭크인". Break News (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  22. ^ Park, Eun-cheol (October 12, 2014). "권나라, 분당 이나영? '부탁해요 캡틴' 출연 모습 '관심'". liveen (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  23. ^ "Cameo Appearance Here & There - How Do Dramas Use Idol Groups To Their Advantage?". KpopStarz. April 10, 2014. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  24. ^ "[공식]권나라 '암행어사' 출연 확정! 조선 첫사랑의 아이콘..미(美)X무(武) 갖춘 다모". chosun (in Korean). September 10, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  25. ^ Shin So-won (March 17, 2021). "불가살' 이진욱X권나라X이준, 캐스팅 확정 [공식]" [Immortal' Lee Jin-wook X Kwon Nara X Lee Jun confirmed casting [Official]]. ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021 – via Naver.
  26. ^ Lee, Seung-hoon (April 5, 2023). "[단독]권나라, '야한 사진관' 여주 낙점..주원 만난다" [[Exclusive] Kwon Na-ra, 'Naughty Photo Studio' female lead fallout... Meet Joo-won] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Naver.
  27. ^ Lee, Ye-jin (May 18, 2023). "김태희→정우성·신하균까지" ENA, 라인업 공개...제2의 '우영우' 나올까 [종합]" ["From Kim Tae-hee to Jung Woo-sung to Shin Ha-gyun" ENA reveals line-up... Will there be a second 'Woo Young-woo'?] (in Korean). X-ports News. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023 – via Naver.
  28. ^ Lee, Seung-hun (July 12, 2024). [단독]권나라, 김수현과 짝퉁 세계로..'넉오프' 주인공 [[Exclusive] Kwon Nara, Kim Soo Hyun and the world of counterfeit goods... 'Knock-Off' main character] (in Korean). Star News. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  29. ^ Kang Nae-ri (June 30, 2022). "지창욱X박서준X박보검 '청춘MT', 9월 방송...연합 MT 떠난다(공식)" [Ji Chang-wook X Park Seo-joon X Park Bo-gum 'Youth MT' to be broadcast in September... Allied MT is leaving (official)] (in Korean). YTN. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022 – via Naver.
  30. ^ Yoo, Chung-hee (April 4, 2019). "김서형·염정아·김혜자 등 '백상예술대상' TV부문 최종 후보 공개". Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  31. ^ MacDonald, Joan (May 8, 2020). "Baeksang Arts Awards Announces Nominees And Plans To Proceed Without An Audience". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  32. ^ "Winners of the 2019 KBS Drama Awards". HanCinema. December 31, 2019. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  33. ^ Jeong, Hye-yeon (January 1, 2022). "[KBS 연기대상]지현우, 대상 "'신사와 아가씨' 작품상이라 생각"(종합)" [[KBS Acting Awards] Ji Hyun-woo, the grand prize "I think 'Gentleman and Lady' is the best picture" (comprehensive)] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022 – via Naver.
  34. ^ Park, Pan-suk (October 2, 2019). "'하나뿐인내편' 최수종, 2019 코리아드라마 어워즈 대상 영예[공식]". Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2020 – via Naver.
  35. ^ Kim, Sol-ji (December 31, 2017). "[2017 SBS 연기대상] 男女신인연기상 양세종·김다솜 "상상만 했던 일" 눈물" [[2017 SBS Drama Awards] Best New Actress Award for Best Actress Yang Se-jong and Kim Da-som "Things I only imagined" tears] (in Korean). Maeil Broadcasting Network. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022 – via Naver.
  36. ^ Kim, Soo-hyung (January 1, 2019). "베스트커플→대상" 감우성♥김선아, 노련美로 완성한 '무진커플'의 위력 [2018 SBS 연기대상]" [Best Couple → Daesang" Gam Woo-sung ♥ Kim Seon-ah, the power of 'Mujin Couple' completed with expert beauty [2018 SBS Drama Awards]] (in Korean). Osen. Archived from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Naver.
  37. ^ Lee Han-lim (August 20, 2021). "'서울드라마어워즈 2021', 한류드라마상 온라인 투표 진행" [Seoul Drama Awards 2021', online voting for Hallyu Drama Awards] (in Korean). The Fact. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021 – via Naver.
  38. ^ "(Actress) Outstanding Korean Drama Global Vote". Pikkle. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  39. ^ Kim, Min-soo; Shin, Yoon-ae (April 23, 2020). 2020 포브스코리아 선정 파워 셀럽 40 [40 Power Celebrities selected by Forbes Korea 2020]. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Joins.
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