Personal Details :
- Full Name: Bae Joo-hyun
- Stage Name: Irene
- Birth Date: March 29, 1991
- Birth Place: Daegu, South Korea
- Height: 160 cm (5’3″)
- Blood Type: A
- Education: Haknam High School
- Nicknames: Baechu (cabbage), The 2nd Tiffany, Hyun-ah
- Hobbies: Dancing, cooking seaweed soup for members’ birthdays
- Dietary Preferences: Does not eat chicken due to childhood illness, dislikes coffee, prefers fruits like watermelon and grapes, enjoys cooking for members
- Representative Color: Pink
- MBTI Personality: ENTJ
Social Media Presence :
- Instagram: @renebaebae
- Weverse: Red Velvet Weverse
- Bubble App: Bubble
Career Overview :
- Debut: August 1, 2014, as the leader and visual of the girl group Red Velvet under SM Entertainment.
- Sub-unit: Formed Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi with fellow member Seulgi in July 2020, releasing the mini-album Monster.
- Solo Debut: Released debut solo mini-album Like A Flower on November 26, 2024.
- Acting: Starred in web drama Women at a Game Company (2016) and film Double Patty (2021). Also contributed to the soundtrack of Double Patty.
- Television Hosting: Co-hosted music show Music Bank (2015–2016) and variety shows like Laundry Day (2016–2017) and Irene’s Work & Holiday (2022).
Personal Life & Interests :
Irene, whose real name is Bae Joo-hyun, has a warm and caring personality that shines through her interests and lifestyle. She enjoys dancing and often shares her passion for it with fans and fellow members. One of her favorite hobbies is cooking, especially preparing seaweed soup for the birthdays of her Red Velvet groupmates, showing her thoughtful nature.
Despite being a celebrity, Irene maintains simple tastes, preferring fresh fruits such as watermelon and grapes over heavier snacks. Due to a childhood illness, she does not eat chicken and also dislikes coffee, which sets her apart from many of her peers.
She is affectionately called by several nicknames including Baechu (which means cabbage), The 2nd Tiffany, and Hyun-ah. These nicknames reflect both her close bonds with fans and fellow artists, as well as her unique charm. Overall, Irene’s personal interests reflect a balance of creativity, care for others, and a grounded lifestyle.
Net Worth :
As of 2025, Irene’s estimated net worth is approximately $4 million USD (around 5.5 billion KRW). This wealth primarily stems from her multifaceted career, including her role as the leader of Red Velvet, solo music endeavors, acting projects, and numerous endorsement deals. Irene has earned the title of “CF Queen” due to her significant influence in advertising, securing high-paying contracts with major brands such as Prada, Clinique, Miu Miu, Damiani, Hyundai Motors, and HiteJinro Chamisul. These lucrative partnerships have substantially contributed to her financial success.
In comparison, Red Velvet’s collective net worth exceeds $8 million USD, with individual members’ fortunes varying. Joy is reported to have the highest net worth among the group, estimated at $5 million USD, followed by Irene at $4 million USD. Seulgi and Wendy each have net worths nearing $4 million USD, while Yeri’s is estimated at $2 million USD.
Awards & Achievements :
- Visual Queen of 2024 – Crowned by fans on KingChoice with over 1.5 million votes.
- Best Female Performance Award – Won at the 2022 Genie Music Awards.
- Generation Icon Award – Received at the 2023 Hanteo Music Awards.
- Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation – Honored in 2018 for contributions to South Korean pop culture.
- Forbes Korea Power Celebrity – Ranked 11th in 2018 and 5th in 2019.
- 100 Digital Stars (Asia) – Listed by Forbes in 2020.
- Best Newcomer (Variety) – Nominated at the 2015 KBS Entertainment Awards for hosting Music Bank.
- Female Solo Artist (Grand Prize) – Won at the 2025 Supersound Festival for her solo debut album Like A Flower.
Fun Facts :
- Irene’s nickname “Baechu” means cabbage in Korean, because her cheeks look like a cute cabbage leaf.
- She once revealed that she does not eat chicken due to a childhood illness.
- Irene is known for her calm and elegant demeanor but is surprisingly playful and funny off-stage.
- She is a skilled dancer and often participates in choreography creation for Red Velvet performances.
- Irene loves to cook, especially making seaweed soup for her group members’ birthdays.
- She was the youngest trainee to debut in SM Entertainment at the time she joined Red Velvet.
- Irene is multilingual, speaking Korean, some English, and Japanese.
- She was originally considered to debut in a different girl group before joining Red Velvet.