Choi Ye-na (, born September 29, 1999), known mononymously as Yena, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a soloist and actress under YH Entertainment, and a former member of South Korean–Japanese girl group Iz*One, having finished fourth on Mnet's reality girl group survival show Produce 48. Yena made her solo debut on January 17, 2022, with the release of her first EP Smiley.
Early life Choi was born on September 29, 1999, in Gil-dong, Gangdong, South Korea. She is the younger sister of singer and actor Choi Sung-min. As a child, she was diagnosed with lymphoma.
Career Pre-debut Choi is a former Polaris Entertainment trainee before joining YH Entertainment. She was a host for SBS' Cooking Class in 2017.
2018–2021: Produce 48, Iz*One, solo activities
From June 15 to August 31, 2018, Choi (together with Everglow members Kim Si-hyeon and Wang Yiren) represented YH Entertainment on reality girl group survival show Produce 48. She eventually placed fourth and debuted with Iz*One. The group's debut extended play (EP) Color*Iz was released on October 29, 2018, with "La Vie en Rose" serving as its lead single.
Following her debut with Iz*One, Choi became a cast member for Prison Life of Fools, alongside Got7's JB, Jang Do-yeon, Jeong Hyeong-don and many more.
On December 21, 2020, Choi was announced as one of the cast members for mystery variety show Girls High School Mystery Class. The show is TVING's first original content variety show.
After Iz*One's disbandment in April 2021, Choi became a cast member of TVING's Idol Dictation Contest. She also joined the fixed MC panels for tvN Story's Fireworks Handsome and MBC's Game of Blood. On August 6, 2021, Choi was confirmed as the sole MC of Studio Waffle's web variety show Yena's Animal Detective. The web show started airing on August 24. Choi made her acting debut later that year portraying Oh Na-ri in the second season of the web series The World of My 17.
2022–present: Solo debut On January 1, 2022, Choi announced through her social media that she would make her solo debut with the EP Smiley on January 17. She made her broadcast debut on Mnet's M Countdown on January 20 performing "Smiley". On February 10, 2022, Choi earned her first ever music show win on Mnet's M Countdown. Choi released her second EP, Smartphone, on August 3.
In January 2023, Choi released a poster confirming her comeback with her first single album, Love War, on January 16. That month, she was also cast in the ENA variety show HMLYCP. Choi released her second single album Hate XX on June 27. The title track, "Hate Rodrigo," which Choi co-wrote, refers to American pop-singer Olivia Rodrigo, and the lyrics describe the concept of a "cute jealousy" towards Rodrigo, who is an object of envy and admiration. The music video for "Hate Rodrigo," posted on June 27, also prominently features images of Rodrigo. Two days after the music video was released, Yuehua Entertainment set the video to private to address "possible violations of trademark rights, portrait rights and copyright." The music video was later re-uploaded with significant edits, including the removal of "many shots that included posters of Rodrigo on the walls." In August 2023, Choi made her Japanese debut with the single "Smiley" (Japanese version), which featured Chanmina.
On January 15, 2024, Choi released her third EP Good Morning. A second Japanese single, titled "DNA", was released on February 7. In September 2024, it was announced that Choi would be releasing her third single album Nemonemo on September 30. On December 18, it was announced that Choi would be returning to acting in the family sitcom Villains Everywhere.
On May 16, 2025, Choi was featured in BTS's Jin's song, "Loser" in the album Echo. Choi released her fourth EP Blooming Wings on July 29. Choi released the Japanese digital single "STAR!", featuring Vocaloid Hatsune Miku, on November 26, under Victor Entertainment.
On January 21, 2026, Choi released the Japanese version of Nemonemo. Choi released her fifth EP Love Catcher on March 11.
Discography
Extended plays + List of extended plays, showing selected details, selected chart positions, and sales figures Title Details Peak chart positions Sales KORPeak chart positions on Circle Album Chart (formerly Gaon):
JPNHotPeaks on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart: Smiley: Love Catcher: SWEPhy. Smiley Released: January 17, 2022 Label: YH Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 2 48 — KOR: 123,302 Smartphone Released: August 3, 2022 Label: YH Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 3 — — KOR: 138,339Cumulative sales of Smartphone: Good Morning Released: January 15, 2024 Label: YH Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 2 — — KOR: 77,667Cumulative sales of Good Morning:
Blooming Wings Released: July 29, 2025 Label: YH Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 10 — — KOR: 41,364Cumulative sales of Blooming Wings:
Love Catcher Released: March 11, 2026 Label: YH Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 5 87 18 KOR: 59,180Cumulative sales for Love Catcher:
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Single albums + List of single albums, showing selected details, selected chart positions, and sales figures Title Details Peak chart positions Sales KOR Love War Released: January 16, 2023 Label: YH Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 6 KOR: 124,270Cumulative Sales of Love War:
Hate XX Released: June 27, 2023 Label: YH Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 11 KOR: 101,297Cummulative Sales of Hate XX:
Nemonemo Released: September 30, 2024 Label: YH Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 5 KOR: 48,009Cumulative Sales of Nemonemo:
Singles + List of singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album KORPeak chart positions on Circle Digital Chart (formerly Gaon):
KORHotPeak on the K-pop Hot 100 chart:
Peak on the Korea Hot 100 chart: JPN JPNHeat.Peak chart positions on the Billboard Japan Heatseekers Songs: "Smiley": "Smiley (Japanese Ver.)": "Nemonemo": "Catch Catch: NZHot Korean "Smiley" 2022 8 9 — 9 — rowspan="8" Smiley "Smartphone" 119 — — — — Smartphone "Love War" 2023 71 — — — — Love War "Hate Rodrigo" 117 — — — — Hate XX "Good Morning" 2024 178 — — — — Good Morning "Nemonemo" () 35 — — 8 — Nemonemo "Being a Good Girl Hurts" () 2025 — — — — — Blooming Wings "Catch Catch" () 2026 5 70 — 3 26 Love Catcher Japanese "Smiley" 2023 — — 10 12 — JPN: 5,658 rowspan="5" "DNA" 2024 — — 7 — — JPN: 4,016 "Star!" 2025 — — 9 — — JPN: 4,085 "Nemonemo" 2026 — — — — "Mirror Mirror" () — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Production credits All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.
Title Year Artist Album Lyrics Music "With*One" 2020 Iz*One Oneiric Diary "Lesson" 2021 "Before Anyone Else" 2022 Choi Ye-na Smiley "Smiley" "Lxxk 2 U" "Pretty Boys" "Make U Smile" Smartphone "Smartphone" "WithOrWithOut" "Wash Away" 2023Love War "Love War" "Hate Rodrigo" HATE XX "Smiley -Japanese Ver.-" Smiley -Japanese Ver.- "Good Morning" 2024Good Morning "The Ugly Duckling" "Being a Good Girl Hurts" 2025Blooming Wings "Hello Goodbye"
Videography Music videos Title Year Director(s) "Smiley" 2022 Kim Zi-yong(FANTAZYLAB) "Smartphone"Kwon Yong-soo(Studio Saccharin) "With or Without "Love War" 2023 Soze Yoon(Studio GA•ZE) "Wicked Love" Song Jung-hwan "Hate Rodrigo" Kim Zi-yong(FANTAZYLAB) "Smiley" (Japanese version) "Good Morning" 2024 Kim Zi-yong(FANTAZYLAB) "DNA" Naive "Nemonemo" () Yang Soonsik "Being a Good Girl Hurts" () 2025 Jan Lee "Star" Hong Seok Zoo "Catch Catch" () 2026 Jooyeong Yun (EARTHLUK) "Mirror Mirror" Anderson "Dime Girl"
Filmography
Television series Year Title Role Notes 2025 Villains Everywhere Gu Won-hee Sitcom
Web series Year Title Role Notes 2021 The World of My 17 Oh Na-ri Season 2
Television shows Year Title Role 2017 Cooking Class Host 2018 Produce 48 Contestant 2019 Prison Life of Fools Cast member 2021 Fireworks Handsome Host Game of Blood 2022 New Festa Participant Fantastic Family Panelist Family Register Mate Special member Is the parting will be a recall? Judge 2023 M Countdown Special host Webtoon Singer Panelist HMLYCP Cast member Girls Night Out Host 2026 My Remaining Love (working title) Cast member
Web shows Year Title Role Notes 2021 Girls High School Mystery Class Cast member Episode 1–16 / Season 1 Yena's Animal Detective Host 2021–2022 Idol Dictation Contest Cast member DoReMi Market spin-off / Season 1–2 2021–2024 Girls High School Mystery Class Season 1–3 2022 The Door: To Wonderland Season 2
Radio shows Year Title Role Notes 2022 Idol Radio 2 Temporary DJ June 23 – July 30
Awards and nominations
+ Name of the award ceremony, year presented, award category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee(s) Result Asia Artist Awards 2022 Best Musician Award Choi Ye-na 2025 Best Musician – Solo Blue Dragon Series Awards 2022 Best New Female Entertainer Girls High School Mystery Class Brand Customer Loyalty Award 2021 Best Female Idol Entertainer Choi Ye-na 2022 Best Rookie Female Singer Best Female Idol Entertainer 2023 Most Influential Female Solo Artist Most Influential Female Entertainer Idol Brand of the Year Awards 2021 Entertainer Idol of the Year (Female) 2022 Best Rookie Solo Artist 2026Best Female Solo Artist Circle Chart Music Awards 2023 New Icon of the Year Song of the Year – January "Smiley" (feat. Bibi) Genie Music Awards 2022 Best Female Solo Artist Choi Ye-na Golden Disc Awards 2023 Digital Song Bonsang "Smiley" (feat. Bibi) Rookie Artist of the Year Choi Ye-na Hanteo Music Awards 2023 Trend Wannabe Icon Award Korea First Brand Awards 2023 Most Anticipated Female Solo Artist MAMA Awards 2022 Best New Female Artist Worldwide Fans' Choice Top 10 Artist of the Year Song of the Year "Smiley" (feat. Bibi) Best Dance Performance – Solo Melon Music Awards 2022 Best Female Solo Artist Choi Ye-na Top 10 Artist Award Artist of the Year
Notes
Footnotes
References
External links
Choi Ye-na at Yuehua Entertainment