Artist Profile
- Real Name: Son Seungwan
- Native Name: 손승완
- Nicknames: Olaf, Wannie
- Birthday: Feb 21, 1994 (31 years old)
- Blood type: O
- Height/Weight: 160 cm (5’3") / 47 kg (104 lbs)
- Gender: Female
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- MBTI: ISFP
- Birthplace: Seongbuk-dong, Seoul, South Korea
- Nationality: South Korean
- Profession: Singer
- Language Skills: Korean, English, Spanish, French
- Current Agency: ASND
- Years Active: 2014–present (12 years)
- Group: Red Velvet, Girls On Top
- Debut: Aug 1, 2014
Wendy, born Shon Seung-wan on February 21, 1994, is a South Korean singer predominantly active in the K-pop music industry. She is a member of the girl group Red Velvet, serving as the main vocalist.
Early Life
Wendy was born in Seongbuk-dong, Seoul, South Korea. She attended elementary school in her home country before moving to Canada with her older sister during her late primary school years.
In North America, she attended Shattuck-Saint Mary’s School in the United States, where she was a member of the school choir, and Richmond Hill High School in Ontario, Canada. From a young age, she learned to play the piano, guitar, flute, and saxophone. She participated in several music auditions abroad before returning to South Korea to join SM Entertainment.
Career
In 2012, Wendy participated in the SM Global Audition in Canada and was selected by SM Entertainment as a trainee.
On March 14, 2014, she was introduced as a member of the SM Rookies project. On August 1 of the same year, Wendy officially debuted as the main vocalist of the girl group Red Velvet with the digital single Happiness.
In 2015, Wendy pursued her first solo activities by performing the track “Return” with Yuk Jidam for the Who Are You: School 2015 soundtrack, released on June 8. In the same year, she contributed the song “Let You Know” to the D-Day soundtrack, released on October 16.
In 2016, Wendy participated in various collaborative projects and soundtracks, including “Spring Love” with Eric Nam for the SM Station project, released on March 4, and the track “Sound of Your Heart” for the SM Town project, released on December 30.
In 2017, she continued to participate in soundtrack and collaborative projects, including “I Can Only See You” with Seulgi for the television series The Universe’s Star, released on February 3. That same year, Wendy maintained her role as the main vocalist in Red Velvet’s releases, such as Rookie and Red Flavor.
In 2018, Wendy took part in recording and promotional activities with Red Velvet for the tracks “Bad Boy” and “Power Up.”
In 2019, she continued recording and promoting Red Velvet’s releases, including “Zimzalabim” and “Psycho,” while also appearing on several television and radio programs as a guest singer.
In 2020, following a hiatus due to an injury sustained in late 2019, Wendy returned to participate in Red Velvet’s releases and various variety programs.
In 2021, Wendy made her solo debut with the mini-album Like Water, released on April 5, featuring the double title tracks “Like Water” and “When This Rain Stops.” She became the first member of Red Velvet to release a solo album. Later that year, she resumed group activities with Red Velvet’s mini-album Queendom, released on August 16.
In 2022, Wendy joined the project group GOT the Beat as part of SM Entertainment’s Girls On Top project, with the single “Step Back” released on January 3. That same year, she continued her activities with Red Velvet for the albums The ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm, released on March 21, and The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday, released on November 28.
In 2023, Wendy continued to participate in Red Velvet’s releases and promotions, including performance schedules both within South Korea and internationally.
In 2024, she participated in the recording and promotion of Red Velvet’s album Chill Kill, released on November 13, while continuing her activities with GOT the Beat.
In 2025, Wendy concluded her exclusive contract with SM Entertainment on April 4 but continued to participate in group activities with Red Velvet. On April 25 of the same year, she signed a contract with ASND to manage her individual Profile.
Fun Facts
- Wendy once mistook a stranger for a staff member and casually chatted with them during filming.
- She burst into uncontrollable laughter when revealing that Kang Ho Dong is her ideal type on Knowing Bros.
- She visibly lost her composure and reacted strongly when Taeyeon suddenly appeared during a live broadcast.
- She once drew a portrait of Heechul, which everyone jokingly referred to as a “work of art.”
- She often intentionally speaks English with Korean intonation so Koreans can understand her more easily, despite having native Toronto pronunciation.
- She has the nickname “Wan-mol” because she frequently mimics other people’s voices and facial expressions.
- The members have commented that she is the most different between her on-screen image and her real-life personality.
- She once ranked 5th in a Minnesota state-level math competition and received an award presented by President Barack Obama.
- She can play multiple instruments, including piano, guitar, flute, and saxophone.
- She has solid beatboxing skills thanks to her strong sense of rhythm.
- She has said that she can use around 7–8 different vocal tones when singing.
- She has the ability to remember fans’ faces and recognize them at later meetings.
- She once forced herself to eat kimbap even when not hungry to maintain her vocal condition during recording sessions.
- She uses the name Wendy in Canada; it was given by her father and is not a stage name.
- She is called a “concept gangster” because she suits a wide variety of concepts and styles.
Photo Gallery
