Who is Park Bom?
Park Bom, also known mononymously as Bom, was born on March 24, 1984. She is the main vocalist of famous 2nd generation K-pop girl group 2NE1 and a female soloist.
Park Bom’s Biography
- Birth Name: Park Bom (박봄)
- Stage Name: Bom
- Date of Birth: March 24, 1984
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Nationality: Korean
- Instagram: @newharoobompark
Park Bom was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She studied in Berklee College of Music, Lesley University (major in Psychology), and Gould Academy.
Despite having been interested in music when she was in high school, Park Bom was discouraged by her parents, who were not fond of their daughter’s aspirations. In the end, the female star moved to study in the US when she was in 6th grade and was transferred to a music academy with her aunt’s help and without her parents’ knowledge.
However, she wasn’t able to attend her aunt’s funeral because she was only a trainee at the time.
Additionally, Park Bom is a Christian. She has an older sister, whose name is said to be a cellist named Park Go-eun.
Park Bom’s Career
- Career beginnings
In 2006, Park Bom returned to South Korea and auditioned thrice for YG Entertainment until she was finally accepted. She also unsuccessfully auditioned for SM Entertainment.
Within the same year, she featured on two of Big Bang’s earliest singles, “We Belong Together” and “Forever with U”, and also collaborated with Lexy on “Baby Boy” from her third extended play Rush, and Red Roc on the single “Along My Way”.
She also appeared in a series of promotional music videos for Samsung Anycall of the same name, alongside Lee Hyori, G-Dragon, and Gummy.
- 2NE1 & Solo Activities
In 2009, Park Bom was announced as the main vocalist of 2NE1. The group then collaborated with label-mates BIGBANG for the song “Lollipop”, before making their official debut on May 6, 2009 with the single “Fire”.
The group achieved significant success with the single “I Don’t Care” from their 1st EP “2NE1”, which won them the Song of the Year award at the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards, making them the 1st rookie group to win a Daesang within the same year of debut.
In the same year, Park Bom released her 1st solo single “You and I”, which eventually won Best Digital Single at the 2010 Mnet Asian Music Awards and is one of the best-selling singles in Korean music history.
In late 2010, Park Bom featured on GD & T.O.P’s single “Oh Yeah” and also appeared on both the Korean and Japanese version of the song’s MV. She then dropped her 2nd solo single, “Don’t Cry” in 2011.
In 2013, Bom formed a sub-unit group with labelmate Lee Hi, known as Bom & Hi.
- Career setback
In 2014, Park Bom was investigated for drug smuggling, causing her activities to be put on a halt.
She went on a hiatus from the entertainment industry until December 2015, when she performed with 2NE1 at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards. However, in 2016, the disbandment of 2NE1 was announced.
- Return
After leaving YG, Park Bom signed with a new agency and released the solo single album “Spring”. Ever since, Park Bom has regained her fame as a soloist with moderate successes via a series of releases.
Health
Park Bom is diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). During her time as a trainee, she was diagnosed with lymphadenitis and has continued to suffer from episodes of lymphadenitis ever since.
Her health issues cause Park Bom to experience frequent weight changes, and the female idol recently drew significant attention with her drastic weight loss.
Controversies
In October 2010, Park Bom shipped 82 Adderall tablets to Korea without permission through international mail. Adderall contains amphetamine, which is classified as a narcotic drug, and which so required a customs declaration and permission from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to take in Korea. The drug was seized at Incheon International Airport customs, leading to Park Bom being investigated for “drug smuggling”.
At the time, Park Bom submitted a medical history record and prescription for several years, proving that she needs Adderall for treatment. In the results of her drug test, there was no evidence of abuse or dependence or illegal use beyond prescription and negative drug reactions were found.
However, due to public perception mistakenly thinking Adderall, which contains amphetamine, as pure amphetamine, Park Bom was harshly criticized and had to go on a prolonged hiatus.
Dating
In September 2024, Park Bom sparked a dating rumor with Lee Min-ho, after she published a photo of herself and the actor along with the caption “My true husband”.
So far, many fans were perplexed by this update, with suspicions ranging from the female idol being hacked, simply expressing her admiration, or revealing her own relationship status.
