The members often mention “Umji Card” when talking about their difficult past time.
K-pop idols have to go through many hardships to have the opportunity to debut. Fans were even more surprised when they discovered that many idols were born into rich families but still accepted the harsh training process. One of them is Umji (VIVIZ).
Umji‘s family background was made public through the program Rumor Has It. Umji was born into a rich family. Her father owns a chain of famous dental clinics in Korea. His job allows Umji and her siblings to live comfortably. They have been attending prestigious schools in Korea.
However, Umji did not choose to follow in the footsteps of her parents. The female idol was determined to pursue a musical path and wanted to be an idol. Like many others, Umji went through a difficult trainee process, practicing choreography and vocals to get a debut with GFriend.
During the trainee period, Umji was the one who helped GFriend members a lot financially. When the group didn’t have enough money to cover their daily expenses, Umji used her parents’ cards. Therefore, the members often refer to “Umji card” when recalling old stories. It is admirable that Umji‘s parents were not upset about this action, but instead wished their daughter and her friends to eat well and be healthy.
Fans think that if she hadn’t chosen to become an idol, Umji would have had a more peaceful life. At the time of her debut with GFriend, the female idol once received a lot of criticism for her somewhat chubby appearance. These negative comments made Umji‘s confidence gradually decrease and then, every time GFriend’s performances ended, the female idol often chose to cover her face with her hair or stood behind the other members.
However, just like how she worked hard to debut with GFriend, Umji’s appearance has also changed dramatically over time. She started dieting, changing her makeup and fashion styles, and achieve quite a success with her changes. Umji‘s new pretty and confident appearance receives a lot of praise from netizens.
After GFriend disbanded, Umji officially re-debuted in VIVIZ with Eunha and SinB. Umji‘s new appearance with a small, beautiful face and suitable makeup style is highly appreciated by netizens.
Umji is a prime example of idols who have good family backgrounds but still accept all difficulties to achieve their dream of standing on stage. Moreover, Umji is also admired by many netizens when she lives a very simple life despite being born into a rich family.
