Naeun (나은)

Several years after she stepped back from her position as center of Apink, Son Na-eun has been steadily redefining herself on the other side of a camera — not as a performer on a K-pop stage, but as a working actress building a drama resumé.

From Apink to a Solo Path

Son Na-eun was born on February 10, 1994, and came to public attention as a member of Apink, the IST Entertainment girl group that became one of South Korea's more durable acts of the 2010s. Within the group she served as center and sub-vocalist, roles that placed her at the visual and performative forefront of the act's image. After departing Apink, she signed with YG Entertainment and redirected her career toward acting and modelling work — a pivot that has taken the better part of five years to consolidate.

A Career Pivot in Progress

The transition has not been without its reflective moments. In early 2026, appearing on the variety programme *Hotel Dokkaebi*, Son Na-eun spoke candidly about the uncertainty that accompanied her departure, admitting she had questioned whether she would be a necessary presence in her new field. On the show she took on the role of a hotelier, interacted with foreign guests, and participated in activities off the coast of Jeju, drawing enough positive audience response to suggest the pivot was landing.

Later in 2026, she moved into scripted drama with a role in the SBS Friday-Saturday series *Manager Kim*, where she portrays Sang-ah, a company colleague described as carrying a secret. The casting drew attention in part because of the project's profile — the drama also stars Joo Sang-wook — and marked a step toward the kind of primetime network exposure that can consolidate an actress's standing beyond variety appearances.

Activities

Alongside the drama work, Son Na-eun has continued commercial modelling, with behind-the-scenes material from a 2026 shoot circulating to some attention and signalling the range of concepts she is able to work across. She remains a member of Apink in official capacity, though her day-to-day activities have been centred on her individual acting and modelling career since her departure from the group's active line-up.