Park Bom

1.1. Birth and Family

Park Bom was born on March 24, 1984, in Seoul, South Korea. She is the second of two daughters. Her older sister, Park Go-eun, is an internationally renowned cellist.

1.2. Education and Early Endeavors

From an early age, Bom demonstrated a love for singing, participating in children's song contests and aspiring to become a singer. At the age of 12, during her sixth year of elementary school, she moved to the United States to pursue her studies. She graduated from a private high school in Maine after completing middle school in Los Angeles. Subsequently, she enrolled at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, majoring in psychology.

While in high school, Bom developed a strong passion for music, largely influenced by American singer Mariah Carey. She has recounted listening to Mariah Carey's songs during lunch and feeling so immersed that she would forget to eat. Despite her parents' initial disapproval of her pursuing a music career, she was encouraged by an aunt and secretly transferred to Berklee College of Music in Boston to study music.

During her time in the United States, she was diagnosed with ADHD. As a result of this diagnosis, she was prescribed Adderall, a medication that contains amphetamines and is legally used for ADHD treatment in the U.S.

Upon returning to South Korea in 2002, Bom began auditioning for YG Entertainment, facing rejection for three consecutive years. However, her persistence paid off, and she was finally accepted by the agency in 2005. During her trainee period at YG Entertainment, she learned both Japanese and Chinese. She was also diagnosed with lymphadenitis, a condition that has caused her discomfort and swelling even years later.

2.1. 2005-2008: Pre-debut Activities

Before her official debut, Park Bom engaged in various pre-debut activities that showcased her vocal talent and introduced her to the public. In 2006, she participated in the "Anystar" promotional music video series for Samsung Anycall, alongside prominent artists like Lee Hyori and G-Dragon. In this CF (commercial film), she portrayed a girl aspiring to be a singer and was often referred to as "fake Lee Hyori," generating significant buzz.

Also in 2006, Bom featured on two early singles by her labelmates Big Bang, namely "We Belong Together" and "Forever with U" from their respective early albums. She further collaborated with other artists, featuring on Lexy's "Baby Boy" from her third extended play Rush in 2007, and on Red Roc's single "Along My Way." In 2007, she made a guest appearance at Big Bang's national tour concert "Want You," where she performed her first solo song, "Scarecrow," composed by J. Y. Park.

2.2. 2009-2013: 2NE1 Debut and Solo Breakthrough

In the first half of 2009, Yang Hyun-suk, the CEO of YG Entertainment, announced the debut of a new four-member girl group with Park Bom as a key vocalist. The group was initially named "21" but was later changed to "2NE1" (meaning "New Evolution in the 21st Century") due to the existence of another artist with the same name. Bom was positioned as a main vocalist alongside CL, Dara, and Minzy.

The group's first public appearance was a collaboration with Big Bang for the song "Lollipop," a promotional track for an LG Cyon phone. This song achieved great success, leading to high anticipation for 2NE1's official debut. They officially debuted on SBS's The Music Trend on May 17, 2009, performing their digital single "Fire," which was produced by Teddy Park. The group achieved significant success with their number-one single "I Don't Care" from their first extended play, 2NE1. "I Don't Care" earned them the Song of the Year award at the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards, making them the first rookie group to win a daesang (grand prize) in their debut year.

In August 2009, after concluding promotions for their debut single, the members took a break to focus on individual activities. Park Bom released her first solo digital single, "You and I," on October 28, 2009. The song was a major commercial success, reaching number one on the Gaon Digital Chart for the month of November and ultimately winning the Best Digital Single award at the 2010 Mnet Asian Music Awards. By the end of 2011, "You and I" had accumulated over 4.48 M KRW in digital sales, making it one of the best-selling songs in Korean music history.

In late 2010, Park Bom featured on GD & TOP's single "Oh Yeah," appearing in both the Korean and Japanese versions of the song and its Japanese music video. The single peaked at number two on the Gaon Chart. On April 21, 2011, she released her second solo digital single, "Don't Cry." This single was also highly successful, achieving a "perfect all-kill" on Instiz by topping seven major Korean music charts. "Don't Cry" went on to sell over 2.51 M KRW in digital downloads in Korea.

Later in 2011, Bom featured on "Having an Affair," a song performed by G-Dragon and comedian Park Myeong-su as part of their duo project GG for the Infinite Challenge Music Festival. G-Dragon praised her, stating, "In every song that her voice goes, it's a hit. Her voice is very good." This single became another massive hit, charting at number one and becoming the second most downloaded song of 2011 with over 3.62 M KRW in downloads.

In 2013, Park Bom formed a sub-unit group called Bom & Hi with her labelmate Lee Hi. The duo released a cover of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" on December 17. The same year, she also featured on the Japanese version of G-Dragon's single "Black."

2.3. 2014-2017: Career Hiatus and 2NE1's Disbandment

The period from 2014 to 2017 marked a significant career interruption for Park Bom, stemming from a drug smuggling allegation that led to a hiatus and ultimately the disbandment of 2NE1.

In 2014, it was publicly revealed that Park Bom had been under investigation for allegedly attempting to smuggle 80 Adderall tablets into South Korea via international mail in 2010. The package, sent by family members residing in the United States to her in South Korea, was intercepted by customs at Incheon International Airport. While she was investigated, she was never formally charged, and the prosecutor decided on a deferred indictment. This decision drew considerable media and public criticism, with some raising suspicions of preferential treatment given the severity of the alleged offense and comparisons to similar cases involving ordinary citizens.

YG Entertainment's founder, Yang Hyun-suk, issued a statement addressing the allegations. He explained that Adderall, while illegal in South Korea, was a legal prescription drug in the United States used to treat her ADHD, a condition she had been diagnosed with in her junior high school years. He stated that due to her busy schedule at the time, she was unable to travel to the United States to refill her medication and had contacted her U.S. physician. Yang Hyun-suk further clarified that Park Bom had sought medical care from South Korean physicians and undergone therapy for ADHD, but these treatments proved less effective than her U.S. medication. During the 2010 investigation, she had provided the prosecutor with her medical records and prescriptions from her U.S. hospital, which confirmed her diagnosis and ongoing treatment plan. The prosecution cited these circumstances and evidence as reasons for their deferred indictment decision, acknowledging that Adderall is a legal prescription drug in the U.S.

However, media reports pointed out that proxy prescription and export of such drugs from the U.S. could violate U.S. laws. Furthermore, a comparison was drawn to a case where a corporate executive was arrested and indicted for similar charges involving Adderall, leading to continued public scrutiny and accusations of "lenient punishment" for Park Bom.

Following the scandal, Park Bom briefly joined the cast of SBS's reality show Roommate in 2014, which featured eleven celebrities living together. However, she soon withdrew from the program and entered an extended hiatus from the entertainment industry, undergoing a period of self-reflection.

Her next public appearance was on December 2, 2015, when she reunited with 2NE1 for a surprise performance at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards. This brief reunion sparked both excitement and controversy given her long absence. On November 25, 2016, YG Entertainment officially announced the disbandment of 2NE1 after seven years. The company stated that former members CL and Dara had re-signed solo contracts, while hinting at Park Bom's departure from the agency. Despite her contract termination, Park Bom participated in 2NE1's final song, "Goodbye," released on January 21, 2017. In the subsequent months, there was confusion regarding her agency status, with initial reports suggesting she signed with YG's subsidiary, The Black Label, and was preparing a solo album. However, YG Entertainment later denied this, clarifying that she had not signed any new contract with them or their subsidiaries since her departure in November 2016, though Bom herself insisted on social media that she had signed a new contract and would make a comeback.

2.4. 2018-present: Solo Career Resurgence and 2NE1 Reunion

Park Bom's career saw a significant resurgence starting in 2018, marking her return to the music scene after a prolonged hiatus and culminating in a highly anticipated reunion with 2NE1.

On July 20, 2018, it was reported that Park Bom had signed an exclusive contract with D-Nation Entertainment, a newly established entertainment company. Initial plans included the release of her debut mini-album, consisting of five to six tracks, in November, along with overseas promotional activities. However, the mini-album release was later postponed to January 2019, and she announced the launch of her own YouTube channel. Her first small-screen appearance in four years was a special guest role in the Netflix sitcom YG Future Strategy Office, starring her former labelmate Seungri, which premiered on October 5, 2018, with her appearing in Episode 3, "Music Business."

Her comeback lead single, "Spring" (봄^Korean), from her debut single album of the same name, was announced on February 15, 2019, and released on March 13, 2019, along with its music video. The song, an R&B track of medium tempo, was produced by Brave Brothers and featured vocals from her former 2NE1 groupmate, Dara. "Spring" was performed for the first time at its showcase event on the day of its release. The single debuted at number two on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart, marking it as the week's highest-selling K-pop song and highest-charting new entry.

On May 2, 2019, Spring was re-released as an extended play titled re:Blue Rose. Its lead single, "4:44" (4시 44분^Korean), was also produced by Brave Brothers and featured vocals from Wheein of Mamamoo. On July 1, 2019, Park Bom released "I Do, I Do" as her first original soundtrack contribution for the drama Perfume. She held her first fan meet, titled "Spring Again," on July 20, 2019.

In August 2019, Park Bom competed in Mnet's reality television competition Queendom, which aired starting August 29. Throughout her participation, she released several singles, including covers of "(G)I-dle's "Hann (Alone)" (featuring Cheetah) and Taeyang's "Eyes, Nose, Lips," as well as an original song titled "Wanna Go Back" (되돌릴 수 없는 돌아갈 수 없는 돌아갈 곳 없는^Korean). She ultimately finished in last place in the competition.

Following Queendom, Park Bom featured in MC Mong's "Chanel," released on October 29, 2019. She also reunited with Dara for the single "First Snow" (첫눈^Korean), which was released on December 10, 2019.

On December 21, 2020, Park Bom returned from a year-long hiatus with "Red Light," a collaboration with Sai Sai Kham Leng. On March 31, 2021, she released the standalone single "Do Re Mi Fa Sol" (도레미파솔^Korean), featuring Changmo. On March 11, 2022, she released "Flower" (꽃^Korean), featuring Kim Min-seok from MeloMance. In November 2022, D-Nation Entertainment announced the postponement of her new single "Remembered" due to the aftermath of the Seoul Halloween crowd crush, expressing deep condolences.

In June 2023, Park Bom held her first solo concert, titled "You & I," in Manila, Philippines. In November of that year, she released the digital single "I" (아이^Korean), featuring Dawn. In September 2024, Park Bom held her second solo concert in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Most notably, in October 2024, Park Bom resumed group activities with 2NE1, participating in their 15th-anniversary "Welcome Back Tour" under YG Entertainment, marking a significant return for the iconic group.

4.1. Adderall Smuggling Allegation (2010)

In October 2010, Park Bom was investigated by Incheon International Airport customs for attempting to import a small quantity of Adderall, a drug classified as a psychotropic substance and prohibited for general use in South Korea. The medication, containing amphetamines, raised public concern due to its association with mental health treatments, specifically whether it indicated an underlying psychological issue.

The prosecution decided to apply a deferred indictment, meaning she was investigated but not formally charged. This decision, overseen by Kim Soo-chang and Kim Hak-ui of the Incheon District Prosecutor's Office at the time, sparked controversy and accusations of preferential treatment. The prosecution's stated reasons for the deferred indictment were that Adderall is legally obtainable with a prescription in the United States, and Park Bom had provided her medical records and prescriptions from a U.S. hospital, confirming her diagnosis and ongoing treatment plan for ADHD.

On July 1, the day following the initial media reports, Yang Hyun-suk, the head of 2NE1's agency YG Entertainment, issued a detailed explanation. He stated that Park Bom had witnessed a traumatic accident involving a close friend's death during her childhood. Following this event, she underwent years of psychiatric counseling and psychological therapy, and had consistently taken medication formally prescribed by a reputable university hospital in the U.S. Yang clarified that the drug was illegal in South Korea but legal in the U.S., where it was prescribed for her condition, and that her U.S. medical records and prescriptions were submitted to the prosecutor, which led to the conclusion of the case.

However, subsequent media scrutiny highlighted inconsistencies and raised further questions. Reports noted that a high-ranking executive from a large corporation faced arrest and indictment for similar charges involving Adderall, leading to accusations of a "slap on the wrist" for Park Bom. Furthermore, on July 7, it was reported that her explanation of "proxy prescription" and "export to Korea" violated U.S. laws, fueling public suspicion. There were also allegations that her role as a public relations ambassador for the Ministry of Justice, having sung its promotional song "A Good Basic for a Good Mood," might have influenced the deferred indictment decision.

As a direct consequence of this controversy, Park Bom halted all broadcast and entertainment activities and entered a period of self-reflection. The rest of 2NE1 completed their second album activities with a performance at the SBS Gayo Daejeon on December 21, 2014. Her public return at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards on December 2, 2015, alongside 2NE1, drew renewed criticism given her ongoing hiatus.

6.1. Films

6.2. Web Series

6.3. Television Shows

7.1. Single Albums

7.3. Soundtrack Appearances

7.4. Promotional Singles and Other Charted Songs