For fans of K-pop group Girls’ Generation, Seohyun is considered to be the vocalist who has improved the most over her career – and as the youngest member of the group’s star continues to rise, her acting career is taking off too. Bagging increasingly versatile roles, her latest sees her playing a con artist named Cha Joo-eun in K-drama Private Lives that debuted in earlier this month. Is Seohyun on the way to becoming the next K-drama queen? That statement might not be as far fetched as you think. STYLE takes a look at how much she’s flourished as a multifaceted artist in the decade since her debut, her best and brightest moments, and how hard she’s worked to get to where she is now. ‘iPhone … no’: Why Blackpink won’t take selfies if you’re an Apple user “Power maknae” An only child, Seohyun hails from a family of musicians. Her mother, who runs a music school, taught her to play the piano and the violin. Seohyun dreamt of becoming a pianist and studying abroad to hone her skills, but in fifth grade, she was scouted by an SM Entertainment agent. In 2007, after six years of training, Seohyun debuted with Girls’ Generation at the tender age of 16, and would remain part of the group for a decade. As the youngest member, Seohyun is known as the “maknae” – and one of K-pop’s more prominent ones at that. She is considered the harmoniser of the group, praised for her stable vocal range, and her ability to sing well live and adapt to various genres. In 2012, a Girls’ Generation subgroup was formed, called TTS, featuring the group’s power vocalists: Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun. It prompted Seohyun to explore songwriting, and she began co-writing lyrics for Girls’ Generation and TTS. 5 things to know about Seohyun, Girls Generation’s top idol-turned actress Theatre darling Showing a desire to carve out her own path early on, Seohyun jumped into musical theatre with both feet even while she was busy being an idol. She realised her fondness for acting, and in 2014, accepted her first lead role in the novel-turned-drama (and now musical) Moon Embracing the Sun. The following year, she was cast as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind , and was praised for her acting. According to online news site Osen, Seohyun “exceeded expectations”, and for a theatre rookie with little experience, brought character to the role. Reviewing the performance, Osen said of her singing: “It wasn’t powerful but it was pure like a girl, while also robust and sharp.” In her third musical, Seohyun played Sophie in Mamma Mia! , joining a star-studded cast of industry veterans. Despite having big shoes to fill, Seohyun was lauded for her drive to improve and she quickly became a fresh face in the world of theatre with great potential. She also boasted a solid fan base always eager for her next appearance on stage. 5 Korean actors who played LGBT characters Going solo In 2017, Seohyun released her first solo album and debuted the song Don’t Say No . Known for being a risk-taker, Seohyun said she was keen to break free from her maknae image and be seen as a woman and a musical artist in her own right: “At first my company [SM Entertainment] opposed [my solo album]. They said the image of a girl fits me better, but I insisted. I’ll take all the responsibility for what happens,” she told The Korea Herald . In the end, the singer says she was proud of being able to take part in the entire process of making her solo album, from concept to songwriting, adding that she had not been able to do this much while in the group. Later that year, Seohyun left the agency to focus on acting. 4 female K-pop stars who have crossed over into K-drama Seohyun currently stars in the drama Private Lives as a con artist who learned the tricks of the trade from her parents, but eventually falls for a scam herself. The idol-actress says she was drawn to the strong personalities of the characters in the drama, and she says she learned to be more brazen because of her role. On an episode of Knowing Bros , Seohyun revealed that she intentionally “thinned herself out” for the role. Starring alongside Go Kyung-pyo , fans have given the pair the name “Pangyo Couple” as they look like young newlyweds together – Pangyo is a reference to the city in South Korea popular with young newlyweds. Private Lives is Seohyun’s first major drama this year, and Go’s comeback project after military service. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .