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Patti Sunio

Actress Bona has recently grabbed attention for her impressive acting in the just-concluded Twenty-Five Twenty-One as Ko Yu-rim, a young Korean fencing legend and a gold medallist.
Born Kim Ji-yeon, better known by her stage name Bona, the starlet has gained the love and sympathy of fans for portraying a character who cares deeply about her family and maintains a good attitude and warm friendship with her peers despite life’s difficulties.












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A post shared by BONA (@bn_95819)



But what else is there to know about the rising star – who’s also a K-pop idol and a lover of the great outdoors? Here are five interesting facts about Bona.
1. She debuted as part of Korean-Chinese group, WJSN












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A post shared by BONA (@bn_95819)



In 2016, Bona debuted as a K-pop idol with Korean-Chinese girl group WJSN (which stands for wonder, joy, sweet and natural), also known as Cosmic Girls. She remains active as one of its thirteen members and is considered the group’s lead dancer, vocalist and rapper. She is also part of its subunit WJSN The Black.
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2. She’s often fittingly cast in throwback coming-of-age dramas


Fresh-faced and full of youthful charm, the 26-year-old actress is often cast in high school, coming-of-age dramas – and she suits those roles to a T. While she is currently generating buzz because of her success in Twenty-Five Twenty-One, her performances in Hit the Top (her acting debut) and Girls Generation 1979 are worth attention, too.
While Twenty-Five Twenty-One begins during South Korea’s International Monetary Fund crisis in 1997, Hit the Top is set in the 90s and Girls Generation 1979 takes viewers back to Daegu province in the 70s. All three dramas are narrated in the same manner – in a different timeline from the present – and likewise portray slice-of-life stories that revolve around groups of young friends who are becoming adults and navigating the real world.
3. She’s close friends with Blackpink’s Jisoo












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A post shared by BONA (@bn_95819)



The two connected after Bona openly declared during a fan-signing event that she wanted to be close to Jisoo. Bona also frequently commented on the girl group member’s Instagram. On a local radio programme, Bona shared how she and Jisoo have similar communication styles, seldom texting and taking a long time to reply.
“When Jisoo and I message each other, we only exchange, like, one or two texts a day. Jisoo is like me. We are similar in that way,” Bona is quoted in a Kpopstarz report.
The Blackpink member, meanwhile, sent a food truck and visited her friend on the set of Twenty-Five Twenty-One. She also recently posted photos of them hanging out to her Instagram Stories.
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4. She’s a certified scuba diver












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A post shared by BONA (@bn_95819)



In an Instagram post in 2018, Bona shared her certification as an open water scuba diver. This was during the time she was a cast member in the Northern Mariana Islands edition of the reality show Law of the Jungle, where celebrities are taken to far-off locations around the world to take on challenges.
5. She’s known as a “selfie fairy”












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A post shared by BONA (@bn_95819)



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According to Allkpop, Bona revealed that she’s good at being an aegyo (cute) girl, even though it doesn’t come naturally to her. On fandom websites, she is described as the group’s “selfie fairy” for her pretty smiles and flawless photos.
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Meet Bona, Twenty-Five Twenty-One star and Blackpink’s Jisoo’s close friend: after debuting as a K-pop idol in Korean-Chinese girl group WJSN, now she rocks coming-of-age K-dramas

Kim Ji-yeon, better known by her stage name Bona. Photo: @bn_95819/Instagram

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Son Ye-jin announced her engagement with a photo of a mini wedding dress on Instagram. Photo: @yejinhand/Instagram

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Son Ye-jin getting dolled up. Photo: @yejinhand/Instagram

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Son Ye-jin about to enjoy some fruit. Photo: @yejinhand/Instagram

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Blackpink’s Jennie is seen wearing Chanel at every type of occasion. Photo: @jennierubyjane/Instagram

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Blackpink’s Jisoo is Dior’s global ambassador. Photo: @sooyaaa__/Instagram

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BTS’ V’s stage outfits often incorporate bold Gucci items. Photo: @aspire_for_BTS/Twitter

BTS’ V wore Gucci for the “Wings” album photoshoot. Photo: Big Hit Entertainment

Gucci even acknowledged Exo’s Kai as “human Gucci”. Photo: @zkdlin/Instagram

Kai x Gucci features a teddy bear motif. Photo: @zkdlin/Instagram

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Honey Lee. Photo: @honey_lee32/Instagram

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Bona commented on Jisoo’s Instagram posts and said she wanted to get close to the Snowdrop star at a fan event – now Jisoo sends food trucks to her K-drama sets
The 26-year-old actress has also starred in Hit the Top and Girls Generation 1979, is a certified scuba diver, and is dubbed ‘selfie fairy’ for her effortlessly aegyo – or cute – photos


As Twenty-Five Twenty-One’s finale achieved the show’s highest ratings, WJSN’s Bona gained plenty of attention for her great acting and stunning looks – here are five things to know about the star
