K-Media Highlights: 2NE1 CL’s Elite Family Background and Famous Father

OSEN featured a group of famous individuals from Korea’s elite families in an article, and among them is K-pop star, 2NE1 CL!

On May 15, the K-media outlet compiled a list of celebrities from prestigious backgrounds, with parents who are renowned for their roles as university professors.

Out of all the idols, CL was chosen to be in the spotlight due to her impressive family background.

Specifically, the individual’s father goes by the name of Lee Ki Jin, who is a highly esteemed Physics professor at Sogang University, one of the leading private universities in South Korea. In fact, in 2024, it was ranked as the 509th best university in the world according to the QS World University Rankings.

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A professor at the university receives an annual salary of 50M KRW (equivalent to approximately 37.2k USD).

Moreover, CL’s father is a renowned physicist recognized worldwide. He shared that he was approached by a major Chinese company and offered a blank check in return for his new technology in the field of diabetes research.

During his appearance on “You Quiz on the Block,”he provided an explanation:

“They said they would give me money no matter how much I wanted. When I received the proposal, the research funds were all gone, but I thought that there are things in the world that should be done and things that should not be done, and this was not the case.”

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“Because the research done after receiving research funds from the Korean government is lost, we did not want to leak domestic technology. This is my conscience as a scientist.”

Similar to her father, the daughter CL proceeded confidently with her beliefs without any hesitation.

At the start of her second year in high school, CL declared her intention to drop out. To her surprise, her father’s response was not one of scolding, but rather he said:

“It must have been a long time since you made the decision, so ‘Okay, do whatever you want.’”

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With the support of her father, CL was able to graduate from high school with a GED and dedicate herself fully to her training as a YG trainee. She eventually debuted as a member of 2NE1 and gained a significant fan base worldwide.

Sung Yuri, known for being a former member of Fin.K.L. and an actress, also hails from a privileged background. Her father, Sung Jong Hyeon, is a renowned professor at the esteemed Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary, which is considered the top and oldest Seminary in the Presbyterian denomination of South Korea.

In 2009, CL debuted as part of the quartet 2NE1 under YG Entertainment. During their peak, the group produced several popular songs such as “FIRE,””I AM THE BEST,”and “LONELY.”

Despite disbanding in 2016, the team’s bond remains unchanged. In fact, in 2022 they reunited to perform together at Coachella.