Chaebol heiress & K-pop idol Annie Moon graduates from elite Ivy League school

“Those into K-pop will be familiar with the boundary-pushing, co-ed act AllDay Project. Formed by The Black Label (the label behind Meovv and even BlackPink’s Rosé), AllDay Project debuted June 2025 with their single album “Famous”. It comprises Annie Moon, Tarzzan, Bailey Sok, Jo Woochan, and Youngseo. One of the most notable members of the group is none other than Annie Moon, who has just made waves by graduating from an Ivy League institution. Who is Annie Moon? The 24-year-old is the eldest daughter of South Korea’s Shinsegae family. Shinsegae might be an unfamiliar name to those outside of Korea, but it’s the country’s largest and oldest retail conglomerate. It operates a vast network of luxury department stores, duty-free shops, and even the E-Mart supermarket chain. She’s also the great-granddaughter of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul. With her lineage, Annie Moon is considered an elite chaebol heiress . Chaebol refers to the large, family-owned industrial conglomerates in South Korea, literally translating to wealth clan. For the first half of the year, she took a hiatus, much like Katseye’s Manon. This was so that she could complete her final semester at Columbia University. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ANNIE (@anniesymoon) Where did Annie Moon study? While she might come from a powerful family, Annie Moon is also making a name for herself, not just as a K-pop idol, but now as a graduate of Columbia University with a degree in art history and visual arts. Apparently, her family had stipulated that for her to debut as an idol, she had to gain admission to an elite university. She managed to do just that by getting into the prestigious Columbia University. Before that, though, Annie was already in another elite institution: The Chapin School in New York. The Chapin School is a highly competitive, all-girls independent day school. It’s located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Founded in 1901, it educates approximately 830 students from Kindergarten through Class 12 in a single building, offering a rigorous liberal arts and college preparatory curriculum. Chapin boasts a roster of high-profile graduates, including Ivanka Trump, actress Stockard Channing, designer Lilly Pulitzer, and many more in its over century-long history. Before transferring there in the third grade, Annie had attended the Gyeonggi Elementary School in Seoul. Level of education School Early education Gyeonggi Elementary School in Seoul Chapin School in New York City Higher education Columbia University in New York City View this post on Instagram A post shared by ALLDAY PROJECT (@allday_project) Where did AllDay Project study At this point, you may be wondering where the rest of her bandmates studied. While Annie Moon has had an undoubtedly elite education, the rest of AllDay Project members have also had a fascinating life trajectory. 1. Bailey Sok Arguably, Bailey is a member who has one of the most stellar resumes even before she joined AllDay Project. As a Korean-American dancer and choreographer, she has worked on many iconic K-pop projects with aespa and Red Velvet. But even before that, she had risen to fame from youth competitions in the US and even NBC’s World of Dance. As her professional commitments increased, Sok transitioned to homeschooling in eighth grade. 2. Tarzzan Tarzzan, whose real name is Lee Chae-won, was a model and dancer even before his debut. Specifically, he had competed as a professional dancer at the Seoul International Dance Competition in 2017. He later became the first Korean male dancer to win consecutive gold medals at the 49th and 50th Dong ‑ A International Contemporary Dance Competition in 2019 and 2020. In 2022, he debuted as a model at the fall/winter Seoul Fashion Week. Despite his many professional commitments, he is also a student of the top-tier Korea National University of Arts. Supposedly, his achievements at the Dong ‑ A International Contemporary Dance Competition had granted automatic admission. Before that, he had graduated from Busan Arts High School, where he majored in modern and contemporary dance. 3. Youngseo The youngest in the group, Youngse, first gained recognition on the survival show R U Next?, which resulted in the formation of ILLIT, another famous, award-winning K-pop act. Interestingly, she had attended an international school called Branksome Hall Asia in Jeju Island. It’s an independent educational institution, connected to its sister school Branksome Hall in Canada. She later transferred, though, joining Gyeonggi Elementary School, which groupmate Annie Moon had attended too – though their attendance did not overlap. 4. Jo Woochan Rapper Woochan has had quite the academic track as well. He had graduated from Hanlim Multi Art School and is now a Practical Music major at Hongik University in Seoul, one of South Korea’s most respected arts universities. This is a prestigious institution, and thus highly competitive. It’s reported that in 2024 , the department saw a reported competition rate of 300:1 for vocal applicants. Applicants must undergo multiple rigorous evaluations, including live performance exams that assess musical technique, rhythm, creativity, and stage presence. AllDay Project fans, called Day Ones, are anticipating their comeback. Source: AllDay Project Is an AllDay Project comeback coming soon? With Annie Moon completing her final semester at Columbia University, there’s a chance that AllDay Project could be gearing up for a comeback soon. As a mixed-gender group, AllDay Project is quite the rare act in the South Korean music scene. With a lineup of talented members who each have unique upbringings and accolades, there’s also an added layer of uniqueness to the group – which will hopefully be showcased on stage again soon. While Annie Moon is the only member that has technically gotten to study abroad, all members of AllDay Project have undoubtedly gotten global exposure, especially Bailey Sok and Tarzzan. Their diverse experiences showcase the importance of having a global mindset, and how that can be leveraged in one’s career.

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