Early Life and Musical Roots

The foundation of Song Ha-young's artistic journey begins in Singa-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea, where she was born into a family that would nurture her natural talents. Long before the spotlight of Idol School or fromis_9's stage performances, Ha-young was developing the creative instincts that would later define her multifaceted career in music.

Growing up in Gwangju

Life in Gwangju provided Song Ha-young with the perfect backdrop for her developing artistic sensibilities. Known affectionately by her childhood nickname "Song A-Ji" (meaning puppy), Ha-young displayed early signs of the hexagonal talent that would later make her stand out in the competitive K-pop industry. Her connection to Gwangju remains strong, with family ties extending throughout the region. Additionally, her grandmother's house in Jeollanam-do Jangseong-gun holds special memories—particularly her grandmother's distinctive sikhye (sweet rice drink) with its generous ginger flavor that Ha-young fondly recalls.

An interesting coincidence in the family is that Ha-young shares her lunar calendar birthday (August 28th) with both her older sister and younger brother, leading to joint birthday celebrations during their childhood years. This family bond extends through a large extended family network, as her maternal grandmother had seven sisters, making Ha-young's mother the second of six aunts and blessing Ha-young with many older cousins.

First song at age 9

Perhaps most remarkable about Song Ha-young's early development was her precocious musical talent. At just nine years old, she composed her first complete song—a heartwarming piece about blankets. This early composition marked the beginning of what would become a lifelong passion for music creation. Furthermore, according to her own accounts, she began composing regularly from second grade in elementary school and eventually developed a daily songwriting practice.

Her artistic talents appear to run in the family, as she inherited creative abilities from her grandfather, who was an accomplished artist. This genetic predisposition toward the arts manifested in Ha-young's multidimensional talents—not just in music composition, but in performance and dance as well.

Love for animals and family background

Song Ha-young's family consists of her parents, an older sister born in 1995, and a younger brother born in 2000. Beyond her immediate family, Ha-young's extraordinary love for animals has been a defining characteristic since childhood. Most notably, she grew up with ten cats in her family home, nurturing a deep affection for felines that continues to this day.

Her passion for animals extends beyond just household pets. In fact, if she hadn't pursued a career in entertainment, Ha-young has stated she would have chosen to become a zookeeper. This alternative career path reveals much about her nurturing personality and genuine connection to the animal world.

Ha-young also owns a Border Collie dog, showing her affinity spans across different animal species. This lifelong love for animals adds another dimension to her personality beyond her musical and performance talents, presenting the picture of a well-rounded individual whose early interests and family environment helped shape the versatile artist she would become.

Education and Dance Training

Determined to build upon her natural talents, Song Ha-young made a strategic educational choice that would shape her future in the entertainment industry. Her formal training period represents a crucial transition from natural ability to professional-level performance skills.

Hanlim Multi Art High School

Song Ha-young enrolled in the prestigious Hanlim Multi Art High School, specifically joining the Practical Dance Department as part of the 5th batch of students. Founded on March 3, 1962, the school transformed into Hanlim Multi Arts High School in 2009 and has since become renowned for producing some of South Korea's most successful entertainment industry professionals. Located in Seoul's Songpa District, it stands alongside the School of Performing Arts Seoul and Lila Art High School as primary educational pathways into the Korean entertainment world.

For Song Ha-young, the decision to attend Hanlim was deliberate and focused. "I tried to learn more by seeing students who danced well by going to the Hallym Entertainment High School Practical Dance Division," she explained about her motivation. Moreover, she specifically enrolled "in order to focus on a career in music", demonstrating her early commitment to professional development.

Joining the hip-hop dance club

While at Hanlim, Song Ha-young gravitated toward street dance styles, joining the school's hip-hop dance club where her natural abilities flourished. Her involvement wasn't casual—she actively participated in hip-hop dance competitions, developing skills that would later distinguish her from peers with different training backgrounds.

By 2016, Song Ha-young began gaining wider recognition for her dancing abilities. During this period, she showcased her talents beyond school competitions by posting dance covers and participating in dance battles on social media platforms. These early performances revealed the foundation of technical skills that would later serve her idol career, albeit in modified form.

Despite her youthful appearance that might suggest otherwise, Song Ha-young's dance background was rooted in powerful, dynamic movements rather than the cute concepts she would later perform. Her natural flexibility—being able to perform splits similar to her future group mate Saerom—complemented her hip-hop training.

Struggles with adapting to different dance styles

The transition from street dance to idol choreography proved challenging for Song Ha-young. "I used to do hip hop a long time ago, so when I joined fromis_9 I had a little trouble changing my dancing style," she confessed in an interview. She further explained this challenge by demonstrating: "I made big movements when I danced (demonstrating hip hop moves) like this".

Song Ha-young's training presented a unique paradox—while excelling at freestyle dance, she initially struggled with structured choreography. As noted in fan documentation: "She did poorly in dance assessment because she couldn't grasp choreography quickly, but was good at freestyle dances". Her hip-hop foundation created specific difficulties when adapting to girl group concepts, particularly during early performances.

"Because I majored in dance like this, there was a time when I had a hard time digesting the cute concept," she admitted, referencing her attempt to perform Twice's "Like Ooh-Aah". Nevertheless, with dedication and practice, she worked to overcome these stylistic challenges. "I wanted to lose the habit, so I stopped practicing it and mostly forgot about it, but it's still fun to do sometimes," she reflected about her hip-hop movements.

Interestingly, despite these initial struggles, Song Ha-young's dance foundation eventually became an asset. By 2023, she had developed into "the de-facto leader in dance practices" for fromis_9, demonstrating how her technical background, once an obstacle, transformed into a leadership strength.

The Idol School Journey

After honing her dance skills at Hanlim Multi Art School, Song Ha-young took a decisive step toward her dream of becoming an idol by entering the competitive world of survival shows. Her participation in Mnet's Idol School would ultimately change the trajectory of her career forever.

Why she joined Idol School

In mid-2017, Song Ha-young made the pivotal decision to join Idol School, a girl group survival show that aired for 11 episodes. Unlike traditional audition programs, Idol School featured 41 female participants who were evaluated based on their singing, dancing, and overall potential as future idols. For Song Ha-young, this platform presented the perfect opportunity to showcase both her dance background and vocal abilities.

Throughout the program, she consistently impressed both the judges and viewers with her performances, establishing herself as a formidable competitor. Her strong dance foundation from her hip-hop days, coupled with her vocal talents, made her stand out among the contestants. As the competition progressed, Song Ha-young demonstrated remarkable versatility, adapting her hip-hop dance style to fit the more polished K-pop choreography required on the show.

Ranking 2nd with 71,549 votes

The Idol School competition was almost entirely determined by audience votes, with the lowest eight rankings facing elimination from the "school". As the weeks progressed, Song Ha-young maintained strong support from viewers, consistently placing near the top of the rankings.

In the final episode, the culmination of months of training and performances, Song Ha-young secured an impressive second place finish with 71,549 votes. She stood on the podium alongside first-place winner Roh Ji-sun, who received 71,834 votes, confirming her debut as a member of what would become fromis_9. The name "fromis_9" was derived from "From Idol School," though pronounced similar to "Promise" in Korean.

After the broadcast concluded, Song Ha-young expressed heartfelt gratitude to her supporters. In her testimony, she acknowledged receiving strength from her "fostering members" (supporters) the previous week, which had helped her achieve such a high ranking. She concluded with the touching words, "I love you mom".

Her personal motto and mindset

Throughout her Idol School journey, Song Ha-young lived by a personal motto that reflected her determined character: "Don't forget what's the most important and let's do the best". This guiding principle was featured in her official Idol School profile and offers insight into her approach to both the competition and her subsequent career.

Her mindset during the competition revealed a balanced perspective—focusing on improvement while maintaining awareness of what truly matters. In the basic skill evaluation portion of the show, Song Ha-young ranked fourth overall, demonstrating her well-rounded abilities from the beginning.

Even in moments of playfulness, such as when she rolled up her bangs while looking at the camera in the dormitory after an evaluation, viewers could see glimpses of her personality—combining "cuteness and chewiness" that would later become part of her charm as an idol.

The Idol School experience provided Song Ha-young with the foundation needed for her future career. Her second-place finish, secured with 71,549 votes, not only earned her a spot in fromis_9 but validated her years of dance training and musical development. The group officially formed after the final episode, with the top nine contestants chosen through a combination of online and live voting.

Debut and Rise with fromis_9

Following her success on Idol School, Song Ha-young officially stepped into the spotlight as part of the newly formed fromis_9. Her transition from contestant to idol marked the beginning of a professional journey characterized by both achievements and organizational changes.

Debut with 'To. Heart'

On January 24, 2018, Song Ha-young made her official debut as a member of fromis_9 with the release of their first extended play (EP) "To. Heart" under Stone Music Entertainment. The mini-album featured six tracks including the title track of the same name, which the group had been teasing since their pre-debut days.

The EP demonstrated impressive commercial performance for a rookie group, debuting at number 4 on the Gaon Album Chart. Throughout their debut promotions, Song Ha-young established herself in multiple roles within the group structure—serving as main dancer, lead vocalist, and vice-captain. These positions highlighted both her technical abilities and leadership qualities that had been evident throughout her Idol School journey.

Prior to their official debut, the group had released a pre-debut digital single titled "Glass Shoes" on November 30, 2017, which they performed at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Japan. This preliminary introduction helped build anticipation for their forthcoming debut.

Initial management and label transitions

The management history of fromis_9 has been notably complex, with Song Ha-young experiencing multiple label changes throughout her career. Initially, the group operated under Stone Music Entertainment, with creative direction and music production handled by Pledis Entertainment. This unusual arrangement reflected the group's origins as a product of Idol School, which was produced by CJ ENM.

In September 2018, approximately eight months after debut, fromis_9 transferred to Off The Record Entertainment. This agency had been established specifically to manage both fromis_9 and the temporary project group IZ*ONE.

Subsequently, on August 16, 2021, the group moved again—this time to Pledis Entertainment. This transition proved pivotal as the group achieved their first music show win on September 7, 2021, with "Talk & Talk" on SBS MTV's The Show. In January 2025, Song Ha-young, along with four other members, signed with ASND Entertainment after departing from Pledis Entertainment.

Her evolving role in the group

Upon debut, Song Ha-young took on significant responsibilities as the main dancer, lead vocalist, and vice-captain of fromis_9. These multiple positions reflected her versatility and comprehensive training background.

Precisely because of her strong dance foundation, Song Ha-young eventually became "the de-facto leader in dance practices" for the group, drawing on her specialized education at Hanlim Multi Art School. Her leadership capabilities extended beyond performances, as she took charge of choreography and warmups.

As fromis_9 experienced transitions in management and lineup changes (including the departure of Jang Gyu-ri in July 2022 and three additional members in February 2025), Song Ha-young's stability and continued presence helped maintain the group's identity through these organizational shifts.

Currently, fromis_9 consists of five members: Song Ha-young, Park Ji-won, Lee Chae-young, Lee Na-gyung, and Baek Ji-heon. Under their new agency ASND, they continue to build upon the foundation established through their previous releases and experiences.

Musical Contributions and Discography

Beyond her performance skills, Song Ha-young has steadily built an impressive portfolio as a musical contributor to fromis_9's discography, simultaneously developing her own solo projects. Her artistic evolution demonstrates a growing confidence in composition and production.

Digital singles and OSTs

Song Ha-young's solo discography includes several digital singles and soundtrack contributions that showcase her vocal range outside the group's work. Her first official OST, "Fall In Love," appeared on the "My Only One" soundtrack in 2018 . In 2022, she released the digital single "My Sweden Laundry #2," expanding her solo catalog .

Her soundtrack contributions continued with "Come Closer Like Spring," a collaboration with fellow fromis_9 member Lee Na-gyung for the "Brewing Love OST" in 2024 . Additionally, 2024 saw the release of "Step By Together: With U" as a digital single . Fundamentally, these solo releases have allowed Ha-young to explore musical styles that complement yet differ from fromis_9's signature sound.

Most recently, in 2025, she released "Always a Cat" for "I Have a Cat (Kim Seong-geun's Winter Vacation X Song Ha Young)" . This project connects directly to her well-documented love for felines. Furthermore, in late 2024, it was announced that Ha-young would release a new project song titled "Stay Together All Day" with CLEF COMPANY for the 'K-Music ON! Project' .

Composing and acoustic music

Song Ha-young's compositional journey began long before her idol debut, having written songs since elementary school. Currently, her creative contributions to fromis_9 are substantial and growing. For their 2025 mini-album "From Our 20's," she played a key role by writing and composing the track "Twisted love" .

Previously, Ha-young contributed to fromis_9's special single "from," released on December 23, 2023. This heartfelt fan song dedicated to their fandom "flover" featured her compositional work, with all members participating in writing the lyrics . Through Pledis Entertainment, the group noted: "We poured our hearts into this song as if we're writing a letter to flover" .

Her musical tastes have evolved throughout her career. "Before the debut, I was into slow, quiet indie music and songs that only I would've known about," she explained in an interview. "But now I listen to a mix of different songs or top-100 songs on streaming sites" . She has described her compositional process as capturing emotional moments, occasionally recording melody ideas as voice memos while showering .

Her KOMCA registration

Although not among the top-listed idols with Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) registrations, Song Ha-young has steadily built her portfolio of officially registered compositions. Her KOMCA credits include writing and composing for fromis_9 tracks such as "The Way to Me" (2018), "Close To You" (2018), "DKDK" (2018), "Fly High" (2019), "Eye Contact" (2023), "From" (2024), and "Twisted Love" (2025) .

The KOMCA registration represents an important professional milestone for K-pop idols involved in composition. While some idols like Ravi (238 songs), BTS' RM (218 songs), and DAY6's Young K (175 songs) lead the list of artists with over 100 registered songs , Ha-young continues to build her catalog with each new release.

Leadership and Group Dynamics

In addition to her vocal prowess and dance expertise, Song Ha-young holds considerable influence within fromis_9's internal structure. Her leadership style blends technical guidance with motivational support, creating a dynamic that both strengthens performances and unites group members.

Vice-captain responsibilities

Upon debut in January 2018, Song Ha-young officially assumed the position of vice-captain (co-leader) of fromis_9 alongside team captain Lee Sae-rom. This formal leadership role reflects her steady presence and organizational abilities within the group. Interestingly, she's developed a reputation as a good luck charm, consistently leading her team to victory in group competitions. Her winning streak became particularly evident during season 3 of Channel_9, where she emerged victorious in an impressive 7 out of 9 competitive games, either individually or as a team member.

Leading choreography and warmups

By 2023, Song Ha-young had naturally evolved into "the de-facto leader in dance practices" for fromis_9, drawing on her extensive background in hip-hop dance. Her technical expertise expanded beyond practice sessions when she contributed to choreography for the group's first studio album, "Unlock My World," released in June 2023. Of course, one of her regular duties involves leading pre-performance warmup exercises for the team, though group dynamics reveal a humorous detail—apparently, only member Seoyeon consistently follows along with these routines.

Her influence on group performances

Song Ha-young's dedication to performance quality manifests in her rigorous practice habits. During concert preparations, she and another member would conduct additional practice sessions "right before bedtime, or in front of the bathroom mirror whenever we found a moment together". This commitment did not go unnoticed, as Performance Director Shin Mi-gyeong acknowledged that while their routines were "physically demanding," the members had "discovered ways to self-regulate energy levels more effectively".

Remarkably, her suggestions for improvement are welcomed enthusiastically by groupmates. When SEOYEON expressed concern about being perceived as overly critical while suggesting performance adjustments, she received overwhelming support, with members responding: "Oh, hold nothing back! We're all grateful for the feedback!". This collaborative spirit extends to audience engagement, where fromis_9 incorporated special elements like "playful balloon toss games" during their "THINK OF YOU" performance to create "a deeper connection between performer and audience".

Personality, Hobbies, and Fun Facts

Beyond the spotlight, Song Ha-young reveals a fascinating blend of talents and quirks that make her uniquely endearing to fans. Her off-stage life showcases a multifaceted personality that complements her professional achievements.

Yoga instructor license and flexibility

As a testament to her athletic versatility, Song Ha-young holds an official yoga instructor license. Her dedication to physical wellness extends beyond basic certification—she previously possessed an Aerial Yoga Instructor License as well, though it has since expired. Impressively, her Flying Yoga Level 3 certificate highlights her advanced skills in this demanding discipline.

Her natural flexibility allows her to perform splits with ease, rivaling groupmate Saerom's abilities. Yet perhaps most striking is her exceptional balance—she can casually play guitar and eat while maintaining position on a Swiss ball. Recently, Song Ha-young mentioned working diligently on her abs since October, frequently visiting the gym to strengthen her core and lower body.

Cooking skills and kitchen mishaps

Contrary to her groupmates' initial skepticism, Song Ha-young possesses considerable culinary talent. She often serves as Jisun's sous chef and regularly prepares kimchi fried rice and soybean paste stew for member Lee Seoyeon.

Her cooking philosophy emphasizes intuition and efficiency: "When it comes to cooking, the order is important, of course, but I think the ingredients matter the most... but it's also all about speed". This approach enables her to tackle challenging dishes—like boneless chicken—without formal training.

Curiously, she was once the only fromis_9 member who could make both dalgona and cotton candy. Sadly, during a "Fromis' Room" fundraising event, she burnt her hand and had to leave early.

Nicknames and quirks

Song Ha-young's personality has earned her numerous nicknames including:

"Vice-Captain" (official group position)
"Song Duckling" (matching IZ*ONE's Yena, sharing her birthday)
"Mal-Babo" from Idol School (due to speech difficulties)
Childhood nickname "Song A-Ji" (meaning puppy)

Her distinctive habits include opening her mouth while dancing to improve air intake and meticulously sniffing soap and beauty products. Fundamentally competitive by nature, she admits: "I'm the kind of person who gets motivation from having someone to compete with... Whenever I work out with someone, my thoughts are always, You did how many? Well, I'm gonna do that many, plus one!"