Bae Joo Hyun, known professionally as Irene, is a South Korean singer, rapper, television host, and model. She is a member and leader of the South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Irene was in Daegu, South Korea. Her family consists of her parents and a younger sister. She attended Haknam High School in Daegu. She joined SM Entertainment in 2009 and trained for five years. In December 2013, Irene was one of the second batch of trainees introduced as a member of SM Entertainment's pre-debut group, SM Rookies,