Hyoyeon

Kim Hyo-yeon (김효연), known as Hyoyeon or DJ HYO, is a South Korean singer, dancer, and electronic music DJ. Born September 22, 1989, in Incheon, South Korea, she began formal dance training as a child at a neighborhood hip-hop school and at Winners Dance School, where she studied popping, locking, and animation. Hyoyeon auditioned for SM Entertainment at age 11 and received training from the Electric Boogaloos and top Korean choreographers before debuting as a member of Girls's Generation in August 2007. As the group's main dancer, Hyoyeon played a central role in defining the high-production choreography that became a Girls's Generation trademark. In parallel, she developed a solo electronic music career under the name HYO, debuting with the single Sober in 2018. Her 2019 single Dessert (featuring Loopy and SAM) became a fan favorite, followed by the mini album Second in 2020. She launched a full DJ touring career across North America, performing the DJ HYO 2023 Tour, the DJ HYO 2024 Spring USA Tour Cherry Blossom, and the DJ HYO 2024 USA Summer Tour. In September 2024 she released Retro Romance, her first English-language digital single, followed by Yes in July 2025 during her DJ HYO 2025 USA Summer Tour. Hyoyeon is also a member of SM supergroup Got the Beat, which debuted in January 2022. She appeared in the SM Town Live 2025: The Culture, the Future concert in Seoul. SM Entertainment announced in November 2025 that Hyoyeon would release new music in early 2026. With 7 million Instagram followers and 1.8 million TikTok followers, Hyoyeon has built a global nightlife and K-pop crossover audience.