Wendy Son (Red Velvet): Biography, Profile, Background, Education, Net Worth 2025, and Career

Profile:

Real Name: Shon Seung-wan (손승완)

Stage Name: Wendy (웬디)

English Name: Wendy Shon

Nickname(s): Wan-ah, Olaf, Koala, Seung-wolf

Birthday: February 21, 1994

Fans all throughout the world, known as ReVeluvs, adore Wendy because of her warm demeanor, passionate reactions, and remarkable vocal range.

Background:

Wendy was born on February 21, 1994, in Seoul, South Korea's Seongbuk-dong, from a musically inclined family. Her early love of singing, which she began at age six, was fostered by her parents, whose identities are kept confidential, and her older sister, Son Seung-hee. Wendy moved overseas to seek international education after spending her early years in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province.
Wendy moved with her sister to Shattuck-Saint Mary's School in Brockville, Ontario, Canada, when she was eleven years old. Later, they moved to Faribault, Minnesota, in the United States. Her schooling overseas was funded by her family's wealth, and she became fluent in English and proficient in French and Spanish while adjusting to new surroundings. Later, she went back to Canada to attend Richmond Hill High School in Ontario, where she participated actively in Vocal Fusion, the school's show choir. She changed her name to Wendy Shon in English during this period, and she eventually utilized it as her stage name.
Early on, Wendy demonstrated her musical abilities by learning to play a variety of instruments, such as the saxophone, guitar, flute, and piano. During her high school years, her parents finally permitted her to try out for K-pop agencies, despite their initial reluctance to support a music career, preferring that she concentrate on her studies.

Education:

Wendy's academic career is a testament to her intelligence and commitment. At Shattuck-Saint Mary's School in Minnesota, she excelled academically and in music-related pursuits, garnering accolades as an honor student. She excelled in extracurricular activities including the show choir at Richmond Hill High School in Ontario. She apparently obtained A marks in most areas except ancient history, where she received a B+, and a GPA of 3.93 on her report card from this time period.
Wendy is thought to have completed high school in 2012, despite the fact that no publicly available records attest to her college experience. During her stay overseas, she developed conversational skills in French and Spanish in addition to her fluency in English, which made her unique in the K-pop industry.

2025 Net Worth:

Wendy's vast career in music, endorsements, television, radio, and theater has contributed to her estimated net worth of $4million USD as of 2025. Among her sources of income are:
Velvet in red Activities: Wendy plays a major role in album sales, sold-out shows, and endorsements as the lead vocalist.
Individual Career: Her profits have been supplemented by her solo albums, Like Water (2021) and Wish You Hell (2024), as well as collaborations with musicians such as Eric Nam, John Legend, and Jin of BTS.
Endorsements: Wendy has served as a brand ambassador for Pond's Thailand (2021), L'Occitane Korea (2020–2021), Dongwon Yangban Rice Porridge (alongside Irene, 2018), and other companies.
Media and Theater:She has become even wealthier by hosting radio programs such as Wendy's Youngstreet (2021–2023), participating in variety shows, and performing in the musical Rebecca (2023).

Philanthropy: Wendy's kindness and financial stability are demonstrated by her donations, which include ₩50 million for wildfire recovery in 2025 and ₩100 million for COVID-19 relief in 2020.

Career:

Wendy's career, which includes voice acting, theater, television, radio, and music, is evidence of her brilliance and adaptability.

Pre-Debut and Auditions:

Audition was the first step on Wendy's path to fame. She competed in Koreaboo's Global Auditions for Cube Entertainment in 2011, making it to the Vancouver final round but failing to earn a deal. She went to SM Entertainment's Global Audition in Canada in 2012 with a friend, where she sang "Moon of Seoul" by Kim Gun-mo and was surprisingly chosen. On March 14, 2014, she debuted as a member of SM's pre-debut group, SM Rookies, following less than two years of training. She also released her first solo soundtrack, "Because I Love You," for the drama Mimi.

Red Velvet Debut and Group Success:

Alongside Irene, Seulgi, and Joy, Wendy made her Red Velvet debut on August 1, 2014, with the single "Happiness" (Yeri joined in 2015). Together with singles like "Dumb Dumb," "Russian Roulette," "Red Flavor," "Psycho," and "Feel My Rhythm," the group's distinctive "red" (pop, electronic) and "velvet" (R&B, ballad) concepts made them one of the top girl groups in K-pop. All thirteen EPs, three studio albums, and numerous number-one singles from Red Velvet's discography have reached the top of South Korea's Circle Album Chart. Their continued prosperity is demonstrated by their 2024 EP Cosmic and 2025 revenue of $972.2 million USD.
As the lead vocalist, Wendy has played a crucial role; songs like "Psycho" and "Queendom" showcase her vocal prowess. She has worked on soundtracks for films including "Don't Push Me" (2016) with Seulgi for Uncontrollably Fond and "Return" (2015) for Who Are You: School 2015.

Solo Career:

Wendy became the first member of Red Velvet to release a solo album on April 5, 2021, when she released the EP Like Water. Her emotional range and voice depth were on full display on the EP. The title track of her second EP, Wish You Hell, which was released on March 12, 2024, garnered notice due to its audacious notion. She has worked with musicians such as BTS's Jin ("Heart on the Window," 2024), John Legend ("Written in the Stars," 2018), Zico ("My Day Is Full of You," 2020), and Eric Nam ("Spring Love," 2016).
Along with Red Velvet's Seulgi, BoA, Girls' Generation's Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, and aespa's Karina and Winter, Wendy became a member of SM's supergroup Got the Beat in 2022. In 2023, the group released the EP Stamp on It after making their debut with "Step Back."

Television, Radio, and Theater:

Wendy is well-known in the media. She appeared on Saturday Night Live Korea (2021), Trick & True (2016–2017), and We Got Married (2015–2016) as a panelist. She received recognition for her captivating hosting manner while hosting Mysterious Record Shop (2021) and SBS Power FM's Wendy's Youngstreet (2021–2023).
Wendy made her stage debut in 2023 as "I" in the musical Rebecca's tenth anniversary staging, when she dazzled audiences with her acting and singing abilities.

Voice Acting:

Alongside RIIZE's Eunseok, Wendy provided the voiceover for the Korean dubs of DreamWorks' Trolls World Tour (2020) and Poppy and Trolls Band Together (2023). Her versatility and charm were evident in her dubbing work.

Agency Transition:

SM Entertainment declared on April 4, 2025, that although Wendy's exclusive contract was terminated, she would continue to participate in Red Velvet's group activities. A new chapter in Wendy's solo career began on April 25, 2025, when she signed with ASND.

Accident:

Wendy had a serious mishap on December 25, 2019, while practicing for her solo performance at the 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon. She fell about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) from a stage platform as a result of insufficient safety precautions, such as the lack of lift stairs. Her right side had severe injuries from the fall, including a fractured pelvis, a broken wrist, a cracked cheekbone, and multiple facial injuries. After two months in the hospital, she was released in February 2020 to continue receiving outpatient care.
Wendy had to take a year off from Red Velvet activities due to the accident, but she made a partial comeback in August 2020 for BoA's "Milky Way" cover project. On January 1, 2021, she returned in full force at SM Town Live Culture Humanity. While fans and other artists, such as MAMAMOO's Solar, who discovered Wendy after the fall, offered support, SBS apologized and opened an internal investigation. Wendy herself reroutes conversations to avoid focusing on the trauma, and she and her members hardly ever talk about the tragedy in public. Nonetheless, many have praised her fortitude in getting better and going back to perform.