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About
Short bio
Leeseo (이서) is a South Korean singer, dancer, model, and MC from the kpop girl group IVE under Starship Entertainment. Learn about Leeseo's age, birthday, height, MBTI, blood type, and more.
Background
Born Lee Hyun-seo (이현서) on February 21, 2007, in the Banpo-dong neighborhood of Seoul's Seocho District, Leeseo grew up as a bright, sociable child who seemed destined for the spotlight almost from birth — literally. At just two years old, she appeared on the 233rd episode of One Night TV Entertainment, where actress Han Hyojoo played with her on screen. By second grade, she had won the SM Kids Model Contest in 2016, becoming part of SM Entertainment's Kids Model First Generation and appearing in commercials before she was anywhere near her teens.
The path to IVE came in 2019, when a Starship Entertainment scout spotted her while she was shopping with her parents at the Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch. The casting agent later recalled that it was Leeseo's sparkling eyes that made her impossible to pass up. After roughly two years and two months of training, she was revealed as the sixth and final member of IVE on November 7, 2021, debuting with the group on December 1 with Eleven at just 14 years old. She attended Hanlim Arts School in the Department of Broadcasting and Entertainment, and graduated in January 2026.
More Pictures of Leeseo (IVE)
FAQ
- How tall is Leeseo?
- Leeseo is 165 cm tall.
- How old is Leeseo?
- Leeseo is 19 years old.
- Where is Leeseo from?
- Leeseo is from South Korean.
- What group is Leeseo in?
- Leeseo is a member of IVE.
- What is Leeseo's MBTI?
- Leeseo's MBTI type is ESTP.
- What is Leeseo's position?
- Leeseo's position is Dancer, Vocalist, Visual, Maknae.
- What is Leeseo's real name?
- Leeseo's birth name is Lee Hyun Seo.
Fun facts
Leeseo was born on February 21, 2007, in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea, making her a Pisces with a Chinese Zodiac sign of the Pig — and the youngest member (maknae) of IVE. Source: Kpop Profiles
Her birth name is Lee Hyun-seo (이현서), while her English name is Sofia Lee. Fans also know her through her representative tiger emoji (🐯) and her MINIVE character ERANG-E, a tiger cub inspired by her playful personality. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
Long before becoming an idol, Leeseo appeared on the 233rd episode of MBC's One Night TV Entertainment at around two years old, where actress Han Hyo-joo played with her on screen. It remains one of the earliest documented television appearances by a future K-pop idol. Source: Seoul Vibes
In 2016, while still in elementary school, she won the SM Kids Model Contest and became part of SM Entertainment's first generation of kids models. Years before joining Starship Entertainment, she was already appearing in commercials and promotional content. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom / KBizoom
Leeseo was street-cast by Starship Entertainment in 2019 while shopping with her parents at the Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam. According to staff, her sparkling eyes immediately stood out and convinced them to approach her. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
On November 7, 2021, she was revealed as the sixth and final member of IVE. Less than a month later, she debuted with ELEVEN and quickly became one of the most talked-about rookie idols of her generation. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
Just two days after her debut, Leeseo became the youngest female idol at the time to perform on a Korean music show. The achievement highlighted just how young she was when she entered the industry. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom / Leeseo Trivia
During Rei's health hiatus in 2023, Leeseo stepped in to cover rap sections despite not being one of IVE's designated rappers. Fans praised her versatility and professionalism for adapting so quickly. Source: Leeseo Trivia – IVE Wiki Fandom
On February 22, 2024, she released May Lily, her first solo song, as an OST for the webtoon I'm the Queen in This Life. The track marked her first official individual music release outside of IVE. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom / Allkpop
From April 2024 to December 2025, Leeseo served as an MC on SBS's Inkigayo alongside Han Yujin of ZEROBASEONE and actor Moon Seong-hyun. Their partnership became the longest-running MC lineup in the program's history. Source: Kpop Profiles / IVE Wiki Fandom
Her solo Winter Festival photo on the SBS Play Inkigayo website became the most-viewed image in the page's history with over 50 million views. Even more impressively, nineteen of the site's twenty most-viewed image sets feature Leeseo. Source: Kpop Profiles
One of her most viral moments came when she performed IVE's Rebel Heart entirely on her own during an encore stage. The clip quickly surpassed 1.7 million views and spread across K-pop fan communities. Source: Kpop Profiles
Leeseo has a younger sister born in 2011 and attended Seoul Jamwon Elementary School, Bangbae Middle School, and Hanlim Arts School. She graduated from the Department of Broadcasting and Entertainment in January 2026. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
In late 2025, it was announced that she would not take South Korea's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), choosing instead to focus on her rapidly growing entertainment career. Source: Kpop Wiki Fandom
She shares the master bedroom in IVE's dorm with Gaeul and Rei. According to her members, she often talks in her sleep, a habit they frequently bring up during interviews and variety appearances. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
Her personal motto is, "I walk slowly, but I never walk backwards," a phrase that reflects the steady and determined mindset she often shares with fans. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
Leeseo says her specialties include winking quickly, taking selfies, and swimming — a combination of skills that perfectly matches her playful and confident image. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
She has a major sweet tooth and especially enjoys scones, cakes, and strawberry- or grape-flavored MyChew candies. When cooking, she says her best dish is French toast. Source: Kpop Profiles / IVE Wiki Fandom
According to her Keyword Changers profile, the three keywords that best describe her are "Always Late," "Watching Drama," and "Goofball" — labels she happily accepts and that many fans feel suit her perfectly. Source: Leeseo Trivia – IVE Wiki Fandom
Why Fans Love Leeseo
Leeseo is IVE's self-described "Vitamin Maknae" and anyone who has watched five minutes of her content knows exactly why. She is relentlessly sunny, infectiously energetic, and has a habit of punctuating nearly everything with her signature phrase, "I like it!" She's the member who babbles in her sleep (according to Gaeul), tends to get lost on outings and needs to be hand-held. She has tremendous aegyo, a winking-speed that is genuinely her own listed specialty, and a personal motto: "I walk slowly, but I never walk backwards". This reveals a quiet self-assurance running beneath all the silliness.
DIVEs are completely captivated by the fact that Leeseo's "youngest member" energy never comes across as shrinking. She stepped up to cover Rei's rap parts during Rei's 2023 health hiatus without hesitation, anchored the longest-running MC trio in Inkigayo history, and somehow made her solo Inkigayo Winter Festival photo the most-viewed image on the SBS Play page of all time with 50 million views. The maknae who gets lost on the way to the convenience store is the same one who commands arenas alone at the end of the night.
