# Jo Yu-ri (조유리)
**Jo Yu-ri** (조유리), also credited as Jo Yuri or simply Yuri, is a South Korean singer and actress who debuted as a member of the girl group IZ*ONE after placing third on the 2018 Mnet survival program [Produce 48](https://www.edgepedia.org/produce-48), and who has since built parallel careers as a solo artist under the agency WAKEONE and as an actress, most prominently as [Kim Jun](https://www.edgepedia.org/kim-jun)-hee, player 222, in Netflix's Squid Game season 2.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2001 in Busan, South Korea[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637) |
| Breakthrough | Third place among 96 contestants on Produce 48 (2018), leading to debut with IZ*ONE[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637) |
| IZ*ONE role | Main vocalist across two studio albums (Bloom*Iz, Twelve) and seven mini-albums, 2018 to the group's disbandment in April 2021[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637) |
| Solo debut | Single album GLASSY, released October 7, 2021, a dance pop track whose title plays on "Yu Ri," the Korean word for glass[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1492571wpp/jo-yu-ri-talks-about-her-goals-as-a-solo-artist-working-with-lee-seok-hoon-for-duet-and-more) |
| Agency | WAKEONE[3](https://wake-one.com/artists/joyuri/) |
| Acting breakthrough | Kim Jun-hee, pregnant player 222 in Squid Game season 2, won through a four-round audition process[4](https://los40.com/2025/01/11/estos-5-actores-de-el-juego-del-calamar-2-tambien-tienen-relacion-con-la-musica/) • [5](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20250109_0003027153) |
| Third mini album | Episode 25, released July 14, 2025, five songs totaling 15 minutes[6](https://music.apple.com/us/album/episode-25-ep/1825834578) |
## Survival programs and IZ*ONE
Jo Yu-ri's career has been shaped by televised auditions. Her first television appearance was on Mnet's reality show Idol School, a program formed to select a nine-member group (fromis_9) from the show's pool of 41 musicians; she finished 15th and did not make the group[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637). She returned to the format in 2018 on Produce 48, representing Stone Music, and finished third out of 96 contestants, which placed her in the newly formed girl group IZ*ONE[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637). She has described that result as the audition that changed her life[5](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20250109_0003027153).
IZ*ONE debuted in October 2018 with the mini-album Color*Iz, which sold over 225,000 copies and reached number two on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart; the group won awards at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, the [Golden Disc Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-disc-awards), and the [Seoul Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/seoul-music-awards) and eventually received platinum certification from the KMCA[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637). Jo Yu-ri served as the group's main vocalist over its two studio albums, Bloom*Iz and Twelve, and seven mini-albums[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637). IZ*ONE disbanded in April 2021 at the end of its project-group term[4](https://los40.com/2025/01/11/estos-5-actores-de-el-juego-del-calamar-2-tambien-tienen-relacion-con-la-musica/).
## Solo music career
**Transition to solo work.** Before her solo debut she recorded the duet "Autumn Memories" with [SG Wannabe](https://www.edgepedia.org/sg-wannabe)'s Lee Seok Hoon; she described the collaboration as feeling like a dream and cited his advice as motivation while preparing her album[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1492571wpp/jo-yu-ri-talks-about-her-goals-as-a-solo-artist-working-with-lee-seok-hoon-for-duet-and-more). Her first release as a soloist was the single album GLASSY, released October 7, 2021, a dance pop track about wanting to show one's transparent self without distortion[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1492571wpp/jo-yu-ri-talks-about-her-goals-as-a-solo-artist-working-with-lee-seok-hoon-for-duet-and-more). The title reflected her stated concept of showing who she is clearly and transparently, like glass, without being stuck in one concept or genre[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1492571wpp/jo-yu-ri-talks-about-her-goals-as-a-solo-artist-working-with-lee-seok-hoon-for-duet-and-more). WAKEONE's profile describes the debut song's name as Glass (유리) + y, signaling performances that are distinctly her own[3](https://wake-one.com/artists/joyuri/).
Her releases since then have alternated between single albums and extended plays: Op.22 Y-Waltz : in Major (June 2022), Op.22 Y-Waltz : in Minor (2022), LOVE ALL (2023), and the single "Yellow Circle" (2023)[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637) • [6](https://music.apple.com/us/album/episode-25-ep/1825834578). After [Squid Game season 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/squid-game-season-2), she released the single "Growls and Purrs" in July 2025[7](https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/keywordList.do?keyword=joyuri).
**Episode 25.** Her third mini album, Episode 25, was released on July 14, 2025, with five songs totaling 15 minutes[6](https://music.apple.com/us/album/episode-25-ep/1825834578). She promoted it with double title tracks, "개와 고양이의 시간" ("Growls and Purrs") and "이제 안녕!" ("Farewell for Now!"), performing them on Mnet's M Countdown, KBS2's Music Bank, and MBC's Show! Music Core[8](https://enews.imbc.com/News/RetrieveNewsInfo/470292). She also took part in the album's lyrics, concept, and styling[8](https://enews.imbc.com/News/RetrieveNewsInfo/470292).
## Acting and Squid Game season 2
Jo Yu-ri first ventured into acting in 2022 with the teen drama Mimicus[9](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/jo-yuri-squid-game-season-2-interview). She has said she was interested in acting from a young age, joined the drama club in high school, and kept preparing for an acting career while in IZ*ONE[9](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/jo-yuri-squid-game-season-2-interview).
Her casting in Squid Game season 2 came through another audition, this one open to public video submissions and run in four rounds: a video audition, a round with an assistant director, and two rounds with director [Hwang Dong-hyuk](https://www.edgepedia.org/hwang-dong-hyuk)[5](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20250109_0003027153) • [10](https://kstyle.com/article.ksn?articleNo=2254404). She waited two months between the first and second rounds and spent about three months in total on the evaluations; when she was finally told she had the part, she "actually remember[s] crying"[11](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d). Hwang told her at the third audition that he had watched the survival program without realizing the contestant was her, and she took his remark as praise for her transformation[12](https://isplus.com/article/view/isp202501220046).
In the series she plays Kim Jun-hee, player 222, a young single mother who lost her money on a cryptocurrency investment recommended by her ex-boyfriend Myung-gi (played by [Im Si-wan](https://www.edgepedia.org/im-si-wan)) and joined the game while pregnant[4](https://los40.com/2025/01/11/estos-5-actores-de-el-juego-del-calamar-2-tambien-tienen-relacion-con-la-musica/) • [9](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/jo-yuri-squid-game-season-2-interview). To prepare, she read her mother's childcare diary and asked acquaintances who had experienced pregnancy about physical changes, keeping in mind that a pregnant woman supports her belly from underneath with her hands[13](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=106895). Season 2 was nominated in the best drama series category at the [Golden Globe Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-globe-awards)[11](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d).
A widely circulated rumor that she had been paid a 4.2 billion won appearance fee for season 2 was rejected by Jo Yu-ri herself, who said she had never even touched such a sum[14](https://v.daum.net/v/20250109141653412).
## Later projects
After Squid Game, Jo Yu-ri continued in both fields. She was reported to have been cast as the young [Jeon Do-yeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeon-do-yeon) in the project 'Possible Love' following her season 2 success[7](https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/keywordList.do?keyword=joyuri). On the music side, Episode 25 was framed by her agency and press coverage as the work of an all-rounder moving between acting and singing[15](https://www.edaily.co.kr/News/Read?mediaCodeNo=258&newsId=01266086642233536).
## References
1. [Jo Yuri — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo-yuri-mn0003999637)
2. [Jo Yu Ri Talks About Her Goals As A Solo Artist, Working With Lee Seok Hoon For Duet, And More, Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1492571wpp/jo-yu-ri-talks-about-her-goals-as-a-solo-artist-working-with-lee-seok-hoon-for-duet-and-more)
3. [JO YURI artist profile, WAKEONE](https://wake-one.com/artists/joyuri/)
4. [Estos 5 actores de 'El juego del calamar 2' también tienen relación con la música, LOS40](https://los40.com/2025/01/11/estos-5-actores-de-el-juego-del-calamar-2-tambien-tienen-relacion-con-la-musica/)
5. [[Interview] 오디션의 조유리, Newsis](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20250109_0003027153)
6. [Episode 25 - EP, JO YURI, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/episode-25-ep/1825834578)
7. [SBS Entertainment News keyword page: joyuri](https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/keywordList.do?keyword=joyuri)
8. [조유리, 'Episode 25'로 여름 감성 저격, iMBC 연예뉴스](https://enews.imbc.com/News/RetrieveNewsInfo/470292)
9. [Squid Game Season 2 Star Jo Yuri Talks Junhee's Path, Toxic Exes, and Season 3 Hopes, Teen Vogue](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/jo-yuri-squid-game-season-2-interview)
10. [「イカゲーム2」IZ*ONE出身チョ・ユリ"妊婦を演じるため母親にたくさん質問した", Kstyle](https://kstyle.com/article.ksn?articleNo=2254404)
11. ['Squid Game' returns looking for win with season 2, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d)
12. [조유리 "우주의 기운까지 끌어다 해내고 싶던 '오징어 게임2'" [IS인터뷰], 일간스포츠](https://isplus.com/article/view/isp202501220046)
13. [[인터뷰] 희망과 불안 사이, 〈오징어 게임〉 시즌2 배우 조유리, Cine21](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=106895)
14. ['오겜2' 조유리 "오디션 합격 꿈 같아..출연료 42억? 만져본 적도 없어", News1 via Daum](https://v.daum.net/v/20250109141653412)
15. ['오겜3' 찍고 본업으로… '올라운더' 조유리의 귀환, 이데일리](https://www.edaily.co.kr/News/Read?mediaCodeNo=258&newsId=01266086642233536)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › East and Southeast Asian pop scenes › K-pop and the Korean popular music scene › Artists, groups, and people: K-pop and the Korean popular music scene › Project groups, units, idol bands, solo idols, localized, and virtual groups*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license