# Nana (entertainer)
**Nana** (나나; born Im Jin-ah, 임진아, in 1991) is a South Korean singer and actress who debuted in 2009 as a member of the girl group After School and later became known for screen roles including Kim Mo-mi in Netflix's *[Mask Girl](https://www.edgepedia.org/mask-girl)* (2023) and parts in *Climax* (ENA, 2026) and Netflix's *[The Scandal](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-scandal-2026-tv-series)*[1](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl?module=latest&pgtype=homepage) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29). A native of Cheongju in central South Korea, she first came to national prominence in 2009, when she appeared on stage as a model and debuted with After School[1](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl?module=latest&pgtype=homepage).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, Cheongju, North Chungcheong, South Korea[2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29) |
| Debut | Joined the girl group After School in 2009 under Pledis Entertainment[3](https://www.soompi.com/article/1502823wpp/after-schools-nana-renews-contract-with-pledis-for-3rd-time) |
| Group units | After School; subunits Orange Caramel and After School Red[4](https://www.soompi.com/article/1081263wpp/schools-nana-expresses-wish-school-comeback-talks-stage-name) |
| Acting debut | *The Good Wife* (tvN, 2016), as investigator Kim Dan[4](https://www.soompi.com/article/1081263wpp/schools-nana-expresses-wish-school-comeback-talks-stage-name) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29) |
| Breakthrough screen role | Kim Mo-mi in Netflix's *Mask Girl* (2023)[2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29) |
| Agencies | Pledis Entertainment 2009–2024; Sublime from 2024, contract renewed July 2026[5](https://www.soompi.com/article/1858224wpp/nana-renews-contract-with-agency) |
| Solo music | Debut digital single "Seventh Heaven 16" (2025); "Black Star" on the *Climax* soundtrack[1](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl?module=latest&pgtype=homepage) • [5](https://www.soompi.com/article/1858224wpp/nana-renews-contract-with-agency) |
## After School and Orange Caramel
Nana debuted with After School in 2009 and performed in the group's units, including After School Red and [Orange Caramel](https://www.edgepedia.org/orange-caramel)[4](https://www.soompi.com/article/1081263wpp/schools-nana-expresses-wish-school-comeback-talks-stage-name). As an Orange Caramel member she took part in songs noted for catchy lyrics and distinctive choreography concepts, including "Magic Girl" (마법소녀), "Aing♡", "Bangkok City", "Shanghai Romance", and "Lipstick"[6](https://m.skyedaily.com/pdf_view.html?pdf_url=%2Fdata%2Fskyn_pdf%2F2025%2F20250723%2Fweb%2F20250723-10).
After changes in the group's lineup, the remaining members focused on individual activities, and After School effectively disbanded more than a decade after its debut[4](https://www.soompi.com/article/1081263wpp/schools-nana-expresses-wish-school-comeback-talks-stage-name) • [1](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl?module=latest&pgtype=homepage). In a 2017 interview Nana said she still wanted to sing and act at the same time and hoped to return to the stage when members' schedules allowed[4](https://www.soompi.com/article/1081263wpp/schools-nana-expresses-wish-school-comeback-talks-stage-name). She also explained her choice to keep her stage name rather than promote as an actress under her real name: "I debuted as Nana and came this far, and many good things happened [to me] with this name. I'm Nana. Nana is Im Jin Ah, and Im Jin Ah is Nana"[4](https://www.soompi.com/article/1081263wpp/schools-nana-expresses-wish-school-comeback-talks-stage-name).
## Acting career
Before acting in earnest, Nana appeared in brief cameo roles, generally as herself, such as in the 2011 K-pop-themed horror film *White: The Melody of the Curse*[1](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl?module=latest&pgtype=homepage). Her official acting debut came with the tvN drama *The Good Wife* (2016), in which she played the investigator Kim Dan[4](https://www.soompi.com/article/1081263wpp/schools-nana-expresses-wish-school-comeback-talks-stage-name) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29). At the first [Asia Artist Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/asia-artist-awards) that year she received the rookie award in the actor category for the role[7](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=16247182).
Through the late 2010s she built a television record that included *[Kill It](https://www.edgepedia.org/kill-it)* (OCN, 2019), *Justice* (KBS2, 2019), and *Memorials* (KBS2, 2020)[2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29). At the 2019 and 2020 KBS Drama Awards she won Excellent Actress for *Justice* and for *Memorials*, and a Best Couple Award for *Memorials*[2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29). In film, she played Choon-ja, an accomplice and charming con artist, in *The Swindlers* (2017), which drew more than 4 million admissions, and appeared in *Confession* (2022)[8](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=16243768) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29).
**Netflix roles.** In 2022 she appeared in the Netflix series *[Glitch](https://www.edgepedia.org/glitch-epst3p0cx1)*, and in 2023 she played Kim Mo-mi, the character transformed by plastic surgery, in Netflix's *Mask Girl*; Korean coverage of the role credited her with reaching audiences in 190 countries[2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29) • [6](https://m.skyedaily.com/pdf_view.html?pdf_url=%2Fdata%2Fskyn_pdf%2F2025%2F20250723%2Fweb%2F20250723-10). In 2025 she took her first leading film role as Jung Hee-won in *Omniscient Reader* (전지적 독자 시점)[9](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=16225770).
In 2026 she played Hwang Jeong-won in the ENA drama *Climax*, a character handling core information inside a power group, and won a supporting actress award at the 2026 Korea International Streaming Festival Global OTT Awards for the part[7](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=16247182). She then appeared as Hui-yeon in Netflix's period drama *The Scandal*, an adaptation of the French novel *Les Liaisons Dangereuses*, alongside [Son Ye-jin](https://www.edgepedia.org/son-ye-jin) and [Ji Chang-wook](https://www.edgepedia.org/ji-chang-wook)[1](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl?module=latest&pgtype=homepage) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29).
## Agencies and return to music
Nana spent her first 15 years in the industry with [Pledis Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/pledis-entertainment), renewing her contract there in 2017, 2019, and 2021[3](https://www.soompi.com/article/1502823wpp/after-schools-nana-renews-contract-with-pledis-for-3rd-time) • [10](https://www.koreaboo.com/news/nana-renews-contract-pledis-entertainment/). In 2024 she moved to Sublime, an agency known mainly for actor management, and renewed with Sublime in July 2026 ahead of *The Scandal*[5](https://www.soompi.com/article/1858224wpp/nana-renews-contract-with-agency).
In 2025, after After School had effectively disbanded, she returned to music with her debut digital single "Seventh Heaven 16" and contributed "Black Star" to the *Climax* soundtrack[1](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl?module=latest&pgtype=homepage) • [5](https://www.soompi.com/article/1858224wpp/nana-renews-contract-with-agency).
## Personal life
On November 15, 2025, a man in his 30s entered Nana's home in Acheon-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province, at around 6 a.m. armed with a weapon, threatened and injured Nana and her mother, and demanded money; he was arrested[11](https://biz.chosun.com/topics/topics_social/2026/01/16/BK2TQEVLVVDHZD7K5CS2C5A5JM/) • [12](https://www.donga.com/news/Culture/article/all/20260322/133581633/2). The intruder filed a counter-complaint against her, and in January 2026 police decided not to forward the case against Nana, finding that she had acted in self-defense[11](https://biz.chosun.com/topics/topics_social/2026/01/16/BK2TQEVLVVDHZD7K5CS2C5A5JM/). In March 2026 she showed her home on the MBC program *Point of Omniscient Interfere*, saying she had placed self-defense items such as pepper spray and a gas gun around the house because she had been unable to enter it comfortably for a while[12](https://www.donga.com/news/Culture/article/all/20260322/133581633/2).
In October 2026, Nana and T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun), a former member of [Big Bang](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-bang), confirmed through their agencies that they had been dating for about five months, having first met while filming a music video[13](https://biz.chosun.com/entertainment/enter_general/2026/10/02/IDPCAXDOWBHRBNLO5R3BIXBWGI/?outputType=native) • [14](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/entertain/12167283).
## References
1. [Who is Nana, the K-pop idol and star of Netflix K-dramas The Scandal and Mask Girl? – South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl?module=latest&pgtype=homepage)
2. [Nana (Im Jin-A) – AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/Nana_%28Im_Jin-A%29)
3. [After School's Nana Renews Contract With PLEDIS For 3rd Time – Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1502823wpp/after-schools-nana-renews-contract-with-pledis-for-3rd-time)
4. [Nana Expresses Wish For After School Comeback And Talks About Her Stage Name – Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1081263wpp/schools-nana-expresses-wish-school-comeback-talks-stage-name)
5. [Nana Renews Contract With Agency – Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1858224wpp/nana-renews-contract-with-agency)
6. [Sky Daily profile page on Nana (July 2025)](https://m.skyedaily.com/pdf_view.html?pdf_url=%2Fdata%2Fskyn_pdf%2F2025%2F20250723%2Fweb%2F20250723-10)
7. [나나, 블루 슈트로 시선 고정…'클라이맥스'·'스캔들' 잇는 행보 – Top Star News](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=16247182)
8. [나나, 흑발 스타일로 강렬 시선…연기·음악 병행 근황 – Top Star News](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=16243768)
9. [나나, 밀라노 거리에서 뿜어낸 시크한 눈빛 – Top Star News](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=16225770)
10. [Nana Renews Her Contract With Pledis Entertainment – Koreaboo](https://www.koreaboo.com/news/nana-renews-contract-pledis-entertainment/)
11. [강도에게 역고소당한 나나 '불송치'…경찰 "정당방위" – Chosun Biz](https://biz.chosun.com/topics/topics_social/2026/01/16/BK2TQEVLVVDHZD7K5CS2C5A5JM/)
12. [침대 밑에 호신용 가스총이…'강도 피해' 나나, 자택 공개 – Dong-A Ilbo](https://www.donga.com/news/Culture/article/all/20260322/133581633/2)
13. [가수 겸 배우 탑·나나, 5개월째 열애중…"뮤직비디오 인연" – Chosun Biz](https://biz.chosun.com/entertainment/enter_general/2026/10/02/IDPCAXDOWBHRBNLO5R3BIXBWGI/?outputType=native)
14. [Actor Nana admitted her romantic relationship with Top – Maeil Business (MK)](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/entertain/12167283)
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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 › First- and second-generation idol groups and 1990s dance acts › Surnames K to S*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 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