‘Shinsegae heiress’ Annie returns to Columbia University... “Focusing on studies until May”

[Financial News] Annie (real name Moon Seoyoon), a member of the group ALLDAY PROJECT, is returning to Columbia University in the United States.
According to her agency THEBLACKLABEL on the 14th, Annie will return for the spring 2026 semester at Columbia University in New York City and plans to devote herself to her studies for the time being.
Annie, who is majoring in the Department of Art History and Visual Arts at Columbia University, is expected to stay in the United States until May, when the semester ends.
During this period, Annie will remain in New York City and focus on campus life, although she is expected to attend a limited number of events such as fan signings scheduled during the semester.
While Annie is concentrating on her studies, the other members of ALLDAY PROJECT will work on music and pursue individual activities.
Annie, the granddaughter of Shinsegae Group’s general chairwoman Lee Myung-hee and the eldest daughter of Shinsegae Group chairwoman Chung Yoo-kyung, drew attention even before her debut.
Before her debut, Annie appeared in a documentary where she shared the story of how she was admitted to Columbia University.
At the time, Annie said, “My family was strongly opposed to my debuting as a singer. But when I said I still couldn’t give up, my mom told me that if I got into college, she would help persuade the rest of the family.” Chairman Chung set admission to an Ivy League school as the condition, and Annie later gained admission to Columbia University in the United States.
Annie said, “I even gave up sleep to prepare for the entrance exams and managed to get into college,” adding, “My mom told me she never thought I would actually get accepted.”
Annie debuted in the music industry last June as a member of ALLDAY PROJECT, taking time off from school to focus on her activities ahead of graduation.
After her debut, Annie revealed on a television program that she scored 1,530 out of a perfect 1,600 on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), which became a hot topic.
Her agency told News1 Korea, “Annie is discussing ways to participate in overseas fan meetings and other events from time to time while focusing on her studies,” adding, “We are coordinating her schedule to minimize any impact on her academics.”
Meanwhile, ALLDAY PROJECT, the group Annie belongs to, is a five-member co-ed group whose debut track “FAMOUS,” released last June, topped major domestic music charts and gained huge popularity. The group went on to achieve further success with “ONE MORE TIME,” pre-released last November, and “LOOK AT ME,” the title track of their first EP “AllDay Project,” released last December, and they attended numerous year-end award ceremonies, taking home several trophies.
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Su-yeon Reporter