Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea on September 6, 1988, and moved to the San Fernando Valley in California in the 4th grade. She entered UCLA, majoring in Dance and Communication, but took a leave of absence after a year to pursue her career in entertainment in South Korea. After initially joining DSP Media as a trainee, she debuted with JTM Entertainment with a single "Head Hurts". Kim's cousin is Kara member Kang Ji-young; she also has a younger brother.
