I. Introduction
Ito Yumi (伊藤ゆみ), is a Korean-Japanese pop singer and actress. She made her debut as the leader and lead vocalist of Korean pop girl group Sugar as Ah Yoo Mee, and was previously signed as a solo artist with SM Entertainment. In 2008 she moved to Japan and debuted under rhythm zone as "ICONIQ" in 2009.
II. Career
Ito Yumi was born as Ito Ayumi to Zainichi Korean parents on August 25, 1984 in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. At 15 she was discovered at a H.O.T concert, as a result she entered the Korean pop music industry as Ah Yoo Mee, her Hangul based name, and debuted as the leader and main vocalist for Sugar in 2002.
In 2006, Sugar was on hiatus when Ito released her hit debut solo digital single "Cutie Honey" on July 13, 2006. It would win Album of the Year at the Korean Music Awards in 2007. Ito then released "Wrongful Meeting" in November and covered "Yuki no Hana", a Nakashima Mika song as a special treat on New Year's Eve. However, it was announced on December 20 that Sugar had disbanded. Shortly after, Itou switched to the SM Entertainment parent label still going by as "Ah Yoo Mee" on February 14, 2007. However, her time with SM Entertainment was short lived, unlike her time under it's sublabel Starworld.
After her minimal participation in the 2007 SUMMER SM TOWN album, where she recorded one phrase in two songs, Ito left South Korea for Japan in 2008 and signed with avex Entertainment. She began acting as Ito Yumi and debuted with a minor role in the drama Binbo Danshi. In January 2009, Ito had her first main role in the film Yakusoku no Chi, acquired a minor role in the film Kafu wo Machiwabite and starred in one episode of an avex trax short drama series called Otome, as well as a secondary role in the drama Yottsu no Uso.
In November 2009, Ito officially became a part of the rhythm zone label under the name ICONIQ. She made her debut in Japan on December 9, 2009, with the song "I'm lovin you", as ICONIQ x EXILE ATSUSHI, only available in Chaku-Uta. The song was used for a Shisheido commercial, starring Ueno Juri.
In January 2010, also as a Chaku-Uta download only, she released a second song "Change Myself", this time with a music video produced for the song. At the end of January, 2010, she was chosen by Shiseido as her new face to promote Shiseido's Maquillage range. In March 2010, she released her first full album titled as her second Japanese song CHANGE MYSELF.
In 2015, Ito returned to South Korea, for the first time in over 9 years, appearing on the JTBC program Witch Hunt.
In August 2016, in an interview with SENSE (ja) magazine, Ito stated she would be going back to being an actress, using the name Yumi Itō. In September of the same year, she starred as Michiru Saiki in the stage play adaption of the manga ReLIFE.
In May 2017, Ito was cast in a Fuji TV drama, Code Blue Season 3. In August 2017, Lee officially resumed her Korea activities with confirmed as a cast member of MBN's new South Korean variety show Flight Girl.
When it came to March 2019, Ito announced that she had signed a contract with the South Korean agency BONBOO Entertainment. On January 20, 2020, Ito announced on her blog that, after eleven years, she would be leaving Avex, after the expiration of her contract.
III. Discography
IIII. Korean Discography
IIIII. Digital Singles
[2006.07.13] Cutie Honey (Ah Yoo Mee)
[2006.11.07] Wrongful Meeting (잘못된 만남) (Ah Yoo Mee)
IIIII. Japanese Discography
IIIIII. Albums
[2010.03.10] CHANGE MYSELF
IIIIII. Mini Albums
[2010.09.15] Light Ahead
IIIIV. Singles
[2010.08.11] TOKYO LADY
Digital Singles
[2009.12.09] I'm lovin you (ICONIQ x EXILE ATSUSHI)
[2010.01.01] Change Myself
[2010.05.71] My Season
[2010.12.30] I will love
[2012.03.14] LADIES
[2012.03.14] MAKE IT RIGHT
IIIV. Other DVDs
[2010.11.24] a-nation '10 BEST HIT LIVE (#4 "TOKYO LADY")
[2011.12.21] a-nation for Life BEST HIT LIVE (#2 "LADIES")
IIIVI. Collaborations / Compilations
[2010.07.14] a-nation '10 BEST HIT SELECTION (#6 "Change Myself")
[2010.12.15] DJ KAORI - DJ KAORI'S JMIX 4 (#5 "Change Myself")
[2010.12.15] DJ KAYA - JAPANATION 2nd FLOOR (#9 "Change Myself")
[2011.02.16] RUN (#4 "Change Myself")
[2011.04.20] m-flo TRIBUTE ~stitch the future and past~ (#5 "Hands")
[2011.04.27] DJ Hello Kitty - Everybody Dance! (#4 "TOKYO LADY")
[2011.06.22] Koi no Uta ~Aitakute~ (#8 "Light Ahead")
[2011.11.30] Dohzi-T - 12 Love Stories 2 (#4 "Anata Shika Mienakatta" feat. ICONIQ, SEAMO)
IV. Filmography
IVI. Japanese Filmography
IVII. Dramas
[2008] Binbo Danshi (貧乏男子)
[2008] Otome (音女)
[2008] Yottsu no Uso (四つの嘘)
[2012] Ataru
[2013] Machigawarechatta Otoko
[2017] Code Blue Season 3 ( コード・ブルー～ドクターヘリ緊急救命～)
[2018] The Cat in Their Arms
[2018] Code Blue: The Movie
[2019] Go Away, Ultramarine
[2019] Walking Man
IVIII. Movies
[2009] Yakusoku no Chi (約束の地)
[2009] Kafu wo Machiwabite (カフーを待ちわびて)
IVII. Commercials
[2008] Kobayashi Seiyaku
[2008] Kirin Gogo no Koucha
[2010] Shiseido Maquillage
IVIII. Korean Filmography
IVIIII. Dramas
[2006] Rainbow Romance (레인보우 로망스)
[2017-2018] Flight Girl
[2019] Life Bar
[2020] Backstreet Rookie
[2021–present] Goal Girl
[2022] Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny
