JISOO CATAPULTED TO FAME AS PART OF BLACKPINK. BUT, AS ELLE KOREA’S FEATURES EDITOR JEON HYEJIN DISCOVERS, THIS SUPERSTAR IS JUST GETTING STARTED
This story appears in the JANUARY 2026 Issue of
Photographed by Sangmi An
Styled by Jayoung Choi
Fashion Direction by Hayan Lee Words by Jeon Hyejin
ISOO exploded into the zeitgeist when she joined the K-pop supergroup Blackpink as a bright-eyed 21-year-old in 2016. A decade on, the South Korean powerhouse is a beyond-successful solo artist and the proud founder of her own music
and filmmaking label. Blissoo is a fitting portmanteau of Bliss and JISOO that perfectly encapsulates the attitude of her new era.
ELLE: For our shoot, we’ve captured you in a picturesque landscape. What kind of paintings do you usually like?
JISOO: I think my preferences vary depending on the harmony of colours. I’m more drawn to subtle, calming colours than bright, overpowering ones. I also like cute, cartoon-like drawings, as well as ones depicting trees and flowers.
J
ELLE: Looking back at 2025, what was your warmest, most wonderful scene, similar to your favourite picture?
JISOO: A lot happened last year. One of my favourite personal experiences was when I was on a plane at night after a show, but I couldn’t sleep, and I saw a huge meteor shower while watching the stars. The big, bright stars passed by so fast. If you fly at night, be sure to look at the sky. There will be lots of stars.
ELLE: Blackpink’s Deadline world tour has been in full swing. What’s the most memorable thing that happened recently?
JISOO: It’s every time I sing a song called “Stay”. I love the moment when the crowd turns on their smartphone lights and moves together. It will stay in my memory for a long time — whenever I’m having a hard time, I think I’ll feel stronger if I pull that memory out.
t might not have turned out like this. Sadie Sink’s transition from child actor to adult A-lister could have gone the way of countless others whose paths to stable
stardom were derailed by an abundance of, well, everything except tender loving care.
When Sink appears on our Zoom call, it’s immediately clear she’ll follow in the calm and calculated footsteps of Emma Watson or Dakota Fanning before her — that is, she’s grounded, humble and clear about the direction in which she’s headed. There are no obvious signs of ego that would be warranted of someone her age and calibre — by which I mean a catalogue of work that includes collaborating with Taylor Swift, Helen Mirren, Brendan Fraser and Naomi Watts; a slew of fashion week appearances and campaigns for brands such as Miu Miu, Prada and Armani Beauty; a bunch of awards and nominations; multiple stints on Broadway; and 24.7 million Instagram followers, despite not keeping the app on her phone.
Her ability to stay in the game is something she credits to beginning her career in theatre — that hyper-disciplined environment drilled into her an impressive work ethic from the age of eight — rather than being created by, churned around and spat out by the Disney machine. (She also credits her mum for still asking her to take out the trash, even when she’s been to the Golden Globes the night before.)
As we chat, Sink is all smiles, relaxed on a cream couch under colourful Matisse-like prints, that famous red hair falling in casual waves around her face. She’s in London working on the next Spider-Man, the details of which are currently top secret (“You’ll have to wait and see,” she says with a smirk). It’s a moment of in-between (or, maybe, upside-down?) for Sink: she’s already said goodbye to Stranger Things, the Netflix phenomenon that made her famous, but the final series hasn’t aired yet. Given how enthusiastic the show’s fandom is, it’s going to be an emotional and drawn-out farewell as the eight feature film-length episodes drop in three batches: four episodes on November 27, three episodes on Boxing Day, and the finale on New Year’s Day.
I
Ahead of the fifth and final season of Netflix’s megahit series 'Stranger Things', the actor reflects on the role that changed her life
bloom
This story appears in the DECEMBER 2025 Issue of
In
Dior jacket and skirt.
Dior dress.
ELLE: You’re a tour veteran now! Are you able to handle unexpected situations on stage and enjoy them?
JISOO: Strangely enough, we’ve been dealing with unexpected situations since we were rookies. Because we’ve been together for a long time, I can tell the situation just by looking at them. There were a lot of unexpected events, but I don’t think many people noticed [laughs].
ELLE: After a recent performance in Bangkok, you posted a comment on social media saying, “I am honoured and blessed to have had the opportunity to perform three times in Lisa’s home town,” and “Thailand is like home now”. Do you still feel a sense of longing when you visit your band members’ home towns?
JISOO: Lisa came to Korea at a young age and grew up well, and knowing her love for Korea, I’m drawn to Thailand even more. When I go to a concert in Thailand, Lisa always brings me takeout from a good restaurant before the show, buys me snacks and even teaches me the latest trending topics. You can only truly enjoy Thailand if you go with Lisa!
“MY FEARS [HAVE] DISAPPEARED. THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IS THAT I’M NOW ENJOYING THIS MOMENT”
– JISOO
ELLE: On this tour, you were able to express each city’s atmosphere through a variety of costumes. Do you have a particularly memorable one? I remember a scene in LA where you danced in a pink Dior dress that took 100 hours to complete.
JISOO: I remember the excitement and anticipation I felt before meeting creative director Jonathan Anderson, and seeing the new Dior. When I put on that dress, I was so amazed at how much I loved it.
ELLE: The dress-fitting scene in the invitation video previewing Jonathan Anderson’s first Dior collection was cinematic! It was like watching a fairytale princess.
JISOO: The idea of releasing a fitting scene was new and fun, so we filmed it together. But because we filmed multiple versions of the same scene, we sewed and untied the same part of the skirt over and over again! That scene was hilarious, and everyone laughed and had a great time filming.
ELLE: You’ve been on many journeys with Dior. How important has this relationship been for you?
JISOO: Spending time with Dior has helped me find my own colours and given me confidence. I discovered aspects of myself I never knew existed, and my fears disappeared. The biggest achievement is that I’m now enjoying this moment.
ELLE: You recently released “Eyes Closed”, a duet with Zayn, previously of One Direction. It’s a combination that surprised everyone. How did this idea come about?
JISOO: While recording the song in LA, someone said, “I think it would be nice if this song came out as a duet with Zayn.” I laughed it off, saying, “Of course it would be nice, if dreams came true.” But it wasn’t a dream; it really came true! With Zayn’s participation, the song felt complete.
ELLE: What’s the most common conversation you had with him? I was especially amazed by the unique and impressive universe of the music video, particularly the way it felt like floating through space.
JISOO: I was a little awkward and frozen at first, but I think we relaxed while talking about music with each other. As soon as we started shooting, we were able to sing and enjoy shooting together, and we became more comfortable.
ELLE: The lyrics of that song talk about a more mature kind of love, like “We should fall in love with our eyes closed.” You’ve been exploring the various forms and styles of love in your recent solo songs. Is this topic interesting to explore? There are so many different ways to love in the world.
JISOO: Because so many human emotions are connected to love, I think it’s natural to talk about various kinds of love. If I feel depressed, angry or down, I have come to think of those feelings as just another form of love. As a result, I’m able to quickly change my mood and my thoughts.
ELLE: What do you think the perfect form of love looks like?
JISOO: There is no such thing as a perfect love. Isn’t the ultimate stage of love simply about understanding each other and getting as close to perfection as possible?
ELLE: The voice tone was much lower in this song, and it had a more delicate feel. Did you take any new approaches to your vocals?
JISOO: I try to make every song a little different. I record as if I’m feeling a different emotion for each song, and I want to express each emotion as much as possible in my voice. Even now, when I find new emotions in music, I get excited and want to share them with everyone. I hope that someone else will feel the same emotions I did when they listen to the song.
ELLE: What defines ‘doing well’ as an artist right now? It seems like, in this day and age, it’s more important to showcase your own unique style than to present a flawless image.
JISOO: I think this is still quite challenging. Everyone wants something different, so you can’t satisfy everyone. And because you can’t just go the same route, shouldn’t you move with fluidity and flexibility from time to time? I’m still learning.
Dior top, skirt and shoes.
ELLE: You recently changed your YouTube channel name from Happiness Index 103% to JISOO. Some fans were sad that you lost your cute name.
JISOO: I also had a lot of regrets. Since I was a kid, I haven’t really liked taking pictures, and I’ve never been on social media, so opening a YouTube channel was a big burden. But sometimes I wanted to share my daily life, so I opened it with a simple, laughable name. Then, when I started my own company, I needed a channel to promote
“I’VE ALWAYS LIVED MY LIFE WITH LOVE FOR MYSELF. I JUST HOPE I CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE LIKE THIS”
– JISOO
my music, so in the end I changed it to JISOO, which can be easily searched and is directly connected to me. But if everyone is comfortable and happy, that’s enough for me to be 103 per cent happy!
ELLE: I think the world has come to realise how funny you are! What’s the biggest experience you’ve had recently of making people around you laugh?
JISOO: I don’t really remember what kind of story it was, but they described me as not having “filter paper”. I think they laughed because I was being honest. I’ve always lived my life with love for myself. I just hope I can continue to live like this.
Hair by Hye Young Lee; Makeup by Nakyeum Lee; Manicure by Eunkyung Park. Set styling by Dohyung Kwon (Ondoh).
JISOO wears Dior dress. All clothing price on application throughout.
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was at the Screen Actors Guild Awards with her Squid Game co-stars, waiting to hear if she would win best female actor. As the hosts read out her name, there was a moment of shock — then she leapt up and, holding hands with her translator, barrelled on stage to receive the award that would make her the first female actor from a non-English-language series to be recognised at the prestigious ceremony.
“At first, I did feel a little pressure about the fact that people are thinking of me as a representative of Korea,” she tells me on Zoom from her apartment in Seoul, reflecting on that moment three years on. “I even had some doubts about myself — whether I was really qualified or the right person to take on this role.”
Hoyeon is makeup-free in a loose khaki T-shirt from Japanese workwear brand Kapital, her naturally wavy hair scraped back in a messy ponytail. What helped, she says with an appreciative smile, is the support of other people in the industry. She recounts how, at the SAG Awards, actors Sandra Oh and Greta Lee came running up to congratulate her — a moment of mutual adoration that was captured on camera and subsequently went viral. “It just brought home the fact that this Korean heritage that we’re sharing, it naturally makes us rely on each other, wherever we are,” she says. “I know that they have my back.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve met — I interviewed Hoyeon a few months before her SAG win, when she was living through the whirlwind of Squid Game success. She played Kang Sae-byeok, the tough-as-nails North Korean defector and pickpocket who is desperate to win the 45.6 billion won (about $49 million) prize money in order to reunite her family. A lot has happened since then: she’s dropped her last name, Jung, for simplicity’s sake and, while she still has the same tomboyish exuberance, there’s a newly minted level-headedness about her catapult to global fame. There’s a translator on the call to offer occasional help, but there’s little need for it. Hoyeon’s English, after years of working in Europe and America, is impressive for a non-native speaker — plus, her doe-eyed gaze and expressive hand gestures speak fluently enough, too.
Back when we last spoke, Hoyeon seemed thrilled for the show’s success but, well, also a little shell-shocked. “Everything was just so chaotic and hectic,” she recalls. “I felt like I had to learn on the fly and improvise every moment. But now I have a lot more room to think, to reflect on myself and learn about myself. I’ve become more used to the life of an actor, with people recognising me. I think I have a better idea of what I want now.”
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Louis Vuitton dress, price on application.
LEFT Dior shirt (worn throughout). RIGHT Dior top, skirt and shoes (all worn throughout).
Dior shirt, skirt and vanity case (on table).
LEFT Dior top and pants. RIGHT Dior skirt and shoes.
Dior jacket and skirt.
“I’VE BECOME MORE USED TO THE LIFE OF AN ACTOR. I THINK I HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT I WANT NOW”
– HOYEON
ELLE: You’re a tour veteran now! Are you able to handle unexpected situations on stage and enjoy them?
JISOO: Strangely enough, we’ve been dealing with unexpected situations since we were rookies. Because we’ve been together for a long time, I can tell the situation just by looking at them. There were a lot of unexpected events, but I don’t think many people noticed [laughs].
ELLE: After a recent performance in Bangkok, you posted a comment on social media saying, “I am honoured and blessed to have had the opportunity to perform three times in Lisa’s home town,” and “Thailand is like home now”. Do you still feel a sense of longing when you visit your band members’ home towns?
JISOO: Lisa came to Korea at a young age and grew up well, and knowing her love for Korea, I’m drawn to Thailand even more. When I go to a concert in Thailand, Lisa always brings me takeout from a good restaurant before the show, buys me snacks and even teaches me the latest trending topics. You can only truly enjoy Thailand if you go with Lisa!
Dior dress.
ELLE: On this tour, you were able to express each city’s atmosphere through a variety of costumes. Do you have a particularly memorable one? I remember a scene in LA where you danced in a pink Dior dress that took 100 hours to complete.
JISOO: I remember the excitement and anticipation I felt before meeting creative director Jonathan Anderson, and seeing the new Dior. When I put on that dress, I was so amazed at how much I loved it.
ELLE: The dress-fitting scene in the invitation video previewing Jonathan Anderson’s first Dior collection was cinematic! It was like watching a fairytale princess.
JISOO: The idea of releasing a fitting scene was new and fun, so we filmed it together. But because we filmed multiple versions of the same scene, we sewed and untied the same part of the skirt over and over again! That scene was hilarious, and everyone laughed and had a great time filming.
ELLE: You’ve been on many journeys with Dior. How important has this relationship been for you?
JISOO: Spending time with Dior has helped me find my own colours and given me confidence. I discovered aspects of myself I never knew existed, and my fears disappeared. The biggest achievement is that I’m now enjoying this moment.
Dior shirt, skirt and vanity case (on table).
ELLE: You recently released “Eyes Closed”, a duet with Zayn, previously of One Direction. It’s a combination that surprised everyone. How did this idea come about?
JISOO: While recording the song in LA, someone said, “I think it would be nice if this song came out as a duet with Zayn.” I laughed it off, saying, “Of course it would be nice, if dreams came true.” But it wasn’t a dream; it really came true! With Zayn’s participation, the song felt complete.
ELLE: What’s the most common conversation you had with him? I was especially amazed by the unique and impressive universe of the music video, particularly the way it felt like floating through space.
JISOO: I was a little awkward and frozen at first, but I think we relaxed while talking about music with each other. As soon as we started shooting, we were able to sing and enjoy shooting together, and we became more comfortable.
ELLE: The lyrics of that song talk about a more mature kind of love, like “We should fall in love with our eyes closed.” You’ve been exploring the various forms and styles of love in your recent solo songs. Is this topic interesting to explore? There are so many different ways to love in the world.
JISOO: Because so many human emotions are connected to love, I think it’s natural to talk about various kinds of love. If I feel depressed, angry or down, I have come to think of those feelings as just another form of love. As a result, I’m able to quickly change my mood and my thoughts.
“MY FEARS [HAVE] DISAPPEARED. THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IS THAT I’M NOW ENJOYING THIS MOMENT”
– JISOO
ELLE: What do you think the perfect form of love looks like?
JISOO: There is no such thing as a perfect love. Isn’t the ultimate stage of love simply about understanding each other and getting as close to perfection as possible?
ELLE: The voice tone was much lower in this song, and it had a more delicate feel. Did you take any new approaches to your vocals?
JISOO: I try to make every song a little different. I record as if I’m feeling a different emotion for each song, and I want to express each emotion as much as possible in my voice. Even now, when I find new emotions in music, I get excited and want to share them with everyone. I hope that someone else will feel the same emotions I did when they listen to the song.
ELLE: What defines ‘doing well’ as an artist right now? It seems like, in this day and age, it’s more important to showcase your own unique style than to present a flawless image.
JISOO: I think this is still quite challenging. Everyone wants something different, so you can’t satisfy everyone. And because you can’t just go the same route, shouldn’t you move with fluidity and flexibility from time to time? I’m still learning.