Last month, Moon Seoyoon (stage name Annie), the eldest daughter of Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yookyung, debuted as a member of the mixed-gender idol group 'ALLDAY PROJECT'. On the 20th, she mentioned Shinsegae Group's food and beverage brand 'TWELVE' on her social media (SNS), initiating indirect promotion. This is the first time that Moon Seoyoon has posted on SNS related to Shinsegae Group since her debut.
The ALLDAY PROJECT to which Moon Seoyoon belongs has recently been gaining attention among Generation Z (born mid-1990s to late 2010s) by winning two music broadcast awards. Industry insiders have cautiously speculated that Moon Seoyoon and Shinsegae Group could expand their synergy in various fields such as fashion, retail, and cultural content in the future.
According to related industries on the 21st, Moon Seoyoon uploaded a photo of herself along with a photo of the menu board from TWELVE located in Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam on her Instagram account on the 20th. The photo mentioned 'Annie's Milk,' which is a signature coffee menu item at TWELVE. Annie is also Moon Seoyoon's stage name. Shinsegae's position is that there is no direct relationship between the menu and Moon Seoyoon.
This is the first time that Moon Seoyoon has posted on SNS regarding Shinsegae Group since her debut. Although she did not directly mention TWELVE in the post, lively questions and answers about the store are being shared in the comments, leading to a natural promotional effect.
TWELVE is a brand operated in direct management format under the food and beverage sector of Shinsegae Central City. Currently, it runs a European bakery café in Shinsegae Namsan and offers European dining at Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam.
Among these, the Gangnam branch opened in February this year in the food hall 'House of Shinsegae' at Shinsegae Department Store. Its signature menu includes T-bone steak, dry-aged for four weeks, handmade Italian pasta, and various brunch and afternoon tea sets. The prices are on the higher side, with the signature T-bone steak priced at 210,000 won for 800g and the pasta menu set in the upper 30,000 won range. Café menu items also exceed 10,000 won.
Born in 2002, Moon Seoyoon is the granddaughter of Shinsegae Group Chairman Lee Myunghee and the eldest daughter of Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yookyung. She is also the niece of Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin. In an interview posted on YouTube, she noted, "I first dreamed of being a singer after watching the music video for Big Bang and 2NE1's 'Lollipop.'"
She learned dancing while attending dance studios and practice rooms during her school years, but it was not easy for her to become a singer due to family opposition. Her mother, Chairman Chung, stated that she would persuade the family to support Moon Seoyoon's dream of becoming a singer if she enrolled at one of the Ivy League universities in the United States, and she eventually began her trainee life in 2023 by entering Columbia University. This university is also where Moon Seoyoon's maternal grandfather, Honorary Chairman Chung Jae-eun of Shinsegae, graduated.
After about two years as a trainee, Moon Seoyoon debuted on the 23rd of last month as a member of the mixed-gender idol group 'ALLDAY PROJECT.' The group has recently gained attention by achieving first place in terrestrial music broadcasts. Moon Seoyoon had over 70,000 followers on Instagram before her debut and currently has nearly 590,000.
The BLACK LABEL, to which Moon Seoyoon is affiliated, is an independent agency founded in 2016 by producer Teddy from YG Entertainment, and it has no direct ties to Shinsegae Group.
Nevertheless, industry insiders are speculating that Moon Seoyoon could expand business synergy with Shinsegae Group through her influence on Generation Z-targeted content. Shinsegae Group operates the luxury beauty editing shop CHICOR and its subsidiary Shinsegae Tomboy manages various brands such as Studio Tomboy, VOV, and GCUT in the fashion sector.
There are also speculations that Moon Seoyoon may create a beauty and fashion brand bearing her name in the future. Her debut as an idol is already being credited with contributing to the reinterpretation of Shinsegae Group's brand image as young and trendy. A Shinsegae representative said, "Currently, there are no specific collaboration plans."