[2][8] When she was a child, her parents moved to Taiwan to try to improve the family's financial situation, leaving Joo and her three younger siblings in the care of their grandmother.

[9] Following her grandmother's death, Joo raised her younger siblings alone, relying on money her mother sent from Taiwan.

[10] Joo attended Seoul Chinese Primary School and studied pharmacy at Chung-Ang University.

[8] Joo debuted as a singer in 1984 with the trot medley album Couple's Party, which sold 3 million copies, primarily through cassette tape sales at highway rest stops.

[15] Over the next few years, Joo released several hit albums, including 1988's That Man in Shinsadong.