Born as Kim Soo-jin, she made her entertainment debut at 17 years old as part of the group Punsudeul ("Idiots") in 1989, when she was still in high school.

[1] In 1994, using the stage name Yoo Chae-yeong, she became one of the original members of the popular K-pop group Cool.

[2] She initially attracted media attention for sporting a shaved head, which at the time was a bold hairstyle rarely seen on female South Korean celebrities.

[4] She embarked on a solo singing career in 1996, and her hit song "Emotion" (released in 1999), contributed to the nationwide spread of techno music.

She was also a popular radio host on the MBC program Good Weekend, It's Kim Kyung-sik and Yoo Chae-yeong, known for her quick wit and self-deprecating humor.