A late bloomer in the K-trot world, Moon Yeon Joo was born in 1963 in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. She developed an interest in music in the early 1980s after participating in various competitions. When a Japanese entertainment agency expressed interest in her debut, she began her career in Japan in the 1980s. In 1987, she attempted to debut in Korea but she did not receive much response and returned to Japan. Later, upon hearing about her father's illness in Korea, she decided to leave her activities in Japan and return home to care for him. She even considered retiring from singing to focus on her father's care, but composer Park Sung-hoon aggressively advised her to continuer her career in Korea. Her 2006 EP, Two of Us, became a success, establishing her presence in Korea. Subsequently, hits like "Don't Hold Me Back (잡지마)" in 2009, "Let's Smile (웃으며 삽시다)" 2013, and "Young Gentleman (도련님)" in 2017 solidified her position as a prominent singer in Korea. She continues to be active, appearing on programs such as Gayo Stage, Nationwide Top 10 Song Show, MBC Gayo Best, and iNet TV.