Taeyeon was born on March 9, 1989 in Seoul, South Korea. Her family is made up of her parents, her older brother and her younger sister. At the age of thirteen, Taeyeon discovered that she was talented in singing. During her high school years, she enrolled in the SM Academy and travelled from Jeonju to Seoul every Sunday to receive her vocal training. In 2004, her former vocal instructor, Jung Sun-won, also known as The One, wanted to recognise the potential of Taeyeon and gave her the opportunity to be in his song "You Bring Me Joy". Later, she won in SM Youth Best Competition and, officially, got a contract with S.M. Entertainment. Taeyeon continued her training under her agency and debuted as part of Dazzle Girls in 2007. In 2008, she graduated from Jeonju Art High School, winning the Lifetime Achievement Award. In the pre-debut era, Taeyeon was inspired by singer BoA to become an artist. In her teens she said she wanted to be like her and have activities in Japan and around the world, which later became a reality when Girls' Generation debuted in Japan in 2010.