Born in South Korea to musical parents, Younha began to play the piano at the age of 4. She developed an interest in Japanese drama shows and began to teach herself Japanese. Before long, she was skilled enough to translate to her school friends what happened on recent Japanese TV episodes. What began as an interest in Japanese dramas developed into an interest in Japanese music. At the recommendation of an older student in her school's broadcasting club, she listened to such artists such as Utada Hikaru and Misia. Younha began to dream about debuting as a singer alongside her favorite artists.