Iconiq was born in Tottori Prefecture on August 25, 1985, to Korean parents. She lived in Japan until she was 15, after which she moved to South Korea. She was scouted by entertainment company Starworld at a H.O.T. concert, debuting as part of the girl group Sugar in 2002. The band released two albums in Japan and three in Korea, however were met with only moderate commercial success. In 2006, the group disbanded, and Iconiq released two solo singles as Ahyoomee. The first, a cover of the theme song for Cutie Honey (in the style of the Kumi Koda's 2004 version), was released on July 13, 2006, however was criticized by Korean media for her "heavy accent" and the overall Japanese feel of performances.. Her second digital single, "Jalmotdwin Mannam" (Korean: "잘못된 만남", "Wrongful Meeting") was released on November 7, 2006, and is a cover of Kim Gun Mo's hit from 1995. She switched labels in February 2007, moving from Starworld to SM Entertainment and started collaborating with SM Town on their summer and winter albums that year. However, she did not release any solo material in this time. In 2008, Iconiq moved to Los Angeles to study dance, and find new inspiration as a musician.


Iconiq's official Japanese profile did not mention her past as a member of Sugar or her Korean heritage, however vaguely references starting activities "overseas" in 2002. Concerns about the motives of this were raised in the Korean media. Korean netizen reactions were mixed, with some seeing the decision as "embarrassment" of her past, while others reasoned Iconiq's Japanese career's stylistic differences were the cause. Tokyo Sports ran an , article about Iconiq's past as a Korean idol however later apologized to Iconiq's record label.