10 K-Pop Idols Who Arent Originally From Korea
Millions of people around the world have become fans of K-Pop. Along with this comes fans having their favorite bias, or in simpler terms, their favorite K-Pop idol. In South Korea, K-Pop Idols are a level of fame equivalent to famous actors, maybe more so.
They have adoring fans who shower them in small or luxurious gifts, sell hundreds of merchandise, tweet endlessly online and sell out their K-Pop group concerts. What many may not know is that some of these popular idols aren't originally born in South Korea. Let's take a look at which idols made the move to Korea to become K-Pop sensations.
10 Joshua (SEVENTEEN)
For those unaware of who Joshua from SEVENTEEN is, he's a vocalist for the popular K-Pop group. Joshua is originally from Los Angeles, California. Both of his parents are Korean, making him Korean-American.
In 2013, he joined Pledis Entertainment to begin his training as an idol. Joshua trained for a total of two years before making his debut with his band members. Due to being born in the states, Joshua can speak Korean but admits to not being so good at writing it.
9 Jessi
Jessi is a jack of all trades. She is a K-Pop rapper, singer, and songwriter. She is an idol known for not originally being from Korea, due to her difficulty speaking the language at times. This is due to the fact that Jessi was originally born in New York and raised in New Jersey.
She made the brave decision to venture on her own to Korea at the age of 15 to pursue her career. She was soon signed to an agency. Her career in the entertainment business wasn't easy and once took a hiatus due inability to accustom to South Korean culture. Jessi is now taking the industry by storm and is often seen on variety shows.
8 Aron (Nu'est)
Aron is the only member of the urban electro band, Nu'est, to not originally be from South Korea. Aaron is a California native who had a different career path in mind. He was already set to attend college at NYU in the journalism department.
The hunt for a new idol reached California and Aaron decided to pursue his singing career. In 2011, he auditioned for “Pledis USA Personal Auditions” and was accepted. He then debuted in 2012 as a singer and rapper alongside his Nu'est members. Aaron didn't know how to speak Korean and learned within a year.
7 BM (K.A.R.D.)
California has developed a number of K-Pop idols. One of them being BM, or "Big Matthew," from the co-ed group K.A.R.D. Matthew Kim hails from sunny California and attended college as a psychology major.
At the time, singing, rapping, & dancing were only his hobbies. His mother saw him perform with his college dance team and signed him up for “Kpop Star." BM traveled to Korea and passed all rounds. He was a trainee for four years before debuting with K.A.R.D. in 2017.
6 Momo (TWICE)
The popular girl group TWICE is made up of nine members in total. Three of these members aren't from South Korea. Momo Hirai is actually from Kyōtanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. She as well as Mina and Sana are from Japan.
In 2013, Momo was scouted by JYP Entertainment in an online video with her sister. Momo went on to become a trainee and appeared in multiple music videos during that time. She then made her debut with the group in 2015.
5 Amber Liu (F(X))
Amber Liu has made a name for herself in the K-Pop industry. She too was born in California. She is Taiwanese-American and moved to Korea after being cast in SM Entertainment's Los Angeles global audition in 2008. A year later of being a trainee, she became part of the girl group f(x).
In 2015, Liu debuted her solo career with her EP Beautiful. She has since gained international fans and has appeared in many variety shows and collaborated with famous artists.
4 Mark (GOT7)
GOT7 is a name many have heard in regards to K-Pop. Thousands of fans shriek over their favorite member. The group's main rapper and a vocalist, Mark isn't originally from Korea.
He too is a native to California but also lived in Brazil and Paraguay for a couple of years. His family is of Taiwanese descent. He used to be able to speak Portuguese but has forgotten over the years and can understand Mandarin. In 2010, he was scouted by JYP Entertainment while in high school. He dropped out and moved to Korea in 2010. He debuted with GOT7 in 2014 and now also has a solo career.
3 Jackson Wang (GOT7)
Jackson Wang is another GOT7 member who isn't from South Korea. He has recently made headway on his own, even appearing in Vogue YouTube videos. He's risen the ranks in popularity outside of Korea.
Wang was born and raised in Hong Kong. He even ranked 11th as a fencer in the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. He was invited to audition by JYP Entertainment and passed. He let go of fencing and moved to Korea in 2011. He debuted with GOT7 after two and a half years as a trainee. Wang is now also highly regarded as a solo rapper and artist in Korea and China.
2 Rosé (Blackpink)
Blackpink is the number one girl group in both South Korea and the world. The group has topped international charts and broken YouTube records. One of the four members, Rosé originally hails from New Zealand. She was raised by South Korean parents and when Rosé was seven, the family relocated to Australia.
She auditioned in 2o12 with YG Entertainment and two months later signed with the label. Rosé was a trainee for four years before being announced as the final member to join Blackpink. She will also have a solo career in September 2020.
1 Lisa (Blackpink)
Lisa is quite the powerhouse when it comes to K-Pop idols and is highly regarded in the industry along with Blackpink. She is the group's main rapper and dance, as well as a singer. Lisa or Lalisa Manoban was originally born in Buriram, Thailand.
Her mother is Taiwanese while her step-father is of Swiss origin. She grew up loving dance and competed in many competitions. In 2010, she auditioned for a spot with YG Entertainment. Out of 4,000 participants, she was the only one to pass. She then took on modeling as well. In 2016, she debuted with Blackpink as the first non-Korean to debut with the agency. Lisa is a K-Pop star when it comes to the entertainment industry.
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