[FACTCHECK] As K-pop diversifies, take a look back at the changing lineups of acts

When girl group NewJeans made its sensational debut last summer, its music and visuals weren’t the only things that caught the public eye. Another pleasant surprise for the Korean public was member Hanni’s ethnicity. Hanni was born and raised in ...

Hanni of NewJeans [ADOR]

When girl group NewJeans made its sensational debut last summer, its music and visuals weren’t the only things that caught the public eye. Another pleasant surprise for the Korean public was member Hanni’s ethnicity.

Hanni was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia to Vietnamese parents. Vietnamese nationality or descent is rarely seen in K-pop. Before Hanni, member Hanbin of boy band Tempest who debuted in March 2022 was the only Vietnamese K-pop star in the industry.

Until the late 2000s, K-pop idols were virtually all Korean with a sprinkle of some Korean-Americans or other ethnic Koreans from western countries. Their role was not to appeal to overseas markets, but to the Korean public by being in charge of English lyrics and giving the group a sense of exoticism.

Today, nationalities and ethnicities of K-pop members have become increasingly diverse, although it is still largely limited to a few East Asian countries. Nonetheless, slowly but surely, the scope of ethnic diversity is growing wider in K-pop.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]