Although we in the West have our own selection of attractive musicians, there’s no denying that the East has an edge when it comes to beauty standards. A week-long trip to Asia will have you feeling insecure the moment you step off the plane. And that’s nothing but a compliment to all the K-Pop idols out there who dazzle us with their elegant good looks.
The K-Pop scene is notoriously competitive, so popularity doesn’t always correlate with talent only. K-Pop is performative, so it isn’t just about how good the music is, it’s also a matter of how endearing the musicians themselves can be. Beauty can carry you far in the entertainment industry, whether it be actors, singer-songwriters, or even radio hosts. If you have vibrant confidence and a charming personality coupled with a pretty face, you’ll surely go far. Several K-Pop idols have mastered such balance, and so their careers are benefiting greatly.
Let it be known that beauty doesn’t equal value, but these K-Pop stars certainly had us blushing more times than we can count.
Tzuyu (TWICE)
The only Taiwanese member of TWICE, Tzuyu (Chou Tzu-yu) was born in the East District of Tainan in June 1999. From a young age, she found her passion in dancing, eventually training at a dance academy to hone her natural-born talent. In 2012, she was discovered by talent scouts and thus moved to South Korea. Three years later, she found herself participating in the South Korean reality television show Sixteen and, among nine other successful candidates, she was selected to join the girl group TWICE.
As a soloist, Tzuyu has covered “Me!” by Taylor Swift and “Christmas Without You” by Ava Max. After debuting with TWICE, Tzuyu began receiving attention for her beauty; the Taiwanese media nicknamed her “Light of Taiwan.”
Jennie (BLACKPINK)
Perhaps the most famous female K-Pop idol to date, Jennie Kim recently appeared on the HBO drama television series The Idol, under her stage name Jennie Ruby Jane. This marked her acting debut, and since then, she has been rumored to be joining the MCU in the near-distant future. Born and raised in South Korea, Kim debuted as a member of BLACKPINK in August 2016. Two years later, she made her solo debut with the single “Solo,” ironically.
During her adolescent years, Jennie dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. She first heard about K-Pop during her years studying in New Zealand, then returned to South Korea to audition for the JYP Entertainment label, eventually joining as a trainee. Initially a vocalist, Kim was encouraged to embrace her role as a rapper, since she was one of the only trainees fluent in English at the time. Jennie, who has been instrumental in BLACKPINK’s fashion image, has been nicknamed “Human Gucci” and “Human Chanel.”
Sana (TWICE)
Sana Minatozaki, or simply Sana, was born in Osaka, Japan, and is one of three Japanese members of the South Korean girl group TWICE. She is an only child, who took an interest in singing and dancing early on. She was quoted to have been inspired by the K-pop group Girls’ Generation. During her middle school years, Sana was scouted to join JYP Entertainment, eventually joining the program as a trainee. Like Tzuyu, Sana also participated in Sixteen, ultimately selected as one of the nine members of an up-and-coming girl group.
On July 26, 2023, Sana — along with fellow TWICE members Momo and Mina — debuted as part of the sub-unit MiSaMo with an extended play titled Masterpiece. Sana has become the brand ambassador for several Korean skincare brands and even became the first Japanese ambassador for British multinational jeweler Graff.
Mina (TWICE)
Japanese TWICE member Mina was born in San Antonio, Texas, and moved to Japan as a toddler. Mina trained as a ballet dancer from a young age, having practiced for a total of 11 years before debuting with TWICE. In 2017, Mina was reported to have both Japanese and American citizenship, but by 2019, she no longer held the latter. Once again, Mina was another Sixteen contenders who went on to debut with TWICE for their first extended play, The Story Begins.
Mina has been noted in the past to have suffered insecurities and anxiety surrounding onstage performances. She was later diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Along with Momo, Mina has been repeatedly praised as one of TWICE’s best dancers, whose popularity has been credited with improving relations between Japan and South Korea.
Lisa (BLACKPINK)
Thai rapper Lisa debuted as a member of BLACKPINK in 2016. Born Pranpriya Manobal, she later changed her name to Lalisa at the advice of a fortune teller. At four years old, she was competing in dance competitions, and by age 13, she was auditioning for JYP Entertainment. Among 4,000 applicants, she was the only successful candidate, which led to her becoming a trainee. In 2015, she took her first modeling job for the streetwear brand Nona9on.
Lisa’s debut single album Lalisa broke the viewership record in a 24-hour period that was previously held by Taylor Swift’s “Me!” featuring Brendon Urie. She accumulated 73.6 million views in this time, breaking two Guinness World Records. Lalisa also earned her bragging rights as the first K-Pop solo artist to win an MTV Video Music Award. Not only is Lisa the global ambassador for several campaigns, she also released her own makeup line under MAC Cosmetics, called MAC x L.
RyuJin (ITZY)
ITZY’s main rapper Ryujin ranked first place in the finale of the survival show MIXNINE, but ultimately lost out on the chance to debut when the boys’ team won over the girls’ team. Just a year later, she debuted as a member of ITZY with the digital single “IT’z Different.” Both Ryujin and fellow TWICE member Chaeryeong graduated from Hanlim Multi Arts School. In English, her name is Joanne.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Ryujin has an older brother and was scouted by JYP at a GOT7 fan meeting. Compared to other ITZY members, Ryujin has the most tomboyish style. Additionally, she is close friends with Dreamcatcher‘s JiU, as well as LOONA‘s Heejin and Hyunjin. She acted in the movie The King alongside Zo In-sung, Jung Woo-sung, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Bae Seong-woo.
Miyeon (G) I-DLE)
Vocalist of the girl group (G) I-DLE, Cho Mi-yeon is a South Korean singer/actress, who voiced Ahri in the virtual K-pop girl group K/DA, fashioned after League of Legends characters. Also an only child, Miyeon showed a strong interest in singing since childhood, inspired by her father’s love for music. She spent around eight years as a trainee before debuting with (G) I-DLE. Miyeon made her acting debut as the female lead in web drama Replay: The Moment.
In April 2022, Miyeon released her first EP, My, including the lead single “Drive.” She is a current host on the South Korean music program M Countdown, along with Joohoney of Monsta X. Just as Miyeon is a talented songstress, she can also play the violin, guitar, and piano.
Irene (Red Velvet)
Bae Joo-hyun, known as Irene, is the leader of Red Velvet. She debuted with the group in 2014 and later formed a duo sub-unit with bandmate Seulgi, named Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi. Aside from singing, she is also an accomplished television host and actress; Irene hosted Music Bank, Laundry Day, and Irene’s Work & Holiday, and starred in Women at a Game Company and Double Patty. Born in Daegu, South Korea, Irene trained for five years under SM Entertainment before being introduced as a member of Red Velvet.
In 2020, Irene came under fire for some controversy concerning her apparently inappropriate mistreatment of fashion editor Kang Kook-hwa. Several stylists, dancers, and make-up artists that worked with Irene spoke out on social media about how they had never experienced such rudeness. The whole ordeal sparked discussions around South Korea’s perception of female idol groups and how they are often held to a higher standard than males.
Minju (Iz*One)
Singer Kim Min-ju is a former member of Iz*One, which consisted of 12 members and was active from 2018 to 2021. The group debuted with their first EP Color*Iz and released two studio albums and seven extended plays in their time together. Although it looked as if Iz*One would extend their contracts, the group officially disbanded in April 2021. Following Iz*One’s disbandment, Minju pursued an acting career, having previously hosted the music program Show! Music Core.
Minju starred in the 2019 drama film The Fault Is Not Yours and recently appeared in the television series The Forbidden Marriage. Before she hosted Show! Music Core, she was a contestant on Produce 48, a reality competition series where the general public ‘produce’ a girl group by voting for members out of 96 competitors.
Jihyo (TWICE)
TWICE’s fearless leader, Park Ji-hyo (known as Jihyo) was born in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. After placing second in a contest on Junior Naver, Jihyo was scouted by JYP Entertainment. She joined at the age of eight and trained for 10 years. Alongside her TWICE bandmates, she competed on Sixteen and legally changed her name to Jihyo before competing. In an anonymous vote conducted by her bandmates, Jihyo was appointed as the leader of TWICE.
In 2019, Jihyo was dating Kang Daniel, the first-place winner of the second season of reality competition series Produce 101. By 2020, the couple had called things off due to scheduling conflicts. Jihyo will be debuting as a solo artist this year with her solo album ZONE, having recently dropped a sneak preview of the single “Killin’ Me Good.”