Pinoys in the K-pop scene: Meet the Korean artists who are part Filipino
Even Pinoys are making it big on the Korean entertainment scene.
Chantal Videla is set to make her K-pop idol dreams come true after it was confirmed she’d debut as a member of MLD Entertainment’s new girl group, LAPILLUS. The Filipina-Argentinian actress will be joined by Girls Planet 999 contestant Nonaka Shana and four other members.
Before her official debut, Chanty caught the attention of K-pop fans because of her beauty, talent, and innate star power. Not to mention, she used to appear in Spirits: Reawaken and Starla.
In honor of Chanty’s debut, take a look at other Pinoy-blooded celebs who made waves in the Korean music industry.
Kriesha Chu
Kriesha is born to Filipino parents of Chinese heritage who moved to Manila from Cebu and she moved to San Francisco, USA when she was only two years old.
The Filipina-American singer entered the K-pop scene after competing in the reality series K-pop Star 6: The Last Chance in 2016. She became a member of the female trio, Kwins, in the show where they finished as runners-up.
Kriesha eventually made her solo debut in May 2018 and has since been a talent of the Korean music label Urban Works Media. She’s also close friends with former IZ*ONE member Kim Minju.
Dok2
In case you’re unaware of Dok2, you probably heard his fiery raps in the songs On and On, I Love It, and Fxxk With Us.
Lee Joon-kyung, also known as Dok2, was born to a Filipino-Spanish father and a Korean mother. The rapper told Complex that it was his “life’s mission” to be a “rich hip-hop star” after his parents’ restaurant business failed miserably.
Since then, he released chart-topping albums, EPs, and collaborations with artists like Jessi, Lee Hi, and Dean, among others.
Cignature’s Belle
Born as Jin Hyeon-ju, the Pinoy roots of Cignature’s Belle can be traced to her Filipina mother. Belle debuted as the lead vocalist and lead dancer of the girl group in November 2019 and was a member of GOOD DAY.
Belle admitted that she didn’t learn Filipino since she was raised in South Korea, but she is “trying her best.”
Youn Dong-yeon
Youn Dong-yeon has been on every K-pop stan’s radar since appearing on the survival show Loud. The 19-year-old was born to a Filipina mother, who considers herself his biggest fan, and a Korean father.
Dong-yeon made a strong impression on Loud’s judges Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment and Psy of P Nation after dancing to BTS’ My Time. Sadly, he was eliminated in the show’s seventh round.