Advertisement
Blackpink
LifestyleK-Pop

Some of the biggest stars in China come from K-pop, including Blackpink’s Lisa, Exo’s Lay Zhang and Got7’s Jackson Wang

  • Since Han Geng made his K-pop debut with Super Junior in 2005, it has become common for K-pop bands to include Chinese performers
  • They have helped popularise K-pop in China, making it possible for some of the genre’s biggest stars, like Thai-born Lisa, to develop their own following there

Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Chinese stars out of the K-pop world, such as Yuqi of (G)I-dle, are taking centre stage in China. Photo: Getty Images
Tamar Herman

For a sense of how big K-pop stars are in China, look no further than the entertainment shows that have gripped audiences since the start of 2021.

Advertisement

For example, between February and May, Blackpink’s Lisa appeared as a judge for the third season of the boy band competition show Youth with You on the Chinese streaming website iQiyi.

In April, the ninth season of Keep Running – an adaptation of South Korean variety show Running Man – featured (G)I-dle’s Yuqi and Lucas (Wong Yuk-hei), a member of boy bands WayV, NCT and SuperM.

June saw the debut on Alibaba’s video channel Youku of Falling Into Your Smile in which Cheng Xiao, a member of Cosmic Girls (WJSN), stars opposite Xu Kai. The web drama’s soundtrack features songs by boy bands WayV and Seventeen. Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post.

Han Geng and other Chinese stars who began in K-pop are set to appear as team captains in the fourth season of Street Dance of China. Han, who debuted with boy band Super Junior in 2005, heralded a new breed of Chinese-born K-pop star, which have since become a mainstay of the genre.
Advertisement
Advertisement