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Top 10 K-pop facts every fan should know about their favorite idols including BTS, BLACKPINK and more
If you are looking for K-pop facts about your favorite idols including BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids and more; read on to find top 10 below!
Every fan is familiar with at least one intriguing K-pop fact about their favorite artists. From their favorite foods to the stories behind their nicknames, some details get lost in the sea of information available. South Korea, renowned for its addictive K-pop music, boasts hundreds of idols across generations from the first to the upcoming fifth, each with unique and sometimes quirky facts. While these facts about K-pop might seem random, sweet, or even absurd, they are, in fact, 100% true.
10 K-pop facts that every fan should know
1. BTS’ rap linen being underground artists
Before rising to fame as a K-pop idol, SUGA, whose real name is Min Yoongi, taught himself the art of rapping and music production in Daegu, South Korea. He was a member of a group called D-Town and went by the underground moniker Gloss, which translates to Yoongi in English. As a teenager, he refined his craft by sampling beats from the instrumental works of Ryuichi Sakamoto, a celebrated composer and member of Yellow Magic Orchestra.
At the age of 11, while in fifth grade, RM developed an interest in hip-hop music after hearing Epik High's Fly. The song offered him comfort, leading him to explore the genre further. His school teacher introduced him to the music of American rapper Eminem, which ignited his passion for lyricism.
By middle school in 2007, RM had begun rapping in local amateur hip-hop circles. He used Adobe Audition (formerly known as Cool Edit) to create his first self-composed recordings and performed in his debut concert in 2008. Under the moniker Runch Randa, RM became more active in the underground Korean hip-hop scene, releasing several tracks and collaborating with other underground rappers, including Zico.
Before joining BTS, J-Hope was part of an underground dance team called Neuron and trained at Gwangju Music Academy for six years, from fourth grade until his first year of high school, when he signed with Big Hit Entertainment. He gained considerable recognition for his dancing, earning several local awards and winning first place in a national dance competition in 2008. His success in dance inspired him to explore singing, leading him to audition as an idol trainee. During his trainee period, J-Hope made his debut as a featured rapper on Jo Kwon's 2012 track Animal.
2. GOT7’s BamBam and BLACKPINK’s Lisa are childhood friends
The only Thai members in their respective K-pop groups, BamBam and Lisa first met in their native Thailand when they teamed up in We Za Cool, a dance group for kids, according to Kpop Star. Although they were both 12 at the time, BamBam perceived Lisa as older due to her height and affectionately called her Noona (older sister).
Their families have also been seen spending time together and celebrating their children’s successes. Since entering the K-pop industry, the two idols have lived close to each other and often meet up, particularly at events, according to Channel Korea. In 2019, Lisa and BamBam reunited on stage to celebrate AIS's 30th anniversary.
3. ENHYPEN’s Sunghoon being national figure skater
ENHYPEN's Park Sunghoon, also known as Sunghoon, was previously a competitive figure skater. He participated in figure skating from 2010 until early 2020 while also being a K-pop trainee since 2018. Sunghoon retired from figure skating and debuted as a member of the South Korean boy band ENHYPEN in November 2020.
His achievements in figure skating include being a silver medalist at the Asian Figure Skating Trophy in 2016 and 2017, a gold medalist at the Lombardia Trophy and the 2015 novice competition, and winning silver medals at the 2013 novice and 2014 junior South Korean Figure Skating Championships.
4. SEVENTEEN’s Hoshi being Taekwando champion
Hoshi not only serves as the main dancer in SEVENTEEN but also leads the group's performance unit due to his exceptional dance and choreography skills. However, his path to stardom could have been quite different if he had pursued an athletic career. As a child, Hoshi practiced Taekwondo and excelled to the point of earning a fourth-degree black belt. By middle school, his impressive skills had caught the attention of scouts, who offered him the opportunity to turn his Taekwondo skills into a professional career.
Hoshi ultimately decided against pursuing a career in Taekwondo due to one important reason: he couldn't bear the thought of cutting his hair. Professional athletes often maintain short hair to focus on training and competition, and Hoshi was unwilling to sacrifice his personal expression through his hairstyle. For him, hair is a significant form of self-expression, and being limited in this aspect might have made him feel restricted in showcasing his individuality. Consequently, he chose to forgo the athletic path and instead pursued a career in entertainment, where he could fully embrace his love for dance and personal style.
5. MONSTAX’s Minhyuk and Hyungwon’s friendship
Long before their debut with MONSTA X or even their time as trainees at Starship Entertainment, Minhyuk and Hyungwon were close friends who shared the same dream of becoming idols. Minhyuk once shared how determined they were to stick together and refused to debut without each other. Their journey wasn't easy—before joining Starship, both were signed with another agency that eventually collapsed, leaving them in a difficult situation.
Despite the setback, Minhyuk and Hyungwon remained determined and supportive of each other. With limited options, Hyungwon moved in with Minhyuk and his family to make their situation more manageable, never wavering in their shared dream. Both eventually became trainees under Starship Entertainment, and despite the challenges of the survival show No.Mercy, they managed to stay together and debut as members of MONSTA X.
6. TWICE’s Mina used to do Ballet
Mina trained in ballet from a young age, dedicating eleven years to perfecting her craft before debuting with TWICE. Her ballet skills were showcased early on, including during the 2016 survival program SIXTEEN, which led to the formation of TWICE. Additionally, Mina utilized her ballet experience to excel in rhythmic gymnastics, earning first place in the 2017 Idol Star Athletic Championships (ISAC) with her impressive rotations and graceful performance.
7. BLACKPINK was supposed to be PinkPunk
BLACKPINK, one of the biggest names in K-pop, owes much of their success to the four members who ultimately debuted: Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. However, the group’s original concept was quite different. Initially, BLACKPINK was intended to be a nine-member group called PINK PUNK. In the original lineup, besides the four who made their debut, there were also Miyeon of (G)I-DLE, Jinny of Secret Number, Euna Kim, Jang Hanna, and Kim Eunbi. Ultimately, only the four members signed under YG Entertainment and went on to debut as BLACKPINK.
8. Stray Kids I.N wanted to be a priest; got recruited into a cult
Stray Kids’ I.N once shared that he had aspired to become a priest and attended church daily before he shifted his focus to becoming an idol. During a holiday in Gangnam, he had an unsettling encounter with a stranger who seemed to know a lot about him, accurately describing his personality traits.
The stranger invited I.N to pray with him and, trusting the situation, I.N followed him into a house. Inside, the stranger presented a piece of paper with I.N’s name on it and suggested that burning the paper would make all his wishes come true. Feeling uncomfortable, I.N firmly told the man to leave. Despite the stranger's insistence on burning the paper before he departed, I.N agreed and burned the paper and ran away, feeling uneasy about the encounter.
9. GOT7’s Jackson Wang- A national fencer
Before embarking on his music career, Jackson Wang was an accomplished sabre fencer, competing in numerous domestic and international events. Born into a family of fencers, it was almost a given that Jackson would follow in their footsteps. On an episode of Youth Inn Jackson discussed his fencing career in detail and explained his decision to leave the sport. In 2008, JYP Entertainment invited him to audition, but he was too young to participate at that time. By 2010, while Jackson was training for the London Olympics, JYP Entertainment reached out to him again.
During this period, Jackson was training to compete at an Olympic level and had received a significant offer from Stanford University for fencing. His decision to pursue a career as a K-pop idol surprised his parents, who were concerned about the opportunities he was leaving behind and the prospect of moving to a foreign country. Jackson grappled with whether fencing was truly his passion and questioned if it was the path he wanted to follow for the rest of his life. Seeking diverse experiences, he ultimately decided to leave fencing behind in favor of exploring new opportunities in the music industry.
10. Stray Kids’ Bang Chan sneaking food for TWICE
Like many trainees preparing for their debut, the members of TWICE had to adhere to a strict diet regimen. However, they found a way to enjoy some of their favorite foods thanks to Stray Kids' Bang Chan.
On an episode of The K-Star Next Door, MC Jonathan brought up a tweet suggesting that JYP Entertainment had restricted TWICE from using the cafeteria to enforce their diet. Bang Chan, who wasn't on set at the time, confirmed the story when Lee Know called him. He revealed that TWICE had a craving for pork belly but were not allowed to eat it. To help them out, Bang Chan gave TWICE all his meal coupons, despite getting into trouble at work for doing so.
These are just a few fun and intriguing K-pop facts about your favorite idols and groups. The world of K-pop is rich with stories of triumphs and challenges, filled with moments that are sometimes sad, heartwarming, and uniquely memorable. These facts about our idols only add to their charm and endear them even more to us.
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