Here is the second part of our miniseries of articles about K-pop stars not from Korea!
Krystal Jung is a Korean American, born in San Francisco, California. Sister of the idol Jessica from one of the most beautiful and talented K-pop groups, SNSD, it’s no wonder Krystal is just as great. During a trip to South Korea when Krystal was six, S.M. agents scouted the siblings and invited the pair to join their company and start training. Their offer was rejected though from their parents because Krystal was too young at the time, but Jessica was allowed to enter. Krystal eventually began training a few years later and debuted with the group f(x). f(x) is now one of the most popular groups, garnering massive followings and fans from all over the world. Krystal has recently appeared in a reality show with her sister titled Jessica and Krystal.
Solo artist Ailee is the second our list of K-pop stars not from Korea! Ailee, also known as the “Korean Beyonce”, grew up in New Jersey, and gained popularity singing on YouTube. After going to South Korea and auditioning, she was signed under YMC Entertainment. Gaining recognition from Singer and Trainee, she landed a role in Dream High 2. From thereon, her popularity soared, winning multiple awards from many industries such as MelOn Music Awards, Golden Disk Awards, Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards, and the Seoul Music Awards. This year, she held her first solo concert, breaking records on ticket sales, and in October she released her first full length album, VIVID.
Jackson Wang of Got7 is a Chinese K-pop star from Hong Kong, China. Jackson debuted with Got7 in 2014 and, with the rest of his group, skyrocketed in the Korean media and quickly garnered massive popularity. Jackson is known for his “wild and sexy” concept but in real life he’s adored by all his fans as his loud, dorky, and funny self, such as being known in the group for taking the most bathroom selfies. Jackson is also fluent in English, Cantonese, and Korean. Jackson was also a member of Hong Kong’s national fencing team and competed internationally in tournaments. His father, was the former coach for the Hong Kong national fencing team and won at the Asian Games in fencing in 1978. His mother was also a Bronze medalist at the World Gymnastics Championships. Jackson is currently a rising variety star and his sweet, caring variety personality is loved by many.
