The Best of Both Worlds: K-Pop Stars With American Roots
K-Pop is known to transcend cultural boundaries, highlighting diversity through its music and fan culture. Among this global phenomenon of artists are talented performers who embody a unique blend of East and West — bringing a fresh perspective to the industry as they incorporate their multicultural backgrounds into their artistry.
This Korean American Day, we’re shining a spotlight on K-Pop idols who are half-American or born and raised in the United States. Let’s celebrate their journeys, unique influences, and the roles they played in shaping the global K-Pop phenomenon.
From magnetic idol members to brilliant soloists, here are nine popular K-Stars with American ties.
Eric Nam
Eric Nam is considered one of the most successful solo artists in South Korea and is widely known as a popular singer, songwriter, and TV host. He was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from Boston College in 2011 with a degree in International Studies. However, after posting a cover on YouTube singing the male version of 2NE1’s “Lonely,” he was invited to compete in a South Korean talent search program, “Birth of a Great Star 2.” He impressively placed among the top five, which led him to sign with B2M Entertainment as a soloist.
Since debuting in 2013, he was named GQ Korea's Man of the Year in 2016, included on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia in 2017, and was also named as one of YouTube Music's Global Trending Artists on the Rise in 2019.
Woosung (The Rose)
The leader and frontman of the indie rock band, The Rose, was born in Los Angeles, California on Feb. 25, 1993. Kim Woosung debuted as a soloist in 2019 with the EP “WOLF” under the label Woolfpack, but his musical journey began way back in 2011 when he participated in the South Korean survival show, “K-Pop Star Season 1.” After being eliminated on the show, he took a short break from music and pursued teaching English in Korean schools until his engagement with the band.
The Rose debuted in 2017 with the single “Sorry” which put them on the map in the mainstream music scene. Some of their most popular songs include “Back To Me,” “She’s In The Rain,” and “You’re Beautiful.”
Woosung’s English name is Sammy, and is known to be friends with other L.A.-based K-Pop idols such as KARD’s BM and DAY6’s Jae.
Tiffany Young (Girls' Generation)
Stephanie Young Hwang was born in San Francisco, California on Aug. 1, 1989, and is widely known as a member of the K-Pop girl group, Girl’s Generation (SNSD). She was discovered by a South Korean agency when she was fifteen and subsequently moved to the country to pursue training. She debuted with the eight-member group in 2007 but rose to fame in 2009 with their single “Gee,” which remained on top on KBS's “Music Bank” for a record-breaking nine consecutive weeks and was Melon's most popular song of the 2000s.
Tiffany was the second member to pursue a solo career and dropped her EP “I Just Wanna Dance” in 2016.
Jessica Jung (Girls' Generation)
Another Girls’ Generation member born in San Francsico (and reportedly in the same hospital as Tiffany Young!) is Jessica Jung. A singer, actress, author, and business woman, Jessica left the group in 2014 and signed with a new agency before the release of her first solo album, “With Love, J.”
Jessica also established a fashion brand called, Blanc & Eclare, and published her debut novel “Shine” in 2020 which debuted at number five on the New York Times Bestsellers list for Young Adult Hardcovers. The book is reportedly based on her experiences in the music industry. The K-Pop artist also participated in a series of films and television programs through the years, as well as theatre projects. She was cast as Elle Woods in the Korean version of “Legally Blonde: The Musical.”
Jessica is also the older sister of Krystal Jung, a member of the South Korean girl group, f(x).
Vernon (SEVENTEEN)
SEVENTEEN’s Vernon was born in New York on Feb. 18, 1998, and moved to South Korea when he was five years old. The rapper and visual was street cast by PLEDIS Entertainment and debuted with SEVENTEEN in 2015 as part of the Hip Hop team.
The group is known to write and produce their own music, and Vernon actively participates in composition sessions and has over 68 songs registered under his name as of February 2021, making him the second most credited member of the group.
Joshua (SEVENTEEN)
Another fluent English speaker of SEVENTEEN is Joshua, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He was scouted by PLEDIS Entertainment in downtown LA’s Koreatown in 2013, which led him to move to Seoul to train as an idol.
While being a member of SEVENTEEN, Joshua also took part in several projects such as collaborating with fellow member DK and American artist, Pink Sweats, on a remix of his song “17,” and being cast in the 2023 reality show “Bro and Marble in Dubai.” The singer was also the first artist to be featured on Apple Music’s Home Session series.
Jessi
Another New York-born star is Jessi (Jessica Ho), who was born on Dec. 17, 1988. The rapper grew up in New Jersey before moving to South Korea when she was fifteen.
The fiery artist debuted in 2005 and was briefly part of the Hip Hop group, Uptown, in 2006. She went on a hiatus afterward before returning as part of the Hip Hop trio, Lucky J, and also as a soloist under YMC Entertainment. Following the band’s disbandment in 2016, Jessi became the first artist to sign with PSY’s record label, P Nation, in 2018. Some of the most well-known singles include the chart-topping "Nunu Nana" and "Don't Touch Me.”
Jessi is also a widely known TV personality in South Korea and has appeared in several shows including “Unpretty Rapstar,” “Running Man,” and “Sixth Sense.” She also hosts her own YouTube talk show, “Jessi's Showterview.”
Johnny (NCT)
Born in Chicago, Illinois on Feb. 9, 1995, NCT’s Johnny began his K-Pop journey with SM Entertainment when he participated in its Global Audition in Chicago in 2007. The lead dancer initially trained with the K-Pop group, EXO, until they began preparing for their debut. He was part of the fourth batch of trainees introduced in SM Rookies in 2013, a pre-debut training program by the entertainment agency. Well-known idols today have also participated in this program including Red Velvet’s Seulgi, Irene, and Wendy; members of NCT; and Aespa’s NINGNING.
Johnny officially made his debut in NCT in 2016 and became part of its second sub-unit NCT 127 in 2017.
Mark (GOT7)
The GOT7 member was born and raised in Los Angeles, California on Sept. 4, 1993. He was also reported to have spent a number of years living in Paraguay and Brazil.
Mark Tuan was scouted by JYP Entertainment and initially had no desire to pursue a music career but was encouraged by his friends and family. He passed the audition and went into training, and while learning to sing, dance, and rap, he was eventually inspired to pursue the idol life.
Prior to his debut in 2014, Mark made a cameo in “Dream High 2” and also appeared in Mnet’s survival program, “WIN: Who is Next.” GOT7 has launched a number of hits including “If You Do,” “You Calling My Name,” and “A.” The septet has left the agency in 2021 and has been pursuing solo projects but they recently announced a comeback for Jan. 20, 2025.
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