Family Ties: 12 K-Pop Idols Who Followed In Their Relatives' Footsteps

Coming from different backgrounds, idols have built themselves from scratch in hopes of standing out among their competition in the field. Now, while some may have gone against their parents’ will to chase their dreams and make a name for themselves in the K-pop scene, for others, talent initially ran in the family. From parents to siblings and via other family links, here are 12 K-pop idols who followed in their relatives’ footsteps.

1. Gong Minzy

If there is anything that young Minzy was known for, it was without a doubt her dynamic dance moves, which she recently showcased through the choreography of her solo title song “NINANO.” This reminds us of the soloist’s late grandmother, the legendary folk dancer Gong Ok Jin, with whom Minzy shared her passion for dancing.

2. T-ara’s Boram

Being descended from a family of entertainers, Boram is a third-generation artist. Her father is Jeon Yeong Rok, a popular singer from the ’80s and the son of famous singers Hwang Hae and Baek Sul Hee, and her mother is Lee Mi Young, a well-known actress.

3. BTOB’s Hyunsik

BTOB’s lead vocalist Hyunsik is the son of folk singer Im Ji Hoon. Despite having a different perception of idols at first, his father acknowledged his perseverance and encouraged him to pursue his dreams.

4. BTOB’s Ilhoon

Serving as his group’s main rapper, Ilhoon happens to be the younger brother of singer and actress Jung Min Joo, better known by her stage name JOO. The two siblings share a strong relationship and always cheer for one another.

5. Girls’ Generation’s Sunny

Encouraged by her father who used to be in a college band, Sunny entered the entertainment world. After her first attempt as a member of the girl group Sugar was deemed to be unsuccessful, she became a member of the influential group Girls’ Generation by enrolling in SM Entertainment. This company was founded by her paternal uncle, Lee Soo Man, who started as a singer himself back in the ’70s.

6. MC Gree

Young rapper and child actor Kim Dong Hyun is the exact opposite of his father, comedian Kim Gura. While his father’s MC status helped shape MC Gree’s image as a television personality, the aspiring artist decided to prove himself by taking part in Mnet’s “High School Rapper.” He signed under Brand New Music.

7. Thunder

The former member of MBLAQ had his first taste of fame when his sister Sandara Park rose to stardom. Although he originally wanted to be a professional soccer player, he eventually gave up on his dream and started auditioning for entertainment companies instead. On top of his occupation as an actor, Thunder released his solo debut back in December 2016 with Dara making a cameo appearance in the music video of his single “Sign.”

8. TWICE’s Jeongyeon

The fresh vocalist is one of many idols who have celebrity siblings. In fact, actress Gong Seung Yeon is her older sister. Together, they hosted “Inkigayo” from July 3, 2016 to January 22, 2017. Jeongyeon and her group members recently made a comeback with “Signal,” and will be making their Japanese debut in June.

9. VICTON’s Seungwoo

Freshly debuting alongside his “Voice to New World” members, Seungwoo was revealed to be the younger brother of actress and former Secret member Han Sun Hwa. His sister hid their relationship at first but ended up announcing it later during a live broadcast on Naver’s V Live and asked her fans to shower her brother and VICTON with love and support.

10. VICTON’s Heochan

Heochan is the other VICTON member with a celebrity relative; his idol sibling is none other than MADTOWN’s Heojun. Attention was particularly brought to the brothers’ relationship during 2017’s Lunar New Year “Idol Star Athletics Championships.”

11. f(x)’s Krystal

The Jung sisters, Krystal and Jessica, were approached by SM Entertainment at a young age. While Jessica instantly accepted the offer, Krystal’s parents didn’t allow her to become a trainee at the time since she was still a child. Ultimately, she joined her sister under the same label as f(x)’s lead vocalist and launched her acting career in parallel.

12. NCT’s Doyoung

NCT U & NCT 127’s main vocalist Doyoung is the younger brother of Gong Myung, a member of Korea’s first actor group 5urprise. A few months back, the two brothers displayed a heartfelt bond via a phone call that Doyoung received during his live broadcast on Naver’s V Live.

Esmee L. is a Moroccan lively dreamer, writer, and Hallyu enthusiast.