K-Pop 'Nepo Babies': Idols Who Some Fans Think Only Debuted Because Of Their Famous Family

A "nepo baby" or nepotism baby is a term used to refer to children of personalities who find success in their careers because of their parents or relatives.

Last week, TikTok user @renjunsbeanie posted a video compilation of K-Pop idols who are allegedly "nepo babies." The video has since gone viral with over 284,800 views, 20,500 hearts and over 260 comments.

Here are K-Pop idols who were tagged as "nepo babies" because they were children or relatives of celebrities or figures in the South Korean entertainment industry.

1.

RIIZE's Anton

Before RIIZE's September debut, it was revealed that one of its soon-to-debut members at the time – Anton – was a child of musician-producer Lee Yoon-sang and South Korean actress Shim Hye-jin.

Anton was first introduced to the public in 2018 when Lee introduced his family on the SBS program "Single Wife 2." In 2020, he reportedly talked about his son on the MBC program "South Korean Foreigners" and shared that his son wanted to go into music like him.

2.

SNSD's Sunny

Many claimed that Sunny of Girls' Generation or SNSD only got to debut because of her uncle, SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man, but a report by Koreaboo stated that Sunny auditioned for SM Entertainment without anyone realizing her identity.

It may be true that Sunny is a niece of Lee Soo-man, but the word only got out after she passed the audition with her own set of talent and effort.

3.

LE SSERAFIM's Chaewon

When Chaewon re-debuted as a member of LE SSERAFIM after her former group IZ*ONE disbanded, it was revealed that her mother was veteran South Korean theater actress Lee Ran-hee of "Fall Into Me," "20th Century Writer" and "Kansai First."

At the time, an insider stated that Lee Ran-hee has been focusing on supporting her daughter rather than acting, per media outlets.

4.

STAYC's Sieun

The fourth-generation K-Pop star is the daughter of South Korean singer and actor Park Nam-jung, who was well-known for inventing the "L-Dance" craze in the late '80s.

In June 2021, Park Nam-jung shared on MBC's "Video Star" how he was proud of his daughter Sieun and said, "These days, I get referred to as Sieun's father rather than her being referred to as my daughter. This is what I wanted to happen."

5.

Aespa's Giselle

Some netizens previously claimed that Giselle only got into SM Entertainment because of her aunt, who was rumored to be dating Lee Soo-man.

After her aunt and Lee's dating rumors went out, netizens speculated that this may be the reason why Giselle allegedly debuted less than three months after becoming a trainee.

6.

Kep1er's Huening Bahiyyih

Bahiyyih is often tagged as a "nepo baby" because of her brother Huening Kai from TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) and for coming from a musically inclined family. Huening Kai and Bahiyyih's father is Nabil David Huening – reportedly one of the most popular foreigners in China who has appeared on different variety shows, radio programs and dramas.

However, according to fans on a Reddit thread, Bahiyyih may be Huening Kai's brother and Nabil's daughter, but she fought for her place and was voted for by fans on "Girls Planet 999." That's why she debuted with Kep1er.