The glamorous path as a K-Pop idol isn’t for everyone, as the oversaturated market is indeed competitive. These idols realized their potential is more than being a singer, and sought breakthrough outside the idol industry. Surprisingly, these idols managed to set a name for themselves upon stepping down as a K-Pop idol. The following are former idols that found success in other fields!

EL CAPITXN (Formerly HISTORY Jang Yi Jeong)

Formerly known as J.Pearl, this aspiring songwriter and producer, is now signed under BIGHIT MUSIC. His stage name derives from El Capitán, which means in The Captain in Spanish. He has actively participated as composer and songwriter for his own group, HISTORY, which disbanded on May 2017. HISTORY is Fave Entertainment’s first boy group, which debuted on April 26, 2013 with the title track Dreamer (Narr. IU).

Jang Yi Jeong gained attention from the public as he was featured in IU‘s Friday, which made him the most famous member in his group. His vocal is indeed unrivalled as he appeared on MBC Star Audition: Birth of a Great Star 2, which led him to debut under his previous company.

Prior to his career as composer, Jang Yijeong worked as a composer under DEVINE CHANNEL with the name J.Pearl. Some of the songs he composed include Yongguk & Sihyun’s The.The.The, HOTSHOT’s Jelly, JJ Project‘s Don’t Wanna Know and EXO Lay’s I Need You. J.Pearl’s outstanding talent led him to get recruited under BIGHIT MUSIC. He now focuses on artists under HYBE, which results in various songs by BTS such as Respect, Interlude: Shadow and Telepathy. His contributions to TXT discography include Roller Coaster, New Rules, Drama, Ghosting and Dear Sputnik. EL CAPITXN also proved his potential as a trendy composer for big name singers such as IU’s Eight, Heize‘s We Don’t Talk Together, EPIK HIGH‘s At Dawn and Sunmi‘s Noir.

Actress Kwon Nara (Formerly Hello Venus Nara)

Kwon Nara became the talk of the town with her impactful acting in JTBC’s webtoon-adapted drama Itaewon Class, which become the seventh highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history. Even though she is more known as an actress, Kwon Nara is actually an ex-member of Hello Venus under the stage name, Nara. The girl group made their official debut on May 9, 2012 under Tricell Media which was a joint venture between Pledis Entertainment and Fantagio Entertainment. Unfortunately, the joint venture fall apart on July 31, 2014, resulting in member line-up changes and concept changes. The group officially disbanded on April 26, 2019 as the members’ contract expired.

Acting is definitely her forte, as she initially joined Fantagio Entertainment as an acting trainee in middle school. She has a steady path as an actress ever since her first major acting role in SBS romantic comedy drama Suspicious Partner.

Kwon Nara definitely has an eye for her drama projects as she has been challenging herself with various roles and genre, especially in the film Fantasy of the Girls, where she plays a lesbian character at an all-girls high school. She also successfully acted as a newscaster in SBS drama Your Honor as she herself majored in Broadcasting at Dongduk Women’s University. Kwon Nara had signed an exclusive contract with A-MAN Project, which led her to bigger projects such as Itaewon Class and KBS drama Royal Secret Agent as the main role.

DPR Ian (Formerly C-Clown Rome)

Yu Barom, now known as Christian Yu has made an impact as DPR Ian. He began his career in C-Clown under the stage name Rome with Solo on July 18, 2012 under Yedang Entertainment. Even though C-Clown’s songs such as Far Away…Young Love and Shaking Heart garnered attention from K-Pop fans for their R&B influence, the boy group only managed to sustain for three years resulting in disbandment on October 5, 2015.

After C-Clown’s disbandment, Rome rebranded himself to Christian Yu and he become the founder, director and chief editor of Dream Perfect Regime (DPR). It is an independent, multi-genre music and video group, where they create, direct, and edit all types of visual work. DPR Ian works closely with other idols as he become the visual director for music videos such as iKON Bobby’s HOLUP, WINNER Mino’s Body, Amber Liu’s Borders, PHANTOM’s Could You Be Mine, Loco’s Movie Shoot and BIGBANG Taeyang’s Wake Me Up. Recently, DPR Ian released his first solo single, So Beautiful. His fellow C-Clown ex-member, CUZIMDAWN (formerly Kangjun) participated as the 3D graphic designer in the music video.

Actor Wang Yi Bo (Inactive UNIQ Member)

Wang Yi Bo’s popularity soared through Chinese television series The Untamed. Prior to debut, Wang Yi Bo used to train under YG Entertainment’s Training Center for years and even studied at Hanlim Multi Arts High School in Seoul. UNIQ debuted on October 16, 2014, under the Chinese company Yuehua Entertainment, which allowed them to promote in China and South Korea. However, UNIQ has only released one album, EOEO, in 2015, as well as various singles. Even though the members are now pursuing different paths, there is no official announcement regarding their inactive status as a group.

Wang Yi Bo started his big screen debut through romantic drama film MBA Partners in 2016, and he landed a role in drama right after with Love Actually in 2017. But, his groundbreaking acting career peaked in 2019, with Gank Your Heart and The Untamed. His consistent variety show appearances throughout the years also helped with his public recognition. Up until now, he has become a judge on talent TV show Street Dance of China 4. Thanks to his explosive popularity, Wang Yi Bo has over 30 brand endorsements across China and also secured his position as global ambassador for big names such as Redmi. He ranked ninth place under Forbes China’s Top 100 Celebrities list, proving his undeniable popularity.

Min Do Hee (Formerly Tiny-G Member)

Min Do Hee is known for her outstanding acting in tvN drama Reply 1994. She is also famous for her ‘friend of the female lead’ role in various dramas. This little cheeky figure impressed everyone as she initially started her career in a K-Pop girl group, where all the members’ height are around 153 cm. Tiny-G is a four-member girl group under GNG Production, which debuted on August 23, 2012 with their first self-titled single Tiny-G. After a member left to focus on acting, the group continued as a three-member group. Eventually, the girl group was put on an indefinite hiatus, as the remaining members focusing on individual activities in 2015. Up until now, there is no news about a possible comeback from Tiny-G.

Her luck is definitely on the brighter side, as Min Do Hee managed to land a role for Reply 1994 which left an impression on the viewers with her thick Jeolla-do accent. Her portrayal as Jo Yoon Jin in the drama managed to get her nominated in two categories for 50th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2014. After countless acting gigs, Do Hee finally landed herself a lead role in FTV drama Jo Mi Ryo and Playlist Studio’s web-drama IN SEOUL series.

Min Do Hee Scene in Reply 1994

It is truly inspiring to see these idols finally find the light, even though it requires them to shift away from their initial career. It is a must for us to keep going in life, in order to know what awaits us in the future since there are limitless possibilities, which is just a matter of time. Everyone has a peak in their life, so trust yourself and look forward to seek for self-improvement.

Written by: Dayati
Featured Image by: Agnes