Where Is He Now? The 3rd Generation Idol Harassed For Being “Too Pretty” Has A New Look

Aside from music, K-Pop idols’ visuals are one of the most discussed parts of the music genre. Many idols attract attention for looking gorgeous or handsome, though, at times, the attention isn’t always positive, like in the case of this male idol whose prettiness wasn’t always well received.

In 2012, Pledis Entertainment announced the debut of their first boy group, NU’EST, made up of JR, Baekho, Minhyun, Aron, and Ren. The group officially debuted with “Face” on March 15.

While all the members were good-looking, one stood out for his visuals. Instead of sporting a shortcut hairstyle like the group’s other members…

…Ren wore his shoulder-length blond hair up in a ponytail. The star also stood out because his delicate facial features gave him a much softer and “prettier” appearance.

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While concepts can change from song to song, Ren embraced both masculine and feminine aesthetics as time passed, sporting similar styles in their first comeback, “Action,” and the ones following.

In one of the most memorable special stages performed, Ren joined several other famous boy group members to cover Girls‘ Day‘s “Something” dressed as the girl group. He confused many watching because of how gorgeous he looked dressed up!

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While fans loved how he embraced his different sides, others sometimes did not feel the same. Ren was called “a girl” or “a woman” on various occasions, including after modeling skirts and dresses for the China-based online mall VIP Shop.

This never held the star back, and he continued looking and wearing however and whatever he wanted through the years.

After a surprising bulk up in 2019, the star appeared in the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie the following year, starring as the titular character — a school boy who overcomes bullying and debuts as a drag queen.

He also appeared in the musical Hedwig And The Angry Inch, amazing fans with his beauty and talent in the role.

Following NU’EST’s departure from Pledis Entertainment in 2022, fans waited for Ren to make his solo debut, and in early May, he was confirmed to debut with Ren’dezvous. In teaser images, the star showed off some somewhat unexpected looks that worked perfectly for him, still surprising fans with his looks.

WHO POSSESSED THIS MAN https://t.co/2lcsmQNKsJ

— nuest misser (@jhywoni) June 5, 2023

Was not prepared, not even a little bit… ‍#렌 #REN #최민기 #CHOIMINGI#Rendezvous https://t.co/Ev6pVbKudq pic.twitter.com/X2K33VFZiW

— KPAA ❂ Happy Yongseung Day 06.17 (@KPopAuntAngie) June 5, 2023

You can check out more of Ren in his solo debut below!