LE SSERAFIM have quickly cemented themselves at the top of the K-Pop industry. They're admired worldwide for their musical talent, loveable personalities, and undeniable star qualities. With the success of their most recent mini-album, "EASY", and upcoming appearance at world-renowned music festival, "Coachella", the girl group's upward trajectory only seems to continue.

The Source Music quintet shows incredible teamwork, powered by the unbreakable bond they've developed throughout the months of training. As good as they are together, they are certainly the sum of their parts, with each member bringing something different to the table. And one member who's especially making her mark on the music world is LE SSERAFIM's Huh YunJin.

Her journey hasn't been the easiest, but through perseverance and hard work, she's able to present her best self to FEARNOT everywhere.

 

First Steps Forward

Huh YunJin's first venture into the K-Pop world was not as a member of LE SSERAFIM, but as a contestant on Mnet's "Produce 48". Alongside fellow groupmates, Sakura and Kim ChaeWon, she went through the arduous journey as a survival program contestant. She quickly earned praise for her stellar vocals and sparkling visuals.

The then idol hopeful was able to stand out during missions, even gaining the coveted main vocal position. However, despite her hard work and love from the public, YunJin was unable to join the final debut lineup. Although this was the case, there was no denying that she had the potential to do something great and make a deep run in the K-Pop industry.

 

Leap Of Faith

After the conclusion of "Produce 48" in the summer of 2018, there was little to no news of Huh YunJin. One of the next times we would hear news about her was through the announcement of Source Music's newest girl group, which we would come to know as LE SSERAFIM. Their journey to debut had been documented, showing fans just how much hard work the members put forth in order to debut.

And now that they've further established themselves within the music industry, we've also had the opportunity to learn about their thoughts leading up to debut. YunJin has been honest about her experience to stardom, stating that prior to joining the internationally-renowned girl group, she was just a few steps away from starting her university career. However, with one call from the Source Music CEO, YunJin decided to take a leap of faith, leading to her joining LE SSERAFIM.

 

Developing Musical Genius

Usually, rookie idols must focus on group promotions and rarely do they have the chance to release personal projects. However, luckily for FEARNOT and the rest of the K-Pop community, YunJin was allowed to do both. She's released a number of different singles, all of which she's had a hand in composing and writing.

YunJin's solo work is quite different from her image as a LE SSERAFIM member. All of her tracks from 'Raise y_our glass' to 'blessing in disguise' offer a more honest and vulnerable side to the idol, away from the glitz and glamor of the stage. She presents all aspects of the star experience, reminding listeners that she's very much human as the rest of us.

If these songs have proved anything, it's that Huh YunJin isn't just an idol. She's a budding artist hoping to share her love of music with the entire world. Whether it's through her group or solo endeavors, she's shaping up to be a musical genius that we can all stand behind.

 

Influx Of Collaborations

There's no denying that LE SSERAFIM are at the forefront of their generation. With their fame and talent, they're popping up on numerous radars far and wide, both as a group and individuals. Considering her skills, YunJin has received her fair share of love calls from artists in Korea and abroad.

So far, she's had two amazing collaborations this year, one with multi-platinum recording artist, MAX, and another with Groovy Room and Crush. Both songs have pushed YunJin further into the spotlight, allowing her to once again showcase her musical talent and fluidity as an artist.

And it doesn't end there — YunJin is also set to feature in BTS j-hope's upcoming album, which will release on March 29th. With 2024 just starting, we can't wait to see who YunJin decides to collaborate with next and the chart-topping hit they'll surely produce.

 

A Kind, Warmhearted And Funny Soul

Huh Yunjin is so kind and respectful 🥺 truly a queen inside and out! #lesserafim pic.twitter.com/52L3bZk6PB

— julia| i ≠ doll yunjin (@yunjinluvrs) May 10, 2022

While YunJin absolutely shines on the stage, she constantly shows that there's more to the idol than meets the eye. She's filled from head to toe with a mesmerizing charm that makes you want to root for her success. She carries an infectious warmth that causes you to widely smile from ear to ear, making every worry disappear in the blink of an eye.

the yunjin effect 😭pic.twitter.com/hY0QPcDU8r

— yunjin pics (@yunjinpictures) November 15, 2023

The idol is also effortlessly funny, often providing in-the-moment reactions that cause FEARNOT everywhere to bend over in side-splitting laughter. She doesn't back away from these moments either, but fully accepts that this is what makes her as a person. YunJin makes an effort to present her most authentic self to not only the K-Pop industry, but the world around her.

Huh YunJin continues to have a positive effect on the world, both as a musician and as a person. With how much she's accomplished so far, there's no telling when she'll reach her limit.

FEARNOT, and even non-fans, are ready to follow the idol on her continuous journey as an artist.

Are you a fan of LE SSERAFIM's Huh YunJin?

The K-Pop idol industry is very complex and difficult. Many idols will train their whole lives to reach their dreams of being on stage. Many idols have big dreams and they do anything they can to achieve their dream of making it big. Success is never guaranteed for K-Pop idols and very few will be able to make it far into the future.

As you can see, the idol industry is very demanding and extremely hard. From unfair systems, fans who overstep boundaries, and unfair companies, idols have to deal with many grueling tasks at times. However, many idols acknowledge the K-Pop idol industry and aren't afraid to call it out. Here are 6 times K-Pop idols and singers called out the unfairness of the industry and society.

 

1. BIGBANG's G-Dragon "MAMA 2014"

During the "2014 MAMA Awards", BIGBANG's G-Dragon pulled off a performance that shocked many fans and called out the wickedness of the K-Pop industry. In his opening rap, the idol rapper raps in a sarcastic, playful tone about how award shows are being pushovers, allowing anyone and everyone to gain an award even if they don't deserve it. He even took to social media and posted the lyrics to his rap so fans could further read his thoughts. There are certain instances in the industry where people try to cheat or lie for awards and G-Dragon took it upon himself to call out the unfair system in awarding idols.

 

2. BTS's Discography

BTS's discography has many different songs that address numerous issues in the K-Pop idol industry such as obsessive fans, unfair treatment, and unwarranted hate. For example, the group's song 'Cypher Pt.4' talks about the unfair treatment and imitations in the idol industry that they faced. Much like BTS, many idols are treated badly in the industry simply because their songs are not charting or they are from a small company, something that BTS claims is extremely unfair if they are willing to work hard. Their song 'Pied Piper' is a bit interesting and ironic. The song addresses fan culture in the industry and how idols are hypnotizing their fans. Even though the idols acknowledge their fans spend too much time and energy on them, they still sing to the fans about continuing to follow them. This could be a message on how devoted fans can be to their favorite idols to the point of unhealthiness.

 

3. LE SSERAFIM's HuH YunJin 'I ≠ DOLL'

LE SSERAFIM's Huh YunJin shared her self-produced song 'I ≠ DOLL' which expressed her feelings on appearance, a main topic in the K-Pop idol industry. The song talks about how people fail to see other's values and true nature because they like to judge them based on their looks. Appearance is important in the K-Pop idol industry and many idols have been on the bad end of criticism when it comes to their appearance. Huh Yunjin's song expresses the struggles of this and seeing people as who they are on the inside and not just for their looks.

 

4. (G)I-DLE 'Nxde'

(G)I-DLE have never been afraid to point out the issues in the idol industry, especially when it comes to young women. A song in particular by them that stood out was 'Nxde'. This jazzy title track by the popular girl group talks about how women are objectified and how you should show your true bare self, no matter what others think. Being loved for a fake image is not what the girls want, they want to be their true, authentic, "nude" self. Many idols have to put on a fake act in the industry to please others but (G)I-DLE don't want to hide behind a mask.

 

5. Girls' Generation's TaeYeon Protects Red Velvet

Girls' Generation's TaeYeon protected Red Velvet's SeulGi and Wendy and subtly called out the harshness of idol diets. In her YouTube video, TaeYeon takes the two girls out for ice cream. The girls seemed nervous and soon started nervously laughing, stating that their manager was watching them very closely when eating ice cream. TaeYeon scolded the manager and told them that eating ice cream for one day would not harm the girls, stating that they felt uncomfortable because of the staring. K-Pop idols sometimes undergo harsh training and strict diets and it was very brave of TaeYeon to stand up for the girls. She knows how harsh the industry can be when it comes to small things like eating a little ice cream for one day.

 

6. IU's 'BBIBBI'

South Korea's little sister took it upon herself to call out the hatefulness of many so-called "fans". IU's song 'BBIBBI' was a different style from the artist and the message was powerful. Imitating the sound of a beeper to leave a message, the song discusses negative commentary from people and even fans. People will say harsh words to idols without even realizing the consequences of their actions. Idols can be affected by these words and many have stated their sadness at hate comments online. IU calls out negative comments stating that people always love to cross the line but they need to just mind their business. In the K-Pop world where many people criticize others, 'BBIBBI' was a refreshing reminder that if you have nothing nice to say, simply don't say it.

While some idols do not have individual Instagram accounts, more and more are opening them. Some idols have also been gaining followers over the years.

Here are the most followed female K-Pop idols on Instagram and a rough ranking of other idols on Instagram. If you are not following your favorite idols' Instagram, it is time to do so.

All data was retrieved on February 22, 2024, at 1:00 PM KST. We will update regularly.

 

1. BLACKPINK's Lisa - 101m followers - @lalalalisa_m

 

2. BLACKPINK's Jennie - 83.6m followers - @jennierubyjane

 

3. BLACKPINK's JiSoo - 77.4m followers - @sooyaaa__

 

4. BLACKPINK's Rosé - 76.4m followers - @roses_are_rosie

 

5. IU - 32.2m followers - @dlwlrma

 

6. Suzy - 19.8m followers - @skuukzky

 

7. Jeon SoMi - 19.7m followers - @somsomi0309

 

8. Girls' Generation's TaeYeon - 19.1m followers - @taeyeon_ss

 

9. HyunA - 18.1m followers - @hyunah_aa

 

10. Girls' Generation's YoonA - 17.3m followers - @yoona__lim

 

11. Girls' Generation's Tiffany Young - 16.2m followers - @tiffanyyoungofficial

 

12. Red Velvet's Joy - 14.6m followers - @_imyour_joy

 

13. TWICE's Momo - 14.3m followers - @momo

 

14. Red Velvet's SeulGi - 13m followers- @hi_sseulgi

 

15. TWICE's Tzuyu - 13m followers - @thinkaboutzu

 

16. Jessica - 12.2m followers - @jessica.syj

 

17. TWICE's NaYeon -  12.2m followers - @nayeonyny

 

18. aespa's Karina - 12.2m followers @katarinabluu

 

19. Kim SeJeong - 12m followers - @clean_0828

 

20. Red Velvet's Irene - 11.7m followers - @renebaebae

 

21. TWICE's Sana - 11.7m followers -  @m.by__sana

 

22. IVE's Jang WonYoung - 11.5m followers - @for_everyoung10

 

23. Red Velvet's YeRi - 10.8m followers - @yerimiese

 

24. CL - 10.8m followers - @chaelincl

 

25. LE SSERAFIM's Sakura - 10.8m followers - @39saku_chan

 

26. f(x)'s Krystal - 10.7m followers - @vousmevoyez

 

27. TWICE's JiHyo - 10.6m followers - @_zyozyo

 

28. Sandara Park - 10.1m followers - @daraxxi

 

29. TWICE's ChaeYoung - 10.1m followers - @chaeyo.0

 

30. TWICE's Mina - 9.8m followers - @mina_sr_my

 

31. LE SSERAFIM's Huh YunJin - 9.4m followers - @jenaissante

 

32. TWICE's DaHyun - 9.3m followers - @dahhyunnee

 

33. MAMAMOO's HwaSa - 9.1m followers - @_mariahwasa

 

34. LE SSERAFIM's Kim ChaeWon - 8.8m followers - @_chaechae_1

 

35. (G)I-DLE's Yuqi - 8.4m followers - @yuqisong.923

 

36. TWICE's JeongYeon - 8.4m followers - @jy_piece

 

37. Girl's Day's HyeRi - 8.2m followers - @hyeri_0609

 

38. Girls' Generation's SeoHyun - 8.1m followers - @seojuhyun_s

 

39. Red Velvet's Wendy - 8m followers - @todayis_wendy

Here are more female K-Pop idols' Instagram follower numbers and accounts.

Over 7m followers

(G)I-DLE's Minnie (@min.nicha), Girls' Generation's SooYoung (@sooyoungchoi), SunMi (@miyayeah), IVE's An YuJin (@_yujin_an), LE SSERAFIM's Kazuha (@zuhazana), aespa's Winter (@imwinter)

 

Over 6m followers

f(x)'s Sulli (@jelly_jilli), Girls' Generation's HyoYeon (@hyoyeon_x_x), Girls' Generation's YuRi (@yulyulk), SISTAR's BoRa (@borabora_sugar), aespa's NingNing (@imnotningning), aespa's Giselle (@aerichandesu)

 

Over 5m followers

f(x)'s Amber (@amberliu), Girls' Generation's Sunny (@515sunnyday), T-ARA's JiYeon (@jiyeon2__), (G)I-DLE's ShuHua (@yeh.shaa_), (G)I-DLE's SoYeon (@tiny.pretty.j), LE SSERAFIM's Hong EunChae (@hhh.e_c.v), (G)I-DLE's MiYeon (@noodle.zip)

 

Over 4m followers

EXID's Hani (@ahnanihh), Lee Hi (@leehi_hi), BoA (@boakwon), SISTAR's Hyolyn (@xhyolynx), NaNa (@jin_a_nana), Minzy (@_minzy_mz), MAMAMOO's MoonByul (@mo_onbyul)

 

Over 3m followers

AOA's SeolHyun (@s2seolhyuns2), Son NaEun (@marcellasne_), f(x)'s Victoria (@victoria02_02), T-ARA's HyoMin (@hyominnn), MAMAMOO's Solar (@solarkeem), MOMOLAND's Nancy (@nancyjewel_mcdonie_), AKMU's SuHyun (@akmu_suhyun), Kim MinJu (@minn.__.ju)

 

Over 2m followers

Park Bom (@newharoobompark), APINK's EunJi (@artist_eunji), Jung ChaeYeon (@j_chaeyeoni), Heize (@heizeheize), DAVICHI's MinKyung (@iammingki), MAMAMOO's WheeIn (@whee_inthemood), WJSN ChengXiao (@chengxiao_0715), Choi Yena (@yena.jigumina), Kang HyeWon (@hyemhyemu), Lee ChaeYeon (@chaestival_), Kwon EunBi (@silver_rain.__), ITZY's RyuJin (@iamfinethankyouandryu)

 

Over 1m followers

Ailee (@aileeonline), Sorn (@sssorn_chonnasorn), EXID's SolJi (@soul.g_heo), EXID's JeongHwa (@parkjjongaa), f(x)'s Luna (@hermosavidaluna), Girl's Day's YuRa (@yura_936), Girl's Day's MinAh (@bbang_93), Weki Meki's Kim DoYeon (@lafilledhiver_), Nako (@75_yabuki), Hitomi (@10_hitomi_06), Kang MiNa (@_happiness_o), Kim SoJeong (@onedayxne), YeRin (@every__nn), VIVIZ's EunHa (@rlo.ldl), VIVIZ's SinB (@bscenez), VIVIZ's UmJi (@ummmmm_j.i), Kwon NaRa (@hv_nara), OH MY GIRL's Arin (@ye._.vely618), Jamie (@jiminxjamie), KARD's JiWoo (@_zziwooo0), YuJu (@yuuzth), Jo YuRi (@zo__glasss), KARD's SoMin (@somin_jeon0822), ITZY's YuNa (@igotyuandme), ITZY's YeJi (@yezyizhere), ITZY's Lia (@lia_loves___), ITZY's ChaeRyeong (@chaerrry0)

 

Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments.