BabyMonster is YG Entertainment’s first girl group in seven years since Blackpink, per Vogue. Also known as BaeMon, the group consists of three Korean members, Haram, Ahyeon and Rora; two Thai members, Pharita and Chiquita; and two Japanese members, Ruka and Asa.

The multinational K-pop idols also boast some incredible talents. So, let’s meet the seven girls behind the group ...

1. Ahyeon

Jung Ahyeon was the first member to be selected for BabyMonster. The 16-year-old was described by YG’s general producer Yang Hyun-suk as “the warrior that has many weapons”, per Kbizoom. Hailing from Gangwon-do, South Korea, Ahyeon is the group’s vocalist, rapper, dancer and visual member.

According to K-pop Singers, her passion for dancing began when she was around five years old. Her dad would record videos of her performances. She later joined the Ara Dance Academy and passed auditions for JYP Entertainment and Banana Culture before joining YG in 2018. She speaks Korean, Chinese and English.

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“I don’t want to be restricted in one area and I want to be an artist that can pull off different genres,” the all-rounder said in her debut video on YouTube.

2. Haram

Shin Haram, 15, is reportedly from Seoul, South Korea, and has been in the entertainment industry for a while now. As she reveals in her intro video on YouTube, she started modelling when she was just two years old, starring in toy and clothing ads.

KProfiles states that she is the only student to have won a scholarship for the department of applied music at Hanlim Arts School. According to SBS Star, this is the same school where Winner’s Mino, Got7’s Yugyeom and Red Velvet’s Yeri studied.

3. Rora

The second youngest member of the group, Rora, whose real name is Lee Dain, comes from Gangwon-do. As seen in her intro video, her stage name is inspired by the “aurora”. Producer Yang gave her this title as he felt like “she could become an artist that shines bright like an aurora”, states the video. “I want people to feel happy after listening to my songs,” said the 14-year-old.

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4. Asa

Enami Asa, 17, is the first Japanese female idol to debut with YG Entertainment, per K-pop Starz. Inspired by Blackpink, Asa is believed to have joined YG Entertainment in late 2016 or 2017.

She also did musical theatre before coming to South Korea for training, according to KProfiles. In her debut video, Asa says she is very close with Ruka after meeting her for the first time at an audition in Japan. Besides dancing, she also likes cooking and skipping rope, per KProfiles. The group’s rapper and dancer speaks and writes fluent Korean.

5. Ruka

The second Japanese idol of YG, Kawai Ruka, 20, is the oldest “sister” of the group. She loves dancing, as she reveals in her intro video: “I feel so happy when dancing and I feel even better after I dance. I’m going to dance until I die.”

Before joining BabyMonster, Ruka was the lead hip-hop dancer of the Japanese girl group Shibu3 Project, per Hallyu Idol. She’s been training as a dancer for over a decade and, as she says in the intro video, she focuses on practising her pronunciation to rap well in Korean. Hallyu Idol states that her morning routine comprises of drinking milk and doing Pilates.

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Her mum is among her biggest fans: “My mum will be waiting for my debut more than anyone else. I want to work even harder from now to pay back her love,” she said in the video.

6. Pharita

Pharita Chaikong, 17, was chosen over 1,226 other candidates to come to South Korea for her audition with YG Entertainment, per her intro video on YouTube. According to Hong Kong media, she speaks English and Thai and attended an international school in Thailand.

As a former child model, Pharita won first place in the Inter Model Thailand competition. The photogenic star was described by YG’s Yang as having a look that seems like it came “straight out of a Disney film”, according to the video. KProfiles praises her ability to hit high notes when singing.

When she’s not singing and dancing, the rising star may be seen reading manga or playing at the zoo with giraffes and birds, her favourite animals.

7. Chiquita

Also from Thailand, Chiquita, or Riracha Phondechaphiphat, is the youngest member of BabyMonster at age 14. According to Hong Kong media, Chiquita joined YG in 2021 and had the shortest training time among the members.

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The maknae of the group has talent in her blood, it seems. KProfiles states that her brother Copper Dechawat was on The Star Idol and 789 Survival in Thailand.