Nowadays, itโs commonplace for K-pop acts to feature members from different countries, but back in 2005, Han Geng (known as Hankyung in Korea) was the first-ever Chinese national to debut in a K-pop group. Though he faced major issues throughout his time in Super Junior, including being unable to appear on certain South Korean televisions channels due to legalities that didnโt allow for Chinese visa-holders to appear on air, Han was a pioneer who helped K-pop shift into the Chinese market. In 2008, he became the leader of Super Junior-M, a subunit of the act featuring both Korean and Chinese members, and the team saw popularity throughout the C-pop world.
Han left the act at the end of 2009 through a contract termination lawsuit with SM, but his impact on the Korean music scene is undeniable, and nowadays there are numerous Chinese K-pop stars working in the industry. SM Entertainment acts have since featured several other Chinese members and China-focused units, and the company recently announced an upcoming
China-oriented NCT team.