Lucas is one of the very few K-pop idols to have been born and bred in Hong Kong, and he’s made a name for himself as a member of boy bands NCT, WayV and now SuperM – a “super group” formed by K-pop giant SM Entertainment as the “avengers of K-pop”.
With his good looks and outgoing personality, Lucas has managed to stand out from the crowd. Here’s a look at the life so far of the star some fans call the “six-foot-tall baby”.
His early life
Born Wong Yat-hei in 1999 to a Thai mother and a Chinese father, Lucas was the first K-pop trainee from Hong Kong taken on by giant K-pop company SM Entertainment.
He grew up in the district of Sha Tin in Hong Kong’s New Territories and attended school there. Lucas wasn’t a stand-out student, but excelled in sports.
As a child, Lucas dreamed of being a star. He was a huge fan of K-pop girl group Red Velvet and was filmed attending a meet-and-greet session with Hani from K-pop girl band Exid in Hong Kong.
In 2015, he attended SM Entertainment’s global auditions in Hong Kong. He prepared nothing but three poses, but it was enough to get him selected.
He arrived in South Korea in 2016 and was revealed in April 2017 as a member of SM Rookies, SM Entertainment’s pre-debut team.
When he was still part of SM Rookies, Lucas made his first appearance in the trailer for season two of the SM Entertainment music show SM Station and then the music video for Dream in a Dream, a single released by NCT member Ten.
Lucas made his debut in January 2018 with NCT and then with its China-focused subunit, WayV, in December the same year.
Last year, he was selected as a member of SuperM, alongside K-pop stars including – Taemin from Shinee, and Baekhyun and Kai from Exo.
He said it felt good to be able to work with seonbae, or seniors, from other groups.
His role in SuperM
Much like his role in NCT, Lucas is a rapper and the main “visual” of SuperM. But he is also improving his vocals and hopes to become better known as a singer, he said during an interview with Time magazine.
As the second youngest member of SuperM, Lucas spent much time with his seonbae from SM Entertainment. But he said during an interview with Glamour magazine that he was at first intimidated by Taemin, the second eldest member of SuperM.
“When I first met Taemin, he never spoke. And then slowly, as we got closer, I realised what a bright person Taemin was,” Lucas said.
His solo career
Lucas has appeared in a collaboration with Swedish singer and keyboardist Jonah Nilsson in the single Coffee Break, in which he rapped and danced in the music video.
Because of being a member of WayV, Lucas is hugely popular in China. He joined the regular cast of Keep Running, the Chinese version of popular South Korean reality show Running Man, in its seventh season in 2019. The show is one of the most watched in China, according to data from CSM Media Research.
His image
Ever since he made his debut in 2017, Lucas has stood out for his visuals. His large eyes and thick brows are unconventional and he speaks with a deep raspy voice.
Apart from Korean, which he says he learned by ordering takeaway food in South Korea, he speaks Cantonese and English, plus some Thai and Mandarin. His half-baked Korean, sometimes delivered in a slight Cantonese accent, has endeared him to many NCT fans, known as NCTzens.
Lucas is not afraid to admit he’s attractive. On the show Happy Together, Lucas said of his features he most liked his chest, and said he wasn’t popular with girls at school because his good looks apparently made them feel insecure.
He said during the South Korean reality show Knowing Bros that he enjoyed looking at himself in the mirror when he was at school – not to impress girls, but to check himself out. “I went into the toilet and a friend came along. We then took selfies together,” he said.
His outgoing personality is also one of his best-known features. On various reality shows he’s imitated Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber, earning him the nickname “Lucas Bieber”.
In his own words
Lucas’ mother is his link to his Thai heritage. He said during the South Korean television show Hot & Young that he returned to his home in Thailand every year to take a break. “I always want to eat Thai food and every time I have it, I think about my mum. Although I chose to go to South Korea to chase my dream of becoming a singer, I really miss my mum.”
