What Happened To Korea’s Most Famous Filipino Trainee Who Tricked Netizens Into Thinking She Was Full-Korean?

It’s hard for some people to guess that a certain K-Pop idol is not Korean, but full Filipino.

Kriesha Chu

When looking at Kriesha Chu for the first time, most would assume that she hails from a country in East Asia and not The Philippines.

You are Korean, right?

— Yoo Hee Yeol

Especially when she wears traditional Korean clothing, it’s difficult to discern her race at first glance.

Kriesha Chu is in the bottom row, second from the right. | Urban Works

Even her own countrymen said that she “doesn’t look Filipino at first glance” and that she “looks Korean.”

NVM. Her name is actually spelled Kriesha Tiu supposedly. She cute…. (but she doesn't look Filipino at first glance) pic.twitter.com/uEVY55cN4t

— kayjay (@bljkxxi) December 2, 2016

cheering for Kriesha Tiu (크리샤 추) in KPOP Star. btw, she's filipino-american who looks korean, one reason why i love her. 😍😍😍

— Queen (@qnqltn) December 24, 2016

Kriesha, after all, has features that are typically attributed to East Asians, such as her monolid eyes. Several users correctly guessed that she has Chinese blood which is not uncommon among Filipinos.

Ah so it's actually Kriesha Tiu… half-chinese probably~~ #kpopstar6

— ★RiX (@_StaRiX) December 4, 2016

Wtf!!!? Kriesha tiu is a filipina, born in the philippines to a filipina mother and a chinoy father

— jun (@exogordoo) December 2, 2016

| @krieshachu_official/Instagram

Kriesha Chu was born in Makati, the business district of the Philippines, in December 1998. The reason for her East Asian features is because of her Chinese ancestry. Filipinos call her “Chinoy” which is a portmanteau of “Chinese” and “Pinoy.”

She and her family originally lived in Cebu, a province in Visayas, for the first two years of her life. They eventually moved to San Francisco, California, where she grew up living a normal Filipino-American life.

Eventually, she was casted by Urban Works Entertainment and moved to South Korea to pursue her dream to be a singer. She was a trainee for a year before she auditioned for K-Pop Star 6.

Though she was eliminated early in the show, she was brought back to join the YG Entertainment-led trio KWINS. They eventually ranked second place in the entire competition.

Her debut single, “Trouble,” was released in May 2017.

Unfortunately, Kriesha Chu went silent on social media between the years of 2020 to 2024. Her last update on Instagram and YouTube was her cover of “Wild Flower” by Park Hyo Shin. but even then, the YouTube channel associated with that video was deleted.

However in 2023, news broke that she signed with a new agency, NEW WAY COMPANY, bringing hope that she would make a return to the entertainment industry. And she slowly made her way back. In May 2024, she opened her new personal Instagram.

And just a couple months ago, she appeared on Tak Jae Hoon’s YouTube show NoBakShow, making a welcome return to the industry.

Hopefully we will see more of her soon!