It takes a fair amount of skill to be a K-Pop idol. You’ve got to know how to carry a tune, how to dance, how to pose, and how to always seem like you’re in a good mood during filming. Fortunately for the idols on this list, having good vision is not one of the requisite requirements. All myopic trainees reading this can breathe a sigh of relief.
Fans may be relieved to know some of their favorite idols are squinting backstage because one of their contacts popped out during Inkigayo, if only because it makes them feel less alone in their own struggles with poor vision. “He/she’s just like me for real,” you can whisper to yourself while cleaning your prescription glasses and wondering where you can find a pair like the ones you saw on a TWICE member in one of their old V-Lives.
A note before we begin: this is not a comprehensive list as there’s a shockingly large amount of K-Pop idols who wear glasses. That being said, here are some of our favorites.
1. Nayeon (TWICE)
Nayeon from TWICE recently gave her fans a glimpse of her home life, which many found refreshingly relatable. Before building a tent insider her living room with her roommate and fellow TWICE member Momo (who might be the only TWICE member with eyesight good enough to not need corrective lenses), Nayeon rolled out of bed with her thick-lensed glasses, demonstrating just how bad her eyesight is for all to see. Both Nayeon and her manager emphasized her eyesight is not the best; her manager even expressed her fear that Nayeon appearing on television in her giant glasses would be bad for her image. Thankfully, it seems TWICE’s fans are more open-minded than that, and appreciated seeing Nayeon sans contacts.
2. Sandeul (B1A4)
While not as well-known among current K-Pop fans, B1A4 was a popular group during K-Pop’s second generation with hits like “Lonely” and “Beautiful Target.” The group’s talented vocalist Sandeul has one of the best voices in K-Pop as well as some of the worst vision; Sandeul reportedly has a prescription of -13.0. He shared on Radio Star that people thought he had undergone plastic surgery because his eyes looked so much bigger after debuting, but in reality his lenses were just so thick they made his eyes look smaller in his pre-debut pictures.
3. Wonwoo (SEVENTEEN)
Seventeen’s Wonwoo may rarely wear glasses on stage, but greatly prefers them in his daily life. Wonwoo reportedly suffers from chronic dry eyes, making contacts an uncomfortable choice for the boy group member. He is often seen wearing his glasses whenever he can, even in promotional videos and official group events. Wonwoo is such an avid glasses wearer that he stated he has five pairs in rotation according to the above interview.
4. Yujin (IZ*ONE/IVE)
Despite her young age, Yujin was already very near-sighted even during her time in IZ*ONE. At the time, Yujin had a reported prescription of -9.0, making her one of the most near-sighted idols in the industry. Recently, Yujin may have said goodbye to her glasses for good as some fans discovered she had undergone introcular lens implant surgery when a Gangnam-based ophthalmology clinic posted Yujin’s picture and a message about the procedure.
5. Suho (EXO)
EXO actually has several members with poor eyesight — D.O. reportedly used to get into arguments because other trainees thought he was glaring at them, when really he just couldn’t see them — but Suho’s vision is potentially the worst in K-Pop. With a reported power of -14.0, EXO fans speculate Suho’s vision was bad enough to prevent from enlisting in active military duty. Even with prescription glasses or contact lenses on, Suho is spotted frequently squinting or physically moving closer so he can see better.
6. Solar (Mamamoo)
Mamamoo’s Solar is not only a skilled singer, talented dancer, and hard-working YouTuber. She’s also dedicated to building relationships with her fans and sometimes that includes telling them your exact prescription, which she did during a CH Plus chat. She shared her left eye is -4.50, her right is -5.0, and that she has an astigmatism. Although she said she thinks LASIK is scary, you’ll rarely see Solar wearing her glasses as she tends toward using contacts.
7. Tiffany (Girls’ Generation)
There was once a time when a number of Girls Generation members had poor eyesight and would often wear glasses when not working. While most of the girls have had LASIK or other corrective procedures, Tiffany continues to wear both contacts and prescription glasses as she’s said she’s not too interested in LASIK at this time.
8. RM (BTS)
This entry is a bit of a misnomer; because even though yes, RM needs corrective lenses, so does every other BTS member aside from J-Hope. RM, Jin, and Suga have even mentioned they keep glasses with them in various “what’s in my bag?” videos. That being said, RM has actively apologized to fans for wearing his glasses too often and even posted his eye exam results on his Instagram story earlier this year. For those who are curious, his prescription is -7.75 in his right eye,-7.50 in his left, and he has astigmatism.
9. Shownu (MONSTA X)
Shownu of Monsta X has often been spotted wearing his glasses during his downtime, inspiring many a Twitter (now X) thread of him in his specs. Like many poor-sighted idols, Shownu scheduled LASIK surgery to fix his eyesight but he unfortunately encountered complications during the procedure. Upon examination, Shownu’s was “diagnosed with retinal detachment in his left eye” per a company statement and had to undergo an emergency surgery to reattach his retina. Thankfully, he made a quick recovery, though we’re not sure if he ever went through with LASIK in the end.
10. Lisa (BLACKPINK)
While Lisa’s known for being the face of Celine (on top of her excellent dance skills and stage presence) and is frequently seen wearing the brand’s shades, she also wears prescription glasses due to her poor eyesight. Unlike most of the idols on this list, Lisa only needs corrective lenses for her left eye, but as monocles are both impractical and out of fashion (sadly), she must wear glasses. If anyone could make monocles a thing again, it would be Lisa, but from what she said while talking with fellow BLACKPINK member Jisoo, it seems she’s more likely to just close her bad eye and call it a day.