Long before Asian Americans saw ourselves in Western media, we saw versions of our full selves in Asia.
For the diaspora, it was more than just entertainment. Whether it was through films from Hong Kong’s golden age or lush Bollywood movies, Asian media gave Asian Americans complex and celebrated characters that the Western media severely lacked.
For some Asian Americans, exploring our cultural identity had a soundtrack: K-Pop.
Over the past two decades, Korean pop culture has become a global phenomenon. From chart-topping K-Pop groups to internationally acclaimed K-dramas and films, South Korea’s entertainment industry now shapes conversations far beyond its borders.
K-Pop, in particular, has become a cultural bridge, reaching millions of fans around the world at an unprecedented scale. In 2020, Yonhap News Agency reported that BTS drew over 993,000 paid viewers across 191 countries for a single online concert.
With this level of visibility, K-Pop singers — often referred to as idols — are not just performers; they are also cultural figures whose words and experiences influence how audiences understand identity, behavior, and increasingly, mental health.
So when idols begin speaking about neurodivergence, those moments ripple beyond South Korea, reaching fans who may have grown up without the language to describe their own experiences.
As we wrap up Neurodivergence Awareness Month in April and move into AANHPI month in May, here’s a brief introduction of neurodivergence in Korea and a list of K-Pop idols who have spoken about ADHD.
See also: Celebrating neurodivergent pan-Asian creatives in media
Mental health, ADHD, and cultural context in South Korea
South Korea’s education and work culture are often defined by high expectations around discipline, focus, and achievement. Within this system, ADHD has historically been interpreted through behavioral frameworks rather than clinical ones.
A 2018 research paper states that ADHD prevalence among Korean children ranges between approximately 5% and 9% and that the characteristics of Korean ADHD patients follow similar patterns to international ones.
Korean reporting further sheds light on the public perception of neurodivergence. Coverage from the Korea JoongAng Daily notes growing concern around students misusing ADHD medication for academic advantage.
Similarly, The Korea Herald and The Korea Times have reported on rising mental health concerns among younger generations, including stress, burnout, and increased demand for psychiatric care.
These perspectives reflect a dual reality: awareness is increasing, but stigma remains.
K-Pop idols opening up about ADHD and neurodivergence
Mental health conversations in the K-Pop industry have historically been shaped by intense training systems and expectations of perfection.
When idols speak about ADHD and neurodivergence, it is often not by choice, but in response to circumstance, whether through public scrutiny, misunderstanding, or the need to explain behaviors that audiences question.
Rather than emerging all at once, these conversations have developed across generations of K-Pop.
See also: K-Pop The Odyssey: A journey through law, music, and identity
Eun Ji-won (SECHKIES)
Eun Ji-won is an entertainer and a member of SECHKIES, a first generation boy band that debuted in 1997.
In 2024, Eun took a mental health diagnosis exam on the SBS TV show “My Little Old Boy.” During the show, a doctor explained his results and concluded that he has several symptoms for ADHD as well as burnout and depression.
Eun said, “It’s the hardest thing for me to smile. Rather, it’s easy to get angry, but it’s a little hard to smile.” The doctor also discussed other common struggles with ADHD, such as sleep and concentration.
Park Bom (2NE1)
Park Bom is the main vocalist of 2NE1, an influential second generation girl group that debuted in 2009.
In 2014, Park faced widespread scrutiny after a local paper reported that she smuggled drugs into the country in 2010. In reality, she was bringing Adderall into South Korea, a medication prescribed in the United States for ADD.
The backlash was swift and harsh, resulting in Park’s removal from a reality show and a hiatus from her career.
Four years later, in an interview with Sports Kyunghyang, Park clarified that the medication was part of her prescribed care.
“I didn’t want to disclose that I had ADD, but there was no other way,” she said. “People thought I was a drug smuggler because I was carrying Adderall. In America, it’s a type of medication to deal with my illness.”
“I’ve truly never done drugs,” Park said. “I have a personal illness.”
“ADD is not something that is discussed in Korea,” she added.
Jung Kook (BTS)
Jung Kook is the main vocalist and youngest member of BTS, a third generation group that debuted in 2013.
In a 2025 Weverse live broadcast, Jung Kook revealed he has adult ADHD, explaining that his constant movement and fidgeting are part of the condition.
“I can’t help it,” Jung Kook said. “It’s adult ADHD, I have it. I just keep moving like this.”
See also: You never walk alone: Embracing identity through BTS and fandom
Jackson Wang (GOT7)
The rapper from Hong Kong debuted in 2014 as a member of GOT7 and has openly discussed how his neurodivergence affected his time in school.
“ADHD, that’s when someone can’t focus on one thing,” Wang said during a live broadcast in 2017. “I couldn’t stay still. I had to be constantly doing something. The teacher said I had ADHD, so I was sent to another school.”
Soyeon (i-dle)
Soyeon debuted as the leader and producer of i-dle — formerly known as (G)I-DLE — in 2018. She is well known for her intense creativity and willingness to discuss potentially sensitive topics.
Soyeon spoke about her ADHD while appearing on several YouTube channel shows.
“For the rap parts, I normally get done [recording them] within 3 tries,” she said when she appeared on Lee Chaeyeon’s YouTube channel. “I have severe ADHD, I hate closed spaces. I can’t stay put in one place. I can’t stand staying still.”
Ningning (aespa)
The Chinese singer debuted in 2020 as part of the fourth generation group aespa.
In 2023, she appeared on GOT7 BamBam’s YouTube channel and discussed managing ADHD. Ningning said she experienced difficulty concentrating even during activities she enjoys.
“If I don’t play with my phone, I become very noisy when I’m alone in my room,” Ningning said. “Although I enjoy reading and drawing, I have trouble concentrating. I feel overwhelmed due to symptoms of ADHD.”
The importance of Asian and Asian American stories
The idols discussed in this article are a small sampling of the ongoing discussions happening in Korea. It took Eun, a first generation idol, almost thirty years before first publicly exploring neurodivergence. In contrast, it took fourth generation idol Ningning only three years after her debut to discuss ADHD symptoms.
Conversations about neurodivergence in Korea are not happening in isolation. They are part of a broader ecosystem that includes researchers, clinicians, journalists, and individuals working to expand awareness.
K-Pop’s global reach then takes these local discussions and carries them across borders, far beyond South Korea.
For diasporic audiences, these moments offer both visibility and representation. Hearing an Asian public figure describe ADHD-related experiences can provide language for individuals to understand their neurodivergence.
But we must not simplify narratives even as we are comforted by them. Engaging with Asian conversations and topics requires both reflection and care.
In our eagerness to finding representation, we must be cautious to not flatten the full context of Asian stories. The goal is not to claim ownership of change occurring within another cultural context, but to understand its significance and resonance.
Stories by Asians and Asian Americans help provide language, recognition, and the possibility of understanding experiences that once felt unnamed.
Together, they remind us that neurodiversity is not something to hide. Rather, it is part of the creativity, resilience, and individuality that fuel art, storytelling, and culture, not just in Korea, but across the global communities that connect through it.
See also: Korean rock band The Rose shares their story of resilience
