Trivia: Which Female Idol Debuted at the Oldest Age?
NewJeans sparked debate over their underage status during debut promotions, fueling calls for age restrictions in K-Pop activities.
This isn’t new for the industry. Idols like NCT’s Jisung and IVE’s Jang Wonyoung also started their careers at just 14 years old.
Image: NCT’s Jisung
Image: IVE’s Jang Wonyoung
Some idols are pushing back on this trend. The boy group XEED, which debuted in 2023, featured a youngest member at age 27.
Image: XEED
The oldest female idol debut record belongs to Kahi of 2009’s After School. She debuted nearly 29 years old.
Image: After School at debut
Image: After School’s Kahi
Born in 1980, Kahi led After School until her 2012 graduation and stayed solo under Pledis until 2015.
In 2016, Kahi married and had her first child that October.
Image: Kahi
She didn’t leave the spotlight. Kahi judged on the first two seasons of Produce 101 and reunited with After School on stage in June 2021.
Image: Kahi at Produce 101 Conference
Kahi also joined Mamadol, a former-idols-turned-moms group. They competed for spots, released one single, then disbanded.
Image: Kahi
Now, Kahi is active on Instagram sharing lifestyle posts and teaches dance classes with K-Pop songs.
What a legend!