Facts about Lingling, Malaysia’s first female K-pop idol
We Malaysians need no introduction to the world of K-pop. If songs from K-pop groups aren’t already on repeat on our Spotify, we’re saving up duit to catch their concerts on our shores.
While our neighbours Thailand has Blackpink’s Lisa and the Philippines has AtHeart’s Katelyn, we’ve yet to see a Malaysian female idol in the K-pop music scene – until recently. After participating in the Korean reality show I-LAND, the Malaysian-born Lingling is set to make her debut in an upcoming girl group.
Get to know her with these facts below:
Table of Contents
- Facts about Lingling, Malaysia’s first female K-pop idol
- 1. Lingling is from Klang
- 2. She just turned 20 years old
- 3. She trained under YG Entertainment
- 4. She was the only Southeast Asian contestant on I-LAND
- 5. She speaks four languages
- 6. She’s set to make her debut in May
- 7. She was the first member introduced in her group
- 8. Her MBTI type is INFJ
- Get to know Malaysia’s first female K-pop idol
1. Lingling is from Klang
Image credit: @alicia__lingling via Instagram
Alicia Wong Lingling, now more popularly known by her stage name Lingling, was born in Klang, Selangor.
She is one of the few Malaysians who will make her mark in the K-pop music scene with her debut – but more on this later. She follows Isaac Voo, Malaysia’s first K-pop idol who is part of the boy group SKYE, and Pang Ee Xiang who is part of an upcoming boy group called SEVEN TO EIGHT under TEN Entertainment.
Image credit: Mnet
In her profile for I-LAND, Lingling declared her big dreams with the world: “I will try my best to become the first female idol from Malaysia!”
2. She just turned 20 years old
Image credit: @alicia__lingling via Instagram
Lingling recently turned 20, having participated in I-LAND when she was just 18 years old. She was born on 20th April 2005.
3. She trained under YG Entertainment
Every K-pop idol has a trainee backstory, and Lingling is no different. She trained under the notable YG Entertainment, the same K-pop agency behind chart-topping girl groups such as 2NE1 and Blackpink, before gaining attention as a participant on I-LAND2: N/a in 2024.
For the uninitiated, I-LAND is a high-stakes survival idol show that airs on Korea’s Mnet. It produced Enhypen under Belift Lab in its first season. Its sequel, which aired in 2024, had 24 contestants competing to debut in a new girl group under WAKEONE and The Black Label.
4. She was the only Southeast Asian contestant on I-LAND
Although Lingling didn’t end up debuting in the final lineup for Izna, which was formed upon the completion of I-LAND season 2, she certainly made her mark on the show. She was the only Southeast Asian contestant out of all 24 girls on the show, achieving a remarkable feat despite her exit in episode seven.
5. She speaks four languages
Image credit: @mnetiland via Instagram
While participating in I-LAND, Lingling revealed that she’s able to speak four languages. She added the hashtag ‘Polyglot Genius’ to her I-LAND profile. Though she did not elaborate on them, it is assumed that as a true-blue Malaysian, she is able to speak in Chinese, Malay, and English. She has conducted several interviews in Korean before too, showing her exceptional linguistic prowess.
6. She’s set to make her debut in May
Image credit: @alicia__lingling via Instagram
Following her participation on I-LAND, Lingling is set to debut in an upcoming global girl group under her new agency, Leanbranding. The company currently manages several upcoming soloists, actors, and actresses, with the girl group being a first for them.
The group’s name and debut date remain hush-hush for now, but their debut is expected in late May. Lingling will be the only Malaysian member in the group, with four Koreans and a Japanese member set to debut alongside her.
7. She was the first member introduced in her group
Image credit: @alicia__lingling via Instagram
Lingling’s transformation from trainee to idol was marked by the launch of her personal Instagram account on 18th April 2025. She’s the first member to be revealed in the group’s lineup, with an introduction video in three languages – English, Korean, and Chinese – highlighting the group’s aim to reach a global audience.
View this post on Instagram
Her digital debut came with a couple of teasers for those who have been following her career closely, too. The first post shared on her official Instagram account notably included a translation in Malay. A teaser photo that appears to show her and her members also hinted at a potential girl crush concept for the group.
8. Her MBTI type is INFJ
Image credit: Mnet
In an interview segment that Lingling did with Mnet for I-LAND, she had to pick emojis that best represented her.
On her visuals, she chose the fire emoji to describe how others might think that she looks cold on the outside, but that this is not the case at all and that she is simply just a passionate individual.
She also chose the shush-shush and teddy bear emojis to represent how she likes spending time alone and her deep affection for dolls and key rings since she was a young girl. She previously revealed that her MBTI type was INFJ.
Get to know Malaysia’s first female K-pop idol
With many Malaysians already tuning in to K-pop music, it’s no surprise that we’re excited to learn that a Malaysian is set to debut in a female girl group for the first time.
We look forward to cheering Lingling on in her future pursuits.
Cover image adapted from: @alicia__lingling via Instagram