BLACKPINK’s Lisa may be a global superstar now, but her journey to the top began with one of the toughest hurdles for any foreign K-pop trainee: learning the Korean language from scratch.
According to Lisa’s Korean language teacher at YG Entertainment, the Thai-born idol faced early struggles with fluency. “At first, Lisa mainly spoke English with other trainees, so her Korean didn’t improve very quickly,” the teacher shared.
Total Immersion: No More English
Realizing that Lisa needed a deeper level of immersion, her teacher proposed a bold strategy—Lisa would stop using English entirely and only speak Korean. YG approved, and the challenge began.
Lisa found the new rule frustrating, but rather than backing down, she turned that frustration into fuel. “We held Korean classes four times a week, and Lisa truly committed to using only Korean in her daily life,” her teacher recalled. “Incredibly, within six months, she reached an intermediate level.”
Learning Korean is no small task—especially for Thai speakers. With major differences in grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure, Korean is considered one of the most difficult languages for native Thai speakers to learn.
Lisa powered through four textbooks, four workbooks, vocabulary drills, and heavy homework loads to improve rapidly. Her dedication left a lasting impression on her teacher and those around her.
A Turning Point: “She’s Basically Korean Now”
One day, Lisa’s hard work became unmistakably clear.
“I remember coming back from lunch for our afternoon class,” the teacher said. “Lisa looked really sleepy—she often nodded off during writing lessons. But suddenly, while half-asleep, she mumbled in Korean, ‘Chaeyoung has already started.’ It was completely unconscious.”
That small moment was a breakthrough. “I thought to myself, ‘We did it. She’s basically Korean now.’ That’s when I knew she had internalized the language.”
Lisa’s story goes beyond talent—it’s a reflection of her resilience, adaptability, and relentless drive to succeed. From a young girl in Thailand dreaming of stardom to a fluent Korean speaker and K-pop icon, her journey inspires fans of all backgrounds.
Whether you’re a K-pop hopeful or just trying to learn a second language, Lisa’s Korean journey is proof that with dedication and consistency, anything is possible.