Malaysian K-pop trainee Lingling (링링) garnered a lot of attention with her appearance in the idol survival competition, “I-LAND 2 (아이랜드 2)”. While she missed out on debuting in izna (이즈나), the Malaysian will make her long-awaited debut in another group later this year.
Lingling, also known as Alicia Wong, recently launched her official Instagram account and posted new profile images, sparking rumours that she’ll soon debut. On 18th April 2025, South Korean entertainment agency Lean Branding confirmed that the Malaysian will be part of its first global girl group, set to debut in late May. The company will release more details on the group and the other members in the coming days.
The former YG Entertainment trainee garnered public interest during her time on “I-LAND 2”, thanks to her singing and dancing skills. Unfortunately, Lingling was eliminated from the show after ranking 16th overall and failed to debut in the WakeOne girl group izna. Despite that, her time on the show gained her a loyal following and many fans eagerly waited for news of her debut.
Many voiced excitement over the news of the new girl group, saying Lingling’s time to shine has finally come. While some were concerned about her agency, they said they’ll support the Malaysian’s upcoming debut. Lingling also seemed enthusiastic about her official debut, writing in her Instagram post, “The stage I’ve longed for. Now, I begin again.” in five different languages.
In addition to finally making her long-awaited debut, Lingling will also make history as the first female Malaysian K-pop idol. For those wondering, the first male Malaysian K-pop idol is Isaac Voo (아이젝), who debuted in 2017 with the boy group Skye (스카이) (formerly IN2IT/인투잇). Malaysian trainee Pan Ee Xiang (팡이썅) is also set to debut in a K-pop group later this year. The 22-year-old will debut in the boy group SEVENTOEIGHT after winning 6th place in the Korean-Taiwanese idol survival competition, “SCOOL”.
Lingling’s debut announcement also comes just two days before her birthday (20th April). We wish her a happy early birthday, and we can’t wait to see her back on stage!
