Netizens can’t stop praising his visuals.
Koreaboo
As the years have passed, many idols with mixed backgrounds have gained attention and achieved considerable popularity.
Several “Wasian” (White and Asian) idols known for their visuals include TXT‘s Hueningkai, NJZ’s (NewJeans) Danielle, and SEVENTEEN‘s Vernon.
However, an idol who has recently gained attention for his visuals has been incorrectly identified as one of these idols.
Earlier this year, BIGHIT Music introduced the boy group CORTIS, which includes one member of the former pre-debut group Trainee A.
Recently, the group performed at a football match, and member James attracted a lot of attention due to his visuals. His appearance was even compared to the perfect appearance of the Cullen family from Twilight during the baseball scene.
이분 누구세요? 축구보러 왔다가 반함.. #JAMES #제임스 #CORTIS #코르티스 pic.twitter.com/GdjrNoeC7P
— kiff (@kiff_cortis) November 18, 2025
However, many seemed to be under the conclusion that James’s unique appearance is due to him being mixed or having “European” features.
الايدولز الي يملكون mixed ethnicity
الأجمل بفرقهم وسهل تميزونهم 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/oVFXnC4NzA— sha (@sangelnationk2) November 20, 2025
why was he europeanmaxxxing today pic.twitter.com/qkwvUXQmOO
— vanessa (@cortisfw25) November 18, 2025
Who are these white boys https://t.co/HI1ylz0qvF
— 🍀 (@neogens) November 19, 2025
James, whose birth name is Zhao Yufan, is actually mixed — his mother is Thai while his father is Chinese. He was born in Hong Kong, but raised in Taiwan.
Many fans have commented that this has led to his appearance being what it is, with some citing his resemblance to other Chinese stars.
james is NOT wasian how many times do we have to say this https://t.co/l5Zeps9nRb
— fae (@vamzzan) November 20, 2025
i know a lot of people are saying james looks very wasian but trust me, he looks very thai-chinese especially when he was this age 🥹 pic.twitter.com/2hUvi9kDZT
— avy 🫧 (@AVYSONG00) November 19, 2025
getting kinda tired of wasian comments whenever ppl talk about his looks like thats what happens when an asian person doesnt fit the generalized idea in the heads of people who think the map of asia is just japan and korea pic.twitter.com/5L9MBTOJqt
— m (@zhaoyufv) November 19, 2025