3rd Gen Idol’s Dramatic Visual Change Makes Him “Unrecognizable”

Visual changes in idols always gain attention, usually when a star makes a dramatic change like debuting a new hair color, like aespa‘s Karina famously going blond.

However, sometimes visual changes spark confusion and concerns from fans like a third-generation idol’s recently did.

In 2012, Pledis Entertainment debuted the five-membered boy group NU’EST.

The group remained active for many years, briefly promoting as NU’EST W while member Minhyun was active with Wanna One. Following Pledis’s acquirement by HYBE, NU’EST was sadly disbanded, with each member pursuing solo activities.

Ren made his solo debut with Ren‘dezvous in June 2023, sporting a more buff image than his previous concepts. The idol was as handsome as ever, earning praise for his visuals.

Recently, the star has been appearing in musicals, but confused some fans after a series of photos.

The first of the photos show the idol in a blazer, sporting noticeable difference in appearance. In particular, his face appears a bit swollen, making it hard to realize who it is at first glance

In other photos, his eyes appear have a slightly different shape.

Fans commented their concern and shock, with some not admitting to not knowing who the photos were of initially.

Ren has always had good looks, and regardless of what change has occurred is still handsome now.