Meet the 12-year-old Cambodian princess who apparently wants to become a K-pop idol

“12-year-old Cambodian princess Jenna Norodom, a celebrity in Cambodia’s entertainment industry, plans to become a trainee in Korea to become a global star, boasting impressive singing and exceptional dance skills,” said Taiwanese news outlet Sanli News Network on Monday.

“Jenna Norodom comes from a Cambodian royal family background, is fluent in five languages and is a passionate fan of K-pop. With her unique appearance and excellent acting skills, many fans expect her to become as famous as other foreign K-pop stars like Blackpink’s Lisa or (G)I-DLE’s Minnie.”

On the back of her natural talent for dancing and singing, she debuted as an actress and singer in 2018. She quickly gained popularity through her appearances in commercials and TV dramas. Known as the “little Lisa” of Cambodia for her resemblance and impressive dance skills, Norodom’s dance covers of aespa’s “Pretty Savage” (2020) and “Next Level” (2021) went viral. In June 2022, she performed her self-penned K-pop style song, “The First Day Without You,” at a Korea-Cambodia music festival.

“While watching K-pop idols sing and dance, I loved everything about it,” she said in an interview with local media YTN’s “Global Korean” last year. “That’s how I became interested in K-pop. I like K-pop because it’s modern and unique, bright and dynamic.”

In 2022, Norodom signed with K’ve Entertainment, a Korean entertainment agency in Cambodia, and released “You Da One” with her agency’s male singer Bobo in November of that year. Earlier this year, she won the Best Newcomer Actress award at the 2nd Cambodia-Asia Film Festival for the horror film “The Night Curse of Reatrei.”

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]