Rora

Rora was born in Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, a coastal region near the sea, which is why she has mentioned feeling naturally familiar with ocean scenery from a young age.

Her family consists of her parents and a younger brother named Lee Kangin (born in 2011), whom she has referenced affectionately.

Before debuting, Rora worked as both a child model and child actress, appearing in several Korean dramas including Queen of Mystery 2, My Husband, Mr. Oh!, A Korean Odyssey, Secret Mother, and I Am Mother Too.

Her Chinese name is 李茶仁 (Li Charen), which is sometimes used in international fan communities.

Her stage name “Rora” comes from the word aurora. Former YG founder Yang Hyun-Suk explained that he chose it because he believed she had the potential to shine brightly like the northern lights if her natural beauty and talent were nurtured.

Because she is still young, Rora continues to live at home with her family instead of in the YG dorms, commuting for training instead.

She reportedly spends around two hours on the bus after school each day to travel to YG Entertainment for practice, a detail many fans view as a sign of her determination.

Before joining YG, she was part of the children’s girl group U.SSO Girl under the name U.ha, where she gained early performance experience.

During her U.SSO Girl days, she worked alongside NewJeans’ Hyein, and the two are still known to be friends.

Rora was the fifth BABYMONSTER member officially revealed on January 30, 2023, shortly before the group’s full lineup announcement.

Her personal goal is often described as working hard to shine brightly while staying authentic, a mindset she has repeated in interviews.

According to choreographer Leejung, Rora is one of the trainees who showed the most improvement since the start of her training, particularly in dance technique.

She plays the piano, which contributes to her musical foundation beyond singing.

In 2018, she appeared on the Korean cooking program “Man vs Child Korea,” showcasing a different side of her personality outside music.

Rora has been training since mid-2018, giving her several years of preparation before official debut.

Her audition song for YG Entertainment was “Roller Coaster” by Chungha, a track known for its vocal range and performance style.

She has shared that she prefers winter over summer, enjoying cooler weather more than heat.

When asked hypothetically which member she would date, she once chose Asa, explaining that they have good chemistry and Asa takes great photos.

She prefers juice over carbonated soft drinks, often choosing fruit flavors.

Given the choice, Rora has said she would rather have 5% phone battery with internet access than a full battery with no internet, showing how important connectivity is to her.

She also mentioned she would rather keep natural black hair forever than constantly dye it, reflecting her preference for simplicity.

Rora prefers YouTube over TikTok, especially for music and video content browsing.

Her favorite dessert is chocolate, and she equally enjoys chocolate ice cream, making sweets one of her known preferences.

Although she grew up near the sea, she became seriously interested in dance only after joining YG, where instructors noted her rapid improvement over two years.

YG Entertainment uploaded her first official performance video on January 29, 2023, and it reportedly gained 9.7 million views within a week, drawing early attention.

Before fellow member Chiquita joined the training lineup, Rora was the youngest (maknae) among her trainee team.

She speaks Korean and English fluently and knows some Chinese, which helps during international promotions.

Rora is a fan of Harry Potter and identifies her Hogwarts house as Gryffindor.

Her favorite colors are light purple and a soft buttery yellow, shades fans often associate with her gentle image.

She loves cats, frequently mentioning them as her favorite pets.