#SHOWBIZ: Stray Kids, Big Ocean in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list

SINGAPORE: Forbes released its 10th annual 30 Under 30 Asia list yesterday, featuring 300 young entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators from across the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the Forbes website, these individuals, all under the age of 30, possess a bold vision for the future, largely powered by artificial intelligence.
The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2025 comprises 300 notable individuals, selected across 10 categories: AI; Consumer & Enterprise Technology; Entertainment & Sports; Finance & Venture Capital; Healthcare & Science; Industry, Manufacturing & Energy; Retail & Ecommerce; Social Impact; Social Media, Marketing & Advertising; and The Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink).
This year's Entertainment & Sports list includes K-pop boy bands Stray Kids and Big Ocean; South Korean singer, actor, and model Cha Eun-woo; actress Go Min-si; and BINI, a girl group from the Philippines.
Forbes Asia described Stray Kids, an eight-member group, as having "found global popularity by following their instincts, producing rock hits with a noisier, more industrial sound than the usual K-pop group."
The magazine highlighted Stray Kids' 2021 EP "Oddinary," which topped the Billboard 200, making them only the third K-pop group to achieve this feat, following BTS and SuperM.
Forbes Asia also praised Big Ocean for including members with hearing impairments: Kim Ji-seok, Lee Chan-yeon, and Park Hyun-jin.
"The group's vocals are recorded with the use of AI, and while performing on stage, they wear special vibrating devices to help synchronise dance movements," it noted.
The list also features Cha Eun-woo, 27, known for his lead roles in television series such as "True Beauty" and "My ID is Gangnam Beauty."
Forbes stated, "With over 47 million followers on Instagram, Cha is one of the advertising industry's most popular models and is an ambassador for a raft of brands, including Dior Beauty, Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, and Skechers."
Go Min-si, 29, was recognised for her acclaimed performances, including her Best New Actress win at the 2023 Blue Dragon Awards for the film "Smugglers."
BINI, an eight-member girl group trained in the K-pop style by Filipino media company ABS-CBN, endured years of intense daily practice, personal loss, and a network shutdown before their 2021 debut album launched them to fame.
By 2024, they had achieved sold-out concerts, surpassed a billion Spotify streams, and earned accolades such as MTV's Best Asia Act and Billboard Philippines' Women of the Year.
Forbes Asia stated that its reporters and editors source candidates through thousands of online submissions and recommendations from industry sources and list alumni.
Candidates are then evaluated by a panel of independent experts based on factors such as funding, revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness, and potential.
The judges for the Entertainment & Sports list were Kuok Meng Ru, Group CEO & founder of Caldecott Music Group, and Hua Fung Teh, group president of mixed martial arts organisation ONE, both from Singapore.

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