Nunew Chawarin, a rising Thai star, has landed in Seoul to make inroads into the K-pop scene, where many idols from his home country have already carved out quite a name for themselves.

Citing singer IU and NCT’s Jaehyun as his favorite K-pop artists, Nunew describes his debut single in Korea, “Leave Me With Your Love,” as a “K-pop song merged with Nunew-style.”


“I’ve been listening to K-pop songs ever since I was young,” said the 24-year-old during his Korean debut showcase held in southern Seoul on Monday.

“I’m still very young and have a lot to experience and learn — I hope to keep improving myself in performance just like other K-pop artists with great skills,” he said, pointing to K-pop’s “impeccable qualities in production, from choreography and vocals to music videos.”

Nunew, born Chawarin Perdpiriyawong in Bangkok, rose to stardom with his acting debut in the television drama “Cutie Pie Series” (2022) and launched his music career with the single “Anything” in 2023.

In August last year, the actor-singer attracted more than 20,000 concertgoers for his first solo concert in Bangkok and was named the Music Artist of the Year at the TikTok Thailand Awards 2024.

He has been expanding his reach with Korean fans as of late as well, performing at SBS’s “Gayo Dajeon” summer music festival in July and collaborating with Korean singer-songwriter Paul Kim to release “Blooming Just For You” in March last year.

Nunew’s Korean debut single “Leave Me With Your Love” is set to be released at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and the Thai artist will hold a showcase for fans on Wednesday at Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul.

Composed by BigHit Music’s producer El Capitxn, “Leave Me With Your Love” is an R&B track featuring rap verses. The song and its music video mark a notable shift from his previous songs in Thailand and Japan, where he made his official debut last year, as the song highlights a more mature side of Nunew, moving away from his usual cute, boy-next-door image.

"When I first heard the song, I thought it was going to be difficult, and it was quite different from anything I have done before," he said. "The song needed a solid vocal base, so I deliberated a lot on how to deliver the vocals."

Looking forward, he said he hopes to appear on Korean variety shows and possibly collaborate with the industry’s biggest stars.

“There are so many artists I would love to collaborate with, including, of course, my favorite artists,” Nunew said, again referring to IU and NCT’s Jaehyun. “And — hopefully, maybe in the future — I would love to work with BTS and Blackpink as well.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]