Profile of Lucas, Who’s Returning as a Soloist after a Career-Ruining Scandal
As SM Entertainment reveals SNS accounts for Lucas in preparation if his solo return, here is everything you need to know about him.
Basic Information
- Stage name: Lucas
- Name: Wong Yuk-hei
- Birthday: January 25, 1999
- Birthplace: Hong Kong
- Agency: SM Entertainment
- Extra information: former member of NCT and its Chinese sub-unit WayV, member of SuperM
While born in Hong Kong, Lucas’s father is Chinese while his mother is Thai. He was scouted by SM Entertainment after passing a global audition in Hong Kong. He initially received training in modeling before switching to idol training, and was introduced as a member of pre-debut team SM Rookies in 2017.
Career
Lucas was added to the line-up of NCT in 2018 (though NCT debuted back in 2016), via the project group NCT 2018. He also appeared as a member of sub-unit NCT U for a total of 3 songs.
He was later announced as part of NCT’s China-based unit WayV, which officially debuted in January 2019, and joined the lineup of SM “supergroup” SuperM in August 2019.
Alongside activities with NCT and SuperM, Lucas also proved himself as a capable model and variety personality. In particular, he was a regular cast member of the Chinese program “Keep Running” (which is adapted from Korea’s “Running Man”.
Scandal
Lucas’s career trajectory was disrupted in 2021, after allegations of his inappropriate behavior with multiple women surfaced online, leading to widespread scrutiny and public outcry. As a result, Lucas temporarily halted activities with WayV.
In 2023, SM Entertainment announced that Lucas would be departing from NCT and WayV to pursue his individual endeavors. Both the agency and the artist did not directly address the previous controversies.
On the same day, Lucas also published a handwritten letter on his SNS, expressing his gratitude towards fans. He would later lay low for a long time.
Return as a Solo Artist
After laying low, Lucas started to appear at various events, albeit in a quiet manner. He was also spotted with officials from SM Entertainment as well as fellow SM artists.
On February 23, 2024, SM released a new profile for Lucas, at the same time introducing his Instagram and Weibo accounts.
It seems that the company is preparing for Lucas’s solo debut, and some sources mentioned that the male idol was seen filming a music video in Hungary.
