This 19-year-old from Manipur won India's first virtual K-Pop competition. This is why she's awesome 

For those initiated into the intricacies of Korean pop music, Chanchui Khayi's flawless performance of song lyrics is almost astonishingly similar to the originals. In September, she won the virtual solo singing competition at the K-Pop Indian contest that was organised by the Korean Cultural Centre India. And how does a 19-year-old girl who has lived her entire life in Manipur's Ukhrul district throw Korean classics around like she's spent another lifetime in Seoul? We'll ask the North East's favourite new pop sensation herself. 

"I'm a Tangkhul-Naga from Manipur," she begins, "It all started when I sang with a duet with my sister at an event at our local church. It was such an exciting experience that I started singing more. And when K-Pop came into the picture, I loved it even more! Around 6 or 7 years ago, It was my sister who introduced me to the second generation K-Pop groups like Bigbang, Girls' Generation and SHINee. Once I was familiar with it, I kept learning. And now, it's gotten easier as I have been acquainted with it for a long time. So it honestly wasn't as hard to learn the Korean lyrics as people think."

The K-Pop India contest was held on May 15 when Chanchui sent over her solo rendition. She says, "I decided to join because I didn't want to wait too long for next year's contest to come around. I had to take the chance while I had it. My family supported me a lot through the whole time, especially my sister and mom. In fact, I wouldn't have been able to do it without them." This is not her first run-in with recognition. Last year, she was the first runner up at the Miss North East India Contest. She also bagged the title 'Most Glamorous Look'.

Currently, Chanchui is pursuing her BA at Delhi University. Will she be pursuing her K-Pop dreams for a while? "Right now, I'll be focusing on my studies. And I will definitely keep an eye out for competitions I can participate in for the future!" she says ecstatically.