Riku Profile: Age, Height, Career, Facts & More
Riku has one of the more distinctive origin stories in NCT WISH: a Fukui-born teenager who passed the 2022 SM Global Audition, became the first contestant introduced for the survival show NCT Universe: LASTART, and went on to debut as the group’s main rapper.
His rise hasn’t been without a pause, since he took a roughly four-month break for health reasons in late 2024, but his return and the group’s million-selling run since have made him one of the most closely followed members of NCT’s newest unit.
This complete profile breaks down everything fans want to know about Riku: his age, height, career, personality, and the fun facts that keep circulating through the fandom.
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Quick Facts About Riku
- Real Name: Maeda Riku (前田陸)
- Stage Name: Riku (리쿠)
- Birth Date: June 28, 2003
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Birthplace: Fukui Prefecture, Japan
- Position: Main Rapper
- Height: Approximately 176 cm (5’9″)
- Blood Type: AB
- MBTI: ISFP
- Nationality: Japanese
- Agency: SM Entertainment
- Group: NCT, NCT WISH
- Nickname: Kuri (Chestnut)
- Representative Emoji: 🐿️ (Squirrel)
- Education: Fukui Prefectural Sabae High School (graduated)
Early Life and Background
Riku was born on June 28, 2003, in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. He grew up with his parents and two older sisters, born in 1998 and 2001, and one of them works as a professional dancer.
He also has a notable family connection in Japanese pop culture: his cousin is Takahashi Ai, a former member of Morning Musume, and in October 2021 he appeared in a visual commercial for her cosmetics brand, Aimmx.
After graduating from Fukui Prefectural Sabae High School, Riku’s path to K-pop began with the 2022 SM Global Audition, which he passed to become an SM Entertainment trainee.
He trained for about one year before the survival show that would decide NCT’s newest unit. He has said he wanted to become an idol so he could give people energy the way his seniors do, and he has named NCT’s Mark as his role model.
Career Highlights
NCT Universe: LASTART In July 2023, Riku was introduced as the very first contestant on NCT Universe: LASTART, the survival show created to form NCT’s sixth sub-unit. Fan-wiki records indicate he finished at the top of the final ranking, securing a place in the group that was then called NCT New Team.
The initial lineup included seven members, though Jungmin returned to trainee status in October 2023 to focus on his health, leaving the six-member group fans know today.
Debut as NCT WISH The group released its pre-debut single “Hands Up” on October 19, 2023, and toured Japan before debut, performing 28 shows across 10 cities. On January 17, 2024, SM announced the official name, NCT WISH, and the group debuted on February 21, 2024, with the single “WISH,” released in both Japanese and Korean versions.
A Korean single album, Songbird, followed in July 2024. As main rapper, Riku has been one of the voices most associated with the group’s youthful, bright concept.
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View Partner Offer External Sponsor • Opens in New WindowDebut as NCT WISH The group released its pre-debut single “Hands Up” on October 19, 2023, and toured Japan before debut, performing 28 shows across 10 cities. On January 17, 2024, SM announced the official name, NCT WISH, and the group debuted on February 21, 2024, with the single “WISH,” released in both Japanese and Korean versions.
A Korean single album, Songbird, followed in July 2024. As main rapper, Riku has been one of the voices most associated with the group’s youthful, bright concept.
A Health Break and Return In late 2024, Riku temporarily halted his activities for health reasons. On February 3, 2025, SM announced that, based on his strong wish to return and the opinions of medical professionals, he would resume activities after about four months.
February schedules went ahead with the other five members, and Riku rejoined in March for the 2025 NCT WISH Asia Tour Log In and contributed to the production of the group’s next album. That album, the EP Poppop, released on April 14, 2025, marked his return.
A Million-Selling Run Poppop sold more than 1.08 million copies, making NCT WISH a million-seller act, and the September 2025 EP COLOR sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week, according to Korean media.
The group released its first Japanese mini album, Wishlist, on January 14, 2026, and set out on its first solo concert tour, Into the Wish: Our Wish, which spanned 30 shows across 18 regions, with encore concerts at KSPO Dome in Seoul on April 17 to 19, 2026, that sold out during fan club presale.
On April 20, 2026, NCT WISH released its first Korean full-length album, Ode to Love, a 10-track project built on a UK garage-inspired dance-pop sound and a storyline drawn from the mythology of Eros and Anteros.
Riku in 2026 At the group’s press conference on April 19, Riku named “Cheat Code” as his favorite stage. He explained that early in the tour he had felt nervous and had little chance to connect with Sion on stage, but by now the two could trade eye contact while performing, which made that song especially fun.
On September 7, Korean outlets also reported that NCT WISH would release a fourth mini album in October 2026.
Personality and Public Image
Riku describes his own personality with the phrase “I can endure,” a mindset that fans often connect to his recovery and return in 2025. He is known for a gentle, soft-spoken presence and says he is confident in his own cuteness, with his dimples as his most charming feature.
Away from the stage, he enjoys animations and movies and says that letters from the people he loves are among his favorite items. He has also said that if he hadn’t become a singer, he would have worked at a bakery.
Within the group, he is seen as a calm presence who balances out the more playful members, and his rap parts tend to bring a steady, grounded energy to NCT WISH‘s brighter songs. He has also said he would like to try a sexy concept someday, a comment fans still bring up whenever the group teases a more mature era.
Fun Facts and Trivia
- Riku was the first contestant introduced for NCT Universe: LASTART.
- His cousin is former Morning Musume member Takahashi Ai.
- One of his two older sisters is a professional dancer.
- His nickname is Kuri, meaning chestnut, and his representative emoji is a squirrel.
- His favorite color is blue, and his favorite NCT song is “We Go Up.”
- He has dimples, which he names as his most charming feature.
- His shoe size is 280 mm, and his height was updated during a Weverse Live in February 2026.
- If he weren’t a singer, he says he would work in a bakery.
Social Media and Where to Follow
Riku appears across NCT WISH’s official channels, including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube, where the group shares stage clips, behind-the-scenes videos, and tour updates.
His favorite stage and growing chemistry with Sion became a talking point after the Ode to Love press conference, and fans who followed the group’s first tour can revisit those moments through official recordings.
With a fourth mini album reportedly on the way for October 2026, Riku’s rap and stage presence are likely to remain a central part of the group’s next chapter.
Conclusion
From a Fukui-born trainee and the first face of NCT Universe: LASTART to the main rapper of a million-selling group, Riku’s career reflects patience, resilience, and quiet confidence.
Whether fans are drawn in by his steady rap delivery, his gentle personality, his comeback after a health break, or the way he has grown into the group’s touring era, Riku continues to prove why he has become such an important part of NCT WISH.
As the group’s reach continues to grow, all eyes remain on Riku to see what he raps next.
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