Article: Top 10 K-Pop Idols Who Went Viral For Most Unexpected Reasons

The K-pop world is brutal. You could be a part of the most talented groups with the best songs and choreography and still not make it to the top. However, due to social media, many idols get the opportunity to get their name viral. For this reason, companies often encourage idols to have a presence on social networking sites such as TikTok and Instagram. Everyone knows the story of Hani’s iconic fan cam. Hani’s video going viral on social media singlehandedly saved EXID from disbandment.

However, some idols have gone viral among locals for the most unexpected reasons. Tell us which of these surprised you the most.

1. Hwasa For Eating Deliciously

Ahn Hye-jin is a member of a girl group called ‘Mamamoo’ since 2014 and Hwasa is her stage name. Hwasa is known to be a big foodie. In 2018 she made an appearance on MBC’s I Live Alone where she went out to lunch by herself. She ordered a popular Korean dish, Gopchang, and ate it deliciously. Her expressions inspired the viewers to try the meal and caused it to trend on social media. Shortly after, there was a lengthy line outside the restaurant she ate in. Furthermore, her crazy impact secured her an endorsement deal with Lotte Home Shopping. The gopchang sets she promoted sold out in just 50 minutes.

 

2. Hyeri For Aegyo

K-pop fans have a complicated relationship with ‘aegyo’ which in Korean means ‘cute display of affection’. Some find it cute, while others squirm away in second-hand embarrassment. For Hyeri, however, her unintended aegyo shot her to superstardom. On the last episode of a show she appeared as a guest on, she had to bid goodbye to their commanders. Hyeri was noticeably upset and crying while saying her farewell. Her fussy actions warmed her stern squad commander’s heart, and he cracked a smile well out of character. Viewers could not resist her cute charms, and she was trending on social media till several days after.

 

3. Suga For Being A Lucky Mascot At Baseball Game

BTS’s Suga is an enormous fan of the baseball player and fellow countryman, Ryu. In both the games that he was in the audience , Ryu was dominant. The player threw six innings of two-run ball in ’13 to beat the Rockies. In the last game, he threw a complete-game shutout win. The fantastic performance caused fans and locals to hail him as a lucky mascot and request his presence at future games.

 

4. Dahyun For Tying A Bun While Performing

The  Twice member on the list went viral for a clip of hers tying her hair while dancing. During a performance of Knock Knock, Dahyun’s hair came undone surprisingly. However, she was not fazed by this a bit. She continued to perform the choreography while effortlessly re-tying her bun.

 

5. Shinee Key For Being A Clown

If you use social media, you would’ve most certainly come across this particular clown meme. The meme is a picture of a man putting on clown make-up and transforming into a literal clown. While many may be familiar with the meme, they may not know that the guy in the video is  Key. Talk about the unexpected.

 

6. Sana For Cheese Kimbap

The members of group TWICE are known for their youthful and fresh charms. Sana, in particular, is well known for her adorable personality and aegyo.

On an episode of Knowing Brothers, the girls had to play a game that involved reading each other’s lips. Sana’s group had to guess the word, ‘Cheese Kimbap’. When her turn came, she cutely answered the question melting the audience’s hearts. Her adorable pronunciation caused her to trend on social media domestically and internationally.

 

7. Hyungwon For Being A Meme

The second meme boy on our list is boy group Monsta X’s Hyungwon. A fan captured this picture of him during one of the group’s fan meet. The image has since become a meme in the K-pop world. Fans and locals use this picture of him sipping the coffee in a meme format.

 

8. Shinee Minho For Upstaging Melania Trump

Shinee Minho attended the same event as Melania Trump in 2018. They were both present at the US Embassy in Korea for the ‘Girls Play 2’ event for the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympic. The students were content to click pictures with the  First Lady of the US, but when they realized Shinee Minho was on stage, they could not contain their excitement. They began to gush over him while looking right through Melania Trump. A clip of this video went viral on social media.

 

9. Dahyun’s Eagle Dance

Dahyun of the girl group TWICE makes another appearance on this list. It is for a video of her performing at church. In the two-minute videos that went viral on social media sites, Dahyun is flapping her arms intensely at superhuman speed. According to her, the dance is called the ‘Eagle Dance’. She first performed it at her family church when she was in sixth grade. Later, she also did it on a variety of shows at fans’ request.

 

10. Jin For Getting Out Of A Car

Worldwide Handsome Jin of the BTS group is no stranger to being lauded for his good looks. When he was still in high school, tourists would ask him to take pictures with him because of his visuals.

Back in 2015, when the group was attending Melon Music Awards, Jin went viral for a picture of him getting out of the car. He was dubbed ‘the car door guy’ by locals. Since then, he has gone viral several times in Korea as well as internationally. While he may joke around and call himself ‘Worldwide Handsome,’ fans know him as a kind, hard-working guy who is more than just his good looks.