From asking his parents not to look up his name to becoming a hot trend in SK…Choi San’s journey is so incredibly full-circle

I’ve been thinking a lot about ATEEZ Choi San’s growth recently, especially with all the viral reels during Ice On My Teeth and BAD, and it honestly makes me so happy and proud to see where he is right now versus where he started.

Until a few years back, the amount of scrutiny and hate he faced for his aggressive, boundary-pushing dancing style was intense, to say the least. It absolutely breaks my heart remembering how he felt the need to shield his own parents from the online noise, asking them not to search his name because of how cruel people were being.

But despite all that hate? He 👏 never👏 toned it down.👏

Instead of conforming or playing it safe in an industry that often expects perfect, doll-like looks and pretty, safe expressions, he leaned into exactly who he was. He perfected his craft, adapted his style to different concepts, stayed resilient, and contributed to creating a new definition for what performer could look like.

Now, the exact things people used to criticize and question him for are the very reasons everyone is completely obsessed with him.

He has become a role model to so many younger idols and even has baddies like Chase Infiniti biasing him!

Seeing him get praised for his intensity, being dubbed the “Duke of the North,” for IOMT and now getting his flowers on such a massive scale in SK for his mesmerizing performance for BAD is just so deeply satisfying to watch for me as ATINY. 🥹

Lately, I’ve been so happy seeing him in the likes of so many of the BAD reels that pop up on my Instagram feed. It means he knows he’s going viral for all the right reasons. His family doesn’t even need to search him up, he’s literally taken over everyone’s feed!!!

submitted by /u/atzbluebird
[link] [comments]

Latest News from Korea

  • Lee congratulates Trump, US citizens on 250th anniv. of American independence
    President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump and the people of the United States on the 250th anniversary of American independence, referring to South Korea as a “precious partner” to the U.S. Lee wrote the message on X, formerly known as Twitter, as the U.S. commemorated the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding Saturday. “The U.S.… Read more: Lee congratulates Trump, US citizens on 250th anniv. of American independence
  • Coupang’s US entanglement
    The decision by Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Trump administration to publicly accuse Korea of unfairly targeting Coupang marks a troubling escalation in bilateral tensions. What should have remained a regulatory dispute has now been elevated into a political and trade issue, with American politicians echoing allegations that Seoul is discriminating against a U.S.-owned e-commerce… Read more: Coupang’s US entanglement
  • Thinking in 3 languages
    The biggest lesson I have learnt about language did not come from my Korean classroom. It came while reading an English essay written by my Korean student. Until recently, I assumed learning a language was mostly about memorizing vocabulary and grammar. After all, that is what language classes often seem to revolve around. Now, after studying English, Chinese and Korean,… Read more: Thinking in 3 languages
  • Forrest green
    Forrest green
  • The ‘new’ 6.25 of Korean genealogy
    Americans call it the Korean War. Koreans call the three-year fratricidal war that broke out on June 25, 1950, the “yug-i-o,” meaning the day the war began. Like Dec. 7, 1941 (“a day that will live in infamy” — FDR), or Sept. 11, 2001, these were days so horrific that the event is known by that day as a numeric.… Read more: The ‘new’ 6.25 of Korean genealogy

Latest Entertainment from Korea

Learn People & History of Korea