Performing As A Figure Skater Versus As A K-Pop Idol: ENHYPEN’s Sunghoon Takes His Pick

Before ENHYPEN‘s Sunghoon was a K-Pop idol, he was a rising star in the figure skating world. He reached the podium in both local and international competitions as a teen and young adult, such as in novice competitions Asian Figure Skating Trophy and Lombardia Trophy in the 2015-2016 season.

Despite being a prominent member of the South Korean figure skating community, he decided to stop his training in order to become a K-Pop idol. He gained attention in the survival program I-LAND and eventually made his debut with ENHYPEN.

In a new interview with Weverse Magazine, he briefly looked back on his past. He opened up about the main reason why he loved skating in the past—because of the sense of achievement he gained each time he stepped on the ice.

When I used to figure skate, I just…I think I liked it because of the sense of accomplishment it gave me.

— Sunghoon

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This was not enough for him to choose to become a skater full time.

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Performing as a K-Pop idol is vastly different in his eyes. He finds it fun to do so in front of a cheering audience.

The feeling I get from performing is different. It’s just fun to sing and dance while everybody cheers us on.

— Sunghoon

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After balancing both his skating and K-Pop trainee lives for a period of time, he decided to pick the one he liked more. It was an easy choice for the born artist.

The more I got into it, the more fun it was to spend time with my trainee friends, and watching other artists do amazing performances on stage made me really want to do that too. I became more and more interested in being an idol.

— Sunghoon

Sunghoon added in a separate interview that he wishes to film fewer videos of himself skating. After all, his occupation is now as a singer.

I’m not a figure skater anymore—I’m Sunghoon from ENHYPEN. And, as a member of ENHYPEN, I really want to show a new side of myself.

— Sunghoon

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Read more about it below.

Why ENHYPEN’s Sunghoon Thinks It’s Time To “Say Goodbye” To Making Figure Skating Content