Aegyo-Master Idol Changes How Military Group Pictures Get Done

One person single-handedly changed the way pictures at his Korean military group are taken.

Introducing MONSTA X‘s Joohoney, one of the K-Pop idols most associated with the word aegyo or “acting cute.” Though he’s not the youngest in his group, he’s the one who most often steps up when it comes to doing aegyo on camera.

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He’s the mastermind behind the viral “Kku Kku Kka Kka” trend that other idols even copied.

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The rapper recently took a break from the K-Pop world to fulfill his mandatory military enlistment. As Monbebes, the group’s fandom, noticed, he smiled widely in his goodbye picture with his fellow members. It set the tune for what would become the so-called “Monbebefication” of his military platoon.

| STARSHIP Entertainment

The usual type of photos that Korean men take with their platoon mates show them posing formally with their backs straight.

MONSTA X’s Shownu | STARSHIP Entertainment

A more casual version is often just the soldiers holding up a classic peace sign.

MONSTA X’s Minhyuk | STARSHIP Entertainment

Joohoney’s, on the other hand, did an aegyo pose with him. They started with a heart pose that most Koreans are aware of. It is, however, considered basic in the idol world.

The next one was a more trendy version of the heart where they placed half of it on their cheeks. They even made their group photo symmetrical with the ones in the middle doing a complete heart instead.

They got only cuter from then on! The MONSTA X rapper lead the way for more progressively adorable gestures.

Eventually, Joohoney’s influence was so strong that they moved on from the typical aegyo to even doing the MONSTA logo with their fingers.

Korean netizens found the entire progression adorable. It was a rare informal take on the usual platoon photos that are released to the public—and they loved it.

• So cute, LOL
• I LOVE MILITARY X, haha. I feel like I should be saluting.
• All of these pictures are frickin’ adorable. Haha.
• They’re so cute, LOL.
• Cuuuute!
• How adorable! Joohoney is usually a good sport, but seeing him so happy makes me feel a lot more relieved.

Joohoney announced his enlistment on July 11. He officially left on July 24, moving on to complete his basic military training.