ENHYPEN's Sunghoon Carries Olympic Torch in Milan: 'Honored to Promote Korean Sports'

ENHYPEN member Sunghoon, serving as Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) promotional ambassador and Olympic torch bearer at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, expressed deep emotion, revealing that participating in the Olympics was his first dream.

"During my days as a figure skater, the Olympics was my first dream. Being an idol could be called my second dream," Sunghoon said at a press conference held at Korea House in Villa Necchi Campiglio, Milan, Italy, on Sunday. "Although I came here in a different profession, I'm honored to promote Korean sports at the Olympics."

Sunghoon, a member of ENHYPEN who debuted in 2020, is well known as a former figure skater. He served on the national reserve team and competed in the International Skating Union (ISU) Junior Grand Prix.

He also shares a friendship with Cha Jun-hwan, Korea's top male figure skater competing at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, and the two have performed together at broadcast music award ceremonies.

"Figure skating is inseparable from who I am," Sunghoon said, showing his continued affection for the sport. Though he never reached the Olympic stage as an athlete, he is now promoting the Olympics and Korea through various activities as a K-pop star.

When Sunghoon and Cha arrived together in Milan the previous day, fans flocked to the airport in large numbers. Sunghoon, who carried the Olympic torch after being recommended by official Olympic sponsor Samsung Electronics, said, "I'm happy to share this Olympic journey with everyone. Many 'Engenes' (ENHYPEN's fandom) came, and I felt the passion of sports fans as well. I learned a lot and wanted to spread positive influence."

"Although I came here in a different profession, I believe I've achieved my Olympic dream because everything I've done led me here," he emphasized.

"As KSOC promotional ambassador, I think a lot about what I can do. I'll try to help more people enjoy Korean sports, just as I always do. There's great content including the Olympics, and I hope to share it with many people," he added.

Sunghoon plans to attend the men's figure skating short program in person during the Olympics to watch Cha perform. "As a younger colleague, I've always watched and learned a lot from Jun-hwan. He's so good at everything that you could say he's achieved 'hexagon' status in all areas," he said. "I've watched both him and Kim Hyun-kyum from the sidelines, and I know how talented they are, so I hope they achieve great results."