BTS’ J-Hope: Main Dancer Who Built a Distinct Solo Career With BTS set to return as a group in March, anticipation is building worldwide. The comeback news, carried by Arirang, along with plans for a world tour, is prompting immediate reactions beyond the music industry, including in tourism and broader local economies. BTS is seen as both a force with global economic impact and a symbolic name that elevates South Korea’s image. Ahead of the comeback, this outlet is profiling the seven members in a “BTS Member Spotlight” series. <Editor’s note> J-Hope, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, serves as BTS’ main dancer as well as a sub-rapper and sub-vocalist. Onstage, he is known for driving the rhythm early and anchoring the choreography. Choreographers and fellow members have cited him as the group’s top dancer. Since his trainee days, he has helped lead the members’ dance practice and is known for mastering difficult moves quickly, a responsibility that remains central to the group’s performances. Though he started as a dancer, his growth as a rapper has also stood out. He learned rap after joining the company and has shown clear progress with each album. Early tracks such as “BTS Cypher PT.3: KILLER” from “DARK & WILD” and “BTS Cypher pt.1” from “O!RUL8,2?” captured a rougher energy, while “Moving” from “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life pt.1” showed a smoother tone and flow. His rap is marked by wide shifts in pitch and a distinctive flow, heard in songs including “Save ME,” “BTS Cypher PT.3: KILLER” and “BTS Cypher 4.” His presence is also felt in vocal parts. His solo track “MAMA,” included on the second full-length album “WINGS,” foregrounded his personal story in a confession to his mother. He has delivered standout moments in songs such as “AWAKE” and “Whalien 52.” RM has praised him, saying he has “an excellent sense for creating popular melodies,” a line often cited to describe J-Hope’s musical instincts. J-Hope began moving as a creator relatively early. In December 2015, he released his first track, “1 VERSE,” signaling the start of more personal work. He followed with his first mixtape, “Hope World,” in March 2018. Its title track, “Daydream,” highlighted his bright energy and color, marking a shift from performer to an artist shaping his own world. That expansion continued with “Chicken Noodle Soup,” released in September 2019. The song borrowed the original chorus and drew attention through a collaboration with Becky G, gaining mainstream traction as a TikTok challenge spread. In 2022, he released his first official solo album, “Jack In The Box,” presenting a darker inner world and personal 고민 at the forefront. In March 2023, he released “on the street,” a warmer, lo-fi hip-hop track built around hope and comfort. Using the street as a motif, it looked back on his beginnings and the time since, with J-Hope participating in writing and composing to set the direction. The song reached No. 1 on iTunes in multiple regions and entered the U.K. Official Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, underscoring his presence as a solo artist. On Spotify, it has continued to accumulate streams over time. In 2024, he broadened the “street” theme again with the special album “HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1,” tied to a documentary project. In March 2025, he released “Sweet Dreams,” an R&B-leaning love song centered on a dreamy sound and soft vocal lines, described as a signal of full-scale solo activity after his discharge. Later that March, “MONA LISA” paired hip-hop R&B with a more relaxed vibe and performance, carrying a message about each person’s uniqueness rather than outward beauty. In June, “Killin’ It Girl” pushed a more direct hip-hop track and stronger performance. He took part in the production of these releases as well, reinforcing his identity as a solo artist. Onstage, J-Hope remains a dancer who holds the group’s center. He is especially strong in choreography that demands technique, including “technical wave” and popping, and he also stands out in freestyle. His past experience as a street dancer still shows in his performances. His opening freestyle in stages such as “MIC DROP” is often cited as a signature moment. Known for bright energy and a diligent approach, J-Hope is an artist who helps lift the group’s mood while shaping both performance and music. Within BTS, he has long been the one to raise the temperature of the stage first. His solo work has shown that role extends beyond the group.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 06:03:00

Lee Hae-in, Shin Jia Advance to Women’s Free Skate at 2026 Milan Olympics Lee Hae-in of Korea University and Shin Jia of Sewha Girls’ High School both qualified for the free skate in the women’s singles at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Lee scored 70.07 points in the short program at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 18 Korean time, earning 37.61 in technical elements (TES) and 32.46 in program components (PCS). It was her season-best short-program score, and she stood second in the interim standings after 17 skaters across three groups had performed. Skating to Christopher Tin’s “Siren,” Lee opened with a clean triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, then landed a double Axel and a triple flip. She received level 4 on the flying camel spin, sit spin, change-foot combination spin and step sequence. Shin totaled 65.66 points (TES 35.79, PCS 30.87) to advance. Skating to Chopin’s “Nocturne,” she fell on her triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination. She later completed a double Axel and a triple flip, and earned level 4 on the flying camel spin, change-foot combination spin and step sequence. Her final layback spin was graded level 3. A total of 29 skaters competed in the women’s short program, with the top 24 advancing to the free skate, scheduled for Feb. 20.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 05:54:00

Albania’s Lara Colturi, Once ‘in the Womb’ at Turin Games, Races at Milan-Cortina Some athletes have experienced both the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, returning to the same stage 20 years later. Among them are American ski star Lindsey Vonn and Italian short-track standout Arianna Fontana. Another athlete has an unusual link to both Games: Albanian alpine skier Lara Colturi. Born in November 2006, Colturi was already at the Turin Olympics — in her mother’s womb. Her mother, Daniela Ceccarelli, competed for Italy in alpine skiing at the time. Colturi raced in the women’s giant slalom on Feb. 15 (Korean time) at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, clocking 1 minute, 3.97 seconds to finish in a tie for fourth. She narrowly missed the medals. In an interview with the Olympic Channel, Colturi said, “Except for the Olympics I attended while in my mother’s belly, this is my first Olympics,” adding, “Until now I lived as Ceccarelli’s daughter, but now I feel like I’ve truly become an Olympian.” She added, “I want a better result in slalom,” and said she hopes to “make new history as Albania’s first Winter Olympic medalist.” Ceccarelli won gold in the women’s super-G at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. At the 2006 Turin Games, she competed despite being pregnant and dealing with a knee injury. Colturi switched her sporting nationality to Albania to train in a more independent environment. Coached by her mother, she made her International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cup debut in 2022 at age 15 and is now competing on the Olympic stage.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 04:33:00

Korea Sports Council Holds Lunar New Year ‘Korea Day’ Event in Milan The Korea Sports Council held a Lunar New Year “Korea Day” event in Milan, Italy, where the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics are being staged. The council said it ran a hands-on program Feb. 17 (local time) at Korea House set up at Villa Necchi Campiglio, introducing Korean holiday traditions to local residents and Koreans living in the area. The event included traditional folk games such as jegichagi, along with a K-pop cover dance performance and a stage by the Jeonbuk State Gugak Center. Participants also shared tteokguk, a rice-cake soup commonly eaten for the holiday. About 100 people attended, including Kim Jun-gu, South Korea’s ambassador to Italy; Choi Tae-ho, consul general in Milan; and Noh Hee-young, head of the Korea House support team.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 02:15:00

South Korea women fall 7-5 to top-ranked Switzerland in Olympic curling round-robin South Korea’s women’s curling team lost 7-5 to world No. 1 Switzerland in Olympic round-robin play, tightening the race for a spot in the semifinals. World No. 3 South Korea — skip Kim Eun-ji, third Kim Min-ji, second Seol Ye-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun and alternate Kim Su-ji — fell in its seventh round-robin game at the Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Feb. 18 (Korea time). South Korea dropped into a tie for fourth at 4-3 with Canada. Sweden led at 6-1, followed by Switzerland and the United States at 5-2. South Korea had been tied for second a day earlier. The teams were even early after South Korea scored first in the opening end, but Switzerland seized momentum with three points in the second. The match stayed close through the middle ends as the teams traded single points. Switzerland pulled away in the ninth with a double takeout that produced two points. South Korea tried to set up a big final end but could not score enough in the 10th to complete the comeback. In women’s curling, 10 teams play a round-robin, with the top four advancing to the semifinals and a medal-round bracket. South Korea next faces Sweden on Feb. 18 and then Canada on Feb. 19.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 01:39:00

Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final With Yoo Seung-eun Postponed to Feb. 18 at Milan Olympics The women’s snowboard slopestyle final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics was postponed for a day because of heavy snow. The organizing committee said on Feb. 17 (local time) that worsening weather forced it to delay the final, now set for Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. in South Korea). The event had been scheduled for 1 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Livigno Snow Park, but heavy snowfall in the Alps prompted a change. The organizers and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation said snow made it difficult to maintain visibility and speed, complicating safe operations. The men’s slopestyle final, originally set for 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 18, was moved up to 11:20 a.m., followed by the women’s final. South Korea’s Yoo Seung-eun of Seongbok High School will compete in the women’s final after placing third in qualifying with 76.8 points. Yoo earlier won bronze in women’s big air, becoming the first South Korean woman to medal in Olympic snowboarding. She will try to win a second medal in slopestyle. Slopestyle is judged on difficulty and execution as riders navigate a course featuring rails, jumps and other obstacles. In nearby Aerial Moguls Park, freestyle skiing aerials qualifying for both men and women was also postponed because of heavy snow. The women’s event is scheduled for Feb. 18, and the men’s for Feb. 19, with qualifying and finals to be held on the same day for each.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 01:02:59

Eileen Gu Wins Big Air Silver for Fifth Career Olympic Medal Eileen Gu of China, one of the biggest stars heading into the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, added a milestone even without gold: She became the first woman in freestyle skiing to win five career Olympic medals. Gu scored 179 points to take silver in the women’s freestyle skiing big air final at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on Feb. 17 (Korean time). Canada’s Megan Oldham won gold with 180.75. “I’m really proud to have won five medals. It feels special,” Gu said afterward. Gu was the inaugural Olympic champion in women’s big air when the event debuted at the 2022 Beijing Games, but she fell short of a second straight title this time. After winning two golds and a silver in Beijing, she has two silvers so far at this Olympics with two of three events completed. Born to an American father and a Chinese mother, Gu competes for China and is known as the highest-earning athlete in the field over the past year. Forbes estimated her annual income at $23 million. The final was delayed by more than an hour because of heavy snow. In the last practice run, Gu hit her head hard enough to break her helmet. “I’m glad the competition was delayed. I had time to calm down while icing my head,” she said. “If it hadn’t been postponed, I don’t think I would have gotten this kind of result.” With the silver, Gu now has two golds and three silvers in her Olympic career. That ties Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury for the most Olympic medals in freestyle skiing and gives Gu the outright women’s record. Gu will compete in the halfpipe starting Feb. 20, seeking another medal and aiming for a second straight Olympic title in that event after Beijing.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 00:54:00

NBC Ranks Choi Ga-on’s Comeback Halfpipe Gold Over Chloe Kim Among Top Milan Highlights Choi Ga-on’s comeback win in the women’s snowboard halfpipe at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics was named one of NBC’s top 10 moments from the first half of the Games. On Feb. 17 (local time), NBC, the U.S. Olympic rights holder, posted its “top 10 moments” list covering the first 10 days after the opening of the Olympics. Choi’s gold medal was ranked No. 8. In an article headlined, “Choi Ga-on beats Chloe Kim (USA) to win halfpipe gold,” NBC wrote that Kim “seemed certain” to complete a three-peat in Milan-Cortina, but said the only athlete who could stop her was South Korea’s 17-year-old newcomer, Choi. NBC added that it was “like a student beating the teacher,” and said it was striking to see Choi and Kim celebrating together. NBC’s top pick was the 18-month-old baby of Swiss mixed doubles curling players Briar Schwaller and Yannick Schwaller, who drew attention by mimicking curling while the parents competed. NBC ranked, from No. 2 to No. 7, American alpine skier Breezy Johnson’s women’s downhill title; Norway’s Johannes Klaebo setting a record with nine career individual Winter Olympic gold medals; Lucas Pinheiro Braathen winning Brazil’s first Winter Olympic gold (alpine skiing); Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov winning men’s figure skating singles gold; Ilia Malinin’s figure skating team event gold; and U.S. women’s hockey defenseman Laila Edwards. Italian alpine skier Federica Brignone, who won two gold medals on home courses, was No. 9. American cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, who won bronze in her retirement season, was No. 10. Choi’s comeback victory also made The Athletic’s list of the first half’s “seven best moments” a day earlier, drawing international attention.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-17 20:12:00

Lee Ho-seon Quits Disney+ Variety Show 'Fate War 49' After One Episode Counseling expert and TV personality Lee Ho-seon said she left the Disney+ variety show “Fate War 49” after just one episode. In a post on social media on the 16th, Lee wrote, “No matter what anyone says, I am a Christian for life,” adding that she has done counseling “for a long time, though shorter than that.” She also shared a photo bearing the phrase “jagoejisim,” a term meaning self-reproach. Lee wrote that she is always mindful of “God’s gaze” and prays for the people she counsels. She added that many clients, carrying anxiety, move between fortune-telling shops, religious institutions and counseling sessions, and that she studies the differences between counseling and shamanism. She said she has tried to avoid losing her identity while researching “whether it reads fate or stamps fate,” and how counseling differs from shamanistic practices. Lee said she stepped down after one episode because “only after it started did I realize it wasn’t my path.” She added that she learned she must be more careful about the road ahead and said she would turn back from the path she entered and “live with a clear head.” After her departure, actor Park Ha-seon was brought in as a replacement. Online commenters responded with messages such as, “It takes courage to appear, but it also takes courage to step down,” and “I completely understand how you feel.” “Fate War 49” is a survival show in which 49 fortune tellers test their fate through a series of missions. The cast includes shamans and tarot readers, among other practitioners. The show also features broadcaster Park Na-rae, who has faced allegations of abusing her manager and controversy over an alleged violation of medical law. Park withdrew from all broadcasts after the controversy surfaced in December, but “Fate War 49” was preproduced and has aired her appearances without edits. Producers have said the show’s core is competition among a large cast and that Park appears as one of several panelists, maintaining their stance that there will be no editing. The decision has sparked debate online. 2026-02-17 19:36:00

Snowboarder Lee Chae-woon reflects after landing historic trick but finishing sixth at Milan Olympics South Korea’s Lee Chae-woon, who finished sixth at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics despite landing a world-first trick, shared a measured reaction in a social media post. Lee wrote on his SNS account on Feb. 17 that he had returned to South Korea after “the huge dream stage called the Olympics,” adding, “I thought about a lot of things.” “Even though I landed the world’s first frontside triple 1620, I still don’t know why I got 87.50 points and ended in sixth,” he wrote. “But I don’t want to hold on to regret or lingering feelings.” He said what mattered was that he delivered everything he had. “To the question, ‘Did you really pour out everything you have?’ I can say confidently that I did,” he wrote. Lee added that the pressure was heavy before his third run after falling on his first two. He said he rode with his parents cheering below and fans supporting him regardless of nationality, adding that it would not be an exaggeration to say he “put his life on the line” as he tried to do everything he could. “Now what I can do is break through that wall and make other athletes feel a wall from me,” he wrote, adding that while he believed he had worked hard, he “may have been lacking” against “the wall of the world.” He later added, “I’m not alone,” and said he would repay the support “in a bigger way.” Online commenters responded with messages such as “You worked hard,” “Thank you for a great performance,” and “For us, it was a gold medal.” Lee placed sixth with 87.50 points in the men’s snowboard halfpipe final on Feb. 14 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, despite landing the world-first trick. Lee, the 2025 Harbin Asian Games slopestyle gold medalist, showed top-level form on the Olympic stage. He is viewed as part of a rising generation in South Korean snowboarding alongside Choi Ga-on, who won gold in women’s snowboard halfpipe at the same Olympics, and Yoo Seung-eun, who took bronze in women’s snowboard big air. Attention is also on whether Lee can rebound at the 2030 Alps Winter Olympics in France. 2026-02-17 19:15:00