Meet San Of ATEEZ: K-Pop’s Viral Gateway Idol

K-pop sensation ATEEZ’s latest music video, “BAD,” has been receiving all kinds of attention. The song is an earworm – extremely catchy. It’s hard to avoid singing the chorus: “She's so bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad (Ooh, wee) / She's so bad (Chk-chk-chk-cha), ayy (Run it all night solo) / Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad (Ooh, wee) / She's so bad (Chk-cha, chk-cha), yeah (Run it all night solo).” It also doesn’t hurt that Hollywood’s rising starlet – and hardcore ATINY (name for ATEEZ fans) – Chase Infiniti stars in it. She gets to act opposite her favorite group, which comprises Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. She is especially excited to star opposite her “bias,” San.

San (full name: Choi San), the 26-year-old muscular South Korean artist, has been going viral since the music video dropped. During one of the choruses, he is front and center doing the signature choreography, which has been getting a lot of attention. Fans have nicknamed that portion of San’s choreography near the end “Let’s All Die,” with many overlaying that routine onto their panicked, stressed, or passed-out faces. At one point, there are a few videos that express San being the “gay awakening” for several South Korean men who identify as “straight.” As of today, the music video, released on June 26, has over 22 million views, with San’s portion being the “Most Played.”

Just two days later, the group appeared on the music show SBS’s Inkigayo as part of their promotional tour. Again, San, this time in a white tank, wowed the crowd during his moment and became the “Most Watched” for that video with 1.5 million views. While the other videos did not offer the timestamp viewer information, fan cams and edits of San’s dance began popping up, going viral yet again. It’s difficult to avoid seeing him on the algorithm if one follows general K-pop content.

ATEEZ’s company, KQ Entertainment, knew what was going on and released a demo version of San's choreography that did not include the popular segment. San offered a high-energy, fast-paced move rather than the slow, sensual part.

It’s not the first time San has gone viral, attracting new followers to the ATEEZ fanbase. The vocalist is part of the “Demon” line from ATEEZ (which also includes Hongjoong and Seonghwa), which means their performance is strong, emotive, captivating, and demonic – it almost feels possessed. Several of his performances have gone viral, particularly ones where he’s practically shirtless (See “Hala Hala”). He went so intense once that he broke his microphone. During the 2024 MAMA Awards, San left everyone in shock with his ending fairy, which featured him taking off his jacket as he walked away, revealing a giant (fake) tattoo.

He’s also gone viral for the group’s previous music video, “Ice On My Teeth,” from the EP GOLDEN HOUR: Part 2. The two “Most Watched” moments were the one-second clip of San shirtless, looking up, and the one of San in a suit and glasses, dancing to the chorus.

He is often described as a person’s “gateway” to ATEEZ or to K-pop in general. Fans often notice his charismatic stage presence and sexual appeal in music videos. Though he has many fans who favor him, he is often the first bias for fans before they learn more about the other members. San has complained over the years about fans telling him, “I got to know ATEEZ because of you.” “I became a fan because of you.” When he asks them who their bias is, they stare blankly at San, refusing to answer, letting the time run out before moving on. He says during one live, “I did not make this up. It is real. Really, I get this a lot in one day.”

These interactions have been documented, as San often asks fans about their biases (and whether it was him), leaving them flustered — because he is not. Some tell San he’s their mom, sibling, partner, kid, or someone else’s favorite. He then trolls them afterward, jokingly.

ATEEZ gained an influx of fans after Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters premiered, with comparisons between the real-life group and the fictional demonic K-pop group, Saja Boys. One character, ABBY, was often compared to San, as they both have the same physique. More ATEEZ videos began appearing in social media algorithms that followed Kpop Demon Hunters and Saja Boys content. Fans of the film began watching clips of ATEEZ, with San at the center. They just wanted to research them further, finding themselves digging deeper into the fandom.

That’s what happened with pop culture critic Tessa Smith, who had never listened to K-pop before the Netflix film. Videos of ATEEZ, particularly San's fancams, began appearing in her feed. Her friends, who were ATINYs, began sending her more clips of San, and she “fell down the rabbit hole.”

She became enamored with San and decided to attend an ATEEZ concert, her first K-pop concert ever. She recalls, “As a baby ATINY, I was fully committed to him. The way he loves his body and his obvious good looks were what got me at first, but the more I watched, the more I fell in love with the songs and his voice. I purchased his jersey and other merchandise before the IN YOUR FANTASY tour and had him as my [phone] background.”

After the concert, she found herself drawn to another member and wanted to get to know them better. She learned about all eight members and says she’s OT8 (meaning ‘One True 8’ that represents loving all eight members together) but is now a Hongjoong bias. She clarifies, “I’m a Hongjoong bias with seven wreckers, because, after all, ‘8 Makes 1 Team’ (ATEEZ’s core motto).”

Though San may be the gateway for fans to learn more about ATEEZ as a whole, he doesn’t have to worry about ever running out of fans. Since the release of ATEEZ’s GOLDEN HOUR PT. 5 and the music video for “BAD,” San has gained over 1 million more Instagram followers, reaching 11.4 million and slightly surpassing the group’s official Instagram by 200k. He’s also been seen appreciating the love he’s received, responding to fans by ‘liking’ their posts or commenting. He posted a note on ATEEZ’s messaging app expressing his gratitude for the love and for fans enjoying their own version of the viral dance.

Hongjoong said on a recent livestream that the group is grateful for the attention they are getting, especially with San. He says, “San worked incredibly hard preparing for this, so seeing so many people recognize that makes me really proud as someone who's been watching him up close. And it’s just really nice seeing our song everywhere too.”

Many of those who were drawn into ATEEZ because of San have remained San biases, including Inifiniti. Not just for his good looks, strong vocals, and charismatic performances, but also for his pretty funny content, especially when trolling the fans.

ATINYs can expect more to join their ATEEZ ‘fellowship’ as the group continues to climb the charts, achieving their third No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart. It’s expected that San – as well as the other members – will go viral again soon, so it’s time to make some more room.