K-pop stars are known for their busy schedules, but many of them enjoy gaming and live streaming. Stars like Hongseok, Miryo, EXO members, Sakura, and Soyeon play and share their gaming moments with fans online. From first-person shooters to battle royale titles, these stars reveal a relaxed and competitive side, blending music stardom with the growing culture of online gaming and streaming.
South Korea’s entertainment industry does well when things are tough. Idols practice for hours, record music, travel the world, and perform in front of lots of people all the time.
But many of them relax by playing online games, which millions of fans know well. Gaming has been a part of K-pop culture for a long time, so it’s no surprise that a lot of K-pop stars are logging in to play and stream games.This crossover shows a more relaxed side of the idols to their fans. Instead of polished on-stage performances, viewers see competitive antics, hilarious trash talk and real excitement during the matches.
Some idols even stream regularly, making gaming a second community where music fans and gamers can meet. These five K-Pop stars have had successful careers at the top of the charts and in the world of streaming games.
Five K-pop stars also stream games on the side
1. Hongseok (Pentagon )
펜타곤(PENTAGON) – 홍석이의 큐브 PC방 재방문!
Pentagon’s Yang Hong-seok has a quiet reputation among fans as a serious player. The singer loves fast-paced shooting games and plays Sudden Attack a lot. This Korean game is often compared to CS:GO. His love for the game led to a memorable moment for fans when he held a virtual fan signing event in the game lobby.
He even sang the Pentagon song “Dr. Baby” to his colleagues during the session. Fans can sometimes watch Hongseok playing games on the group’s official YouTube channel.
2. Mirio (brown-eyed girls)
[옵치] Thank you! 그리고 동요…
Jo “Mirio” Mi Hi is known for performing intense rap music, but she also loves playing video games. I started streaming in 2019 and tried a number of platforms, such as Twitch, AfreecaTV, and YouTube. Miryo likes a lot of games, including League of Legends, PUBG, Dead by Daylight, and Overwatch.
Sometimes she plays casual games with Son Ga-In, another member of the Brown Eyed Girls. She was so interested in Overwatch that she used makeup to make Ashe look like her during the broadcast.
3. EXO members
Through SM Entertainment’s Super Idol League live broadcast series, a few EXO members have become well-known in the gaming world. Park Chan-yeol played Honor of Kings, and Byun Baek-hyun and Oh Se-hun joined the games in League of Legends and PUBG.
The show features artists playing popular games and talking to fans at the same time. It also has other SM artists, such as Super Junior’s Kim Heechul and Girls’ Generation’s Sunny and Taeyeon.
4. Sakura from LE SSERAFIM
【Fortnite】10人倒すまで終われま10[フォトナイト]
It’s no secret that Miyawaki Sakura loves playing games. The Japanese star owns a PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, among other gaming systems. Her gameplay videos, especially from battle royale games like Fortnite, sometimes appear on her personal YouTube channel.
Fans often praise her skill level, showing that she is more than just an average player.
5. Soyeon (G)I-DLE
Jeon Soyeon, leader of (G)I-DLE, successfully combines music and gaming culture. I played Akali in the mid lane during a League of Legends live stream while showcasing K/DA merch. It has a deeper connection to the game. Soyeon and Miyeon, the other two members of K/DA, performed the hit song “POP/STARS” at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship. This brought the virtual characters to life on stage.For fans, these times make it difficult to tell the difference between being a pop star and being a gamer. The idols completely change when they pick up the controller. Just another player trying to win on the screen.
