Horanghae Day: The 10 Most Iconic Moods and Moments of SEVENTEEN's Hoshi
- KD Rossly
- Jun 15
- 5 min read
From claiming to be South Korea's last tiger to setting a new gold standard in performance, here's an unfiltered and fearless birthday tribute to SEVENTEEN's Hoshi.
When Hoshi enters a room, energy shifts, logic wobbles, and chaos politely kicks down the door. As SEVENTEEN’s resident tiger-enthusiast, performance king, and meme machine, Kwon Soonyoung is a walking contradiction in the best way, He is disciplined but unhinged, sharp but soft, and fierce but full of feels. Whether this 96-baby is choreographing masterpieces or declaring his own hotness mid-interview, Hoshi serves moments that occupy more of our CARAT brains than we would like to admit.
Consider this your backstage pass into his most iconic moods—no filter, no fear, just pure, uncut Hoshi energy. Prepare for laughter, whiplash, and at least one existential crisis.
"I'm a Tiger" Agenda
Hoshi at a Kaws exhibit | Image from @ho5hi_kwon on Instagram
While fans may lovingly (read: teasingly) call him a hamster, Hoshi stands his ground firmly; he is a tiger.
This multifaceted talent machine isn't just a threat on the dance floor and behind a mic. Rather, he's also the genius behind the "horanghae" term, which is a clever combo of "saranghae" (I love you) and "horangi" (tiger). So yes, Hoshi tigers you, and that has so much more weight than "I love you."
To boot, his "horanghae" claw-like sign is strong enough to summon his tiger cult in any crowd. At this point, he should seriously consider having that trademarked. The power of the claw is second to none in CARAT land.
Manifesting Brand Collaborations
If you are still trying to master the art of manifestation and understand the law of attraction, you can put your self-help guides down, and just ask Hoshi how he successfully manifested his collaboration with Kellogg's!
Back in March this year, the SEVENTEEN member joined forces with the legendary breakfast powerhouse to launch a "Kellogg's Hoshi Collaboration Pack." This featured his personal favorite day-starters all dolled up in unique package designs and "Soon-Tony Drawing Cards" that contained secret QR codes for a special video from HOSHI.
And so, Tony the Tiger met HOSHI the Tiger.
Chasing Up a Chaos Storm in Dubai for 'Bro & Marble'
In 2023, Hoshi and Joshua brought the soul to Dubai in the variety show, Bro & Marble. Inspired by Monopoly, each pair was tasked with collecting as many properties as possible across the city. On top of that, they had to balance their cash flow and play random games that truly put their skills (and bro-hood trust) to the test!
From cracking brain-bending riddles to full-on excavating desert sand with his bare hands like a chaotic archaeologist in search of dice, Hoshi's boundless energy lit up Bro & Marble like a Dubai sunset on espresso. Teaming up with fellow SEVENTEEN legend and resident soft chaos-bringer Joshua, the two formed Shi Bros—a duo so endearingly unhinged, even GPS couldn’t predict their next move. Alongside icons like Lee Dong Hwi, Yoo Yeon Seok, Kyuhyun, Ji Suk Jin, and Jo Se Ho (with the ever-graceful host Lee Seung Gi trying to keep the peace), the show served pure comedy gold...with just a sprinkle of sandy regret.
Getting Candid with Youngji in "My Alcohol Diary"
Also known as 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만, My Alcohol Diary is the brainchild of rapper Lee Youngji—an artist with a booming voice, a louder laugh, and a talent for getting K-pop idols to spill more than just their drinks. Her YouTube show has become a haven for stars to loosen up, speak freely, and occasionally cry (or laugh...or cry and laugh) into a shot glass.
In 2022, everyone’s favorite tiger, Hoshi, showed up and promptly stole the show. Between tearfully professing his love for Pledis Entertainment (yes, really), fanboying over G-Dragon, and casually announcing his dream of marriage and kids, he gave viewers everything and then some. Oh, and did we mention he sobbed while hugging a bag of ice? It was part promotion for SEVENTEEN’s record-shattering Face the Sun LP… and part emotional rollercoaster that had us hitting replay like it held answers the universe wouldn’t give us.
Fueling Up the Fashion Scene with DIESEL
Diesel x Hoshi | Image from @diesel on Instagram
July 2024 will go down in history as the time when luxury brand, DIESEL, announced Hoshi as their brand ambassador. Evidently, never ever running out of fuel for performing like he was born with a built-in spotlight, running around the Going SEVENTEEN set like he owns the place, or serving looks like he belongs on the cover of every magazine, Hoshi and DIESEL are fashion's boldest power couple.
Whatever Hoshi runs on (batteries, fuel, or pure solar power), DIESEL suits him like a tiger to his stripes.
Going All Out On 'Going SEVENTEEN'
Hoshi looks completely in his element on stage, but he looks most at home when he's cooking up a lovable pandemonium with his 12 brothers. Put Hoshi in a 'Don't Lie' game to see how he metaphorically malfunctions when he figures out who the mafia is in the game.
If you want to see him dominate the karaoke machine and test his alcohol intake while relaxing by a pool with the rest of SEVENTEEN, then the TTT (MT SVT REALITY) series would make it to the top of your watch list. And spoiler: he tapped out and got tucked into bed way ahead of the other SVT members. Sleep well, little tiger!
On the other hand, if you are in the mood for something that would haunt you in the middle of the night, watch Going SEVENTEEN's The Tag episode. Long story short? SEVENTEEN was locked in pairs in a creepy building with fictional murderers. The goal was to escape, but too bad for Joshua that he was paired with Hoshi, who happily sacrificed him to save his own life in the game. Evil? Nah, more like evil genius!
Three Words: Boo Seok Soon
BooSeokSoon | Image from @ho5hi_kwon on Instagram
BooSeokSoon, consists of Seungkwan, DK, and Hoshi. They comprise the trio we never knew we needed, the subunit that burst into our lives like a dose of sunshine amplified by three. They debuted in 2018 with the single, "Just Do It", and ever since then, that's what they have been doing without fail...just doing things that make us laugh and loop their songs unapologetically.
BooSeokSoon cult, unite!
Cheers to His Iconic Dance Moves
If you don’t know the lore of the “pang pang” (팡팡) dance moves, then you’re either a baby CARAT or someone who clearly hasn’t spiraled deep enough into Hoshi-core content at 2 a.m. (which, honestly, feels like a you problem). But still, we forgive you! Here, watch the MV to get looped in...forever.
Caught in His 'Spider' Web
We're not even kidding when we say this this masterpiece will alter your brain chemistry...in a good way! Hoshi may be known as a tiger (cough...hamster), but he also spun a worldwide web with his earworm of a mixtape titled "Spider."
Gifted to the ears of the music world on April 2, 2021, the loop-worthy track has Hoshi's signature written all over it; from the lyricism to the choreography. Go, spidertiger!
Kimchi Cult
Is it safe to assume that Hoshi loves kimchi almost as much as he loves tigers? Honestly… probably (GASP).
In October 2023, he was launched as the very first brand ambassador for kimchi giant Jongga—a pairing so on-brand, we’re shocked it didn’t happen sooner. Since then, he’s starred in delightfully outlandish promos and even served fermented fabulousness in a kimchi-inspired Vogue Korea shoot. Because apparently, Hoshi doesn’t just eat kimchi, he embodies it. Now that’s what we call flavor-forward fashion.
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