The present J-Hope, Poppin Lilgun who dances the future

Screen capture| j-hope ‘NEURON (with Gaeko, Yoonmirae)’ music video

Children who grew up watching K-pop. Very rarely, someone steps onto the stage.

“This child really loves the stage.”

At some point, his father said he felt that way.

These days, K-pop no longer exists only on stage. Through YouTube and short-form videos, it spreads across the world, and countless children grow up imitating those dances. Some become fans, and some keep it as a hobby. And very rarely, someone steps inside that stage.

The boy I want to introduce today is Poppin Lilgun (real name Lee Geon). His name is a dance name personally given by his idol, Poppin Hyun Joon. In fact, Lilgun's first object of admiration was not an ‘idol’ but a ‘robot’. Then one day, seeing Poppin Hyun Joon dance on TV changed the young boy's world, and from that day on the robot became not a toy but a dance.

Among Poppin Lilgun's credits, the one that drew the most attention was appearing in BTS J-Hope's ‘NEURON (Neuron)’ music video. In truth, ‘NEURON’ holds special meaning for J-Hope. It is a track that contains the memories and formative years of street dancer Jung Ho-seok before he became a BTS member. And the person who portrayed that childhood in those memories was Poppin Lilgun.

He was not merely a participant, but a dancer who embodied in his body the memories of a boy who loved to dance.

In particular, for about 30 seconds after the 2 minute 53 second mark, there is a sequence that recalls those days, as another boy who loves dance, Poppin Lilgun, becomes the young J-Hope and fills the screen.

After the music video was released, overseas fans on social media and in online communities interpreted the boy as a symbol of “young J-Hope” or “Jung Ho-seok, the boy who loved to dance.” A music video with nearly 20 million views. Many fans may not have known the name of the boy on screen.

That boy is named Poppin Lilgun.

In a moment, the two overlapped: the J-Hope of the present and Poppin Lilgun, who is dancing the future.

Though their times are different, they resemble each other in expressing themselves through dance. In fact, Lilgun chose J-Hope as his favorite artist, citing his command of the stage, free groove, and the way he genuinely enjoys himself on stage. He also spoke of a dream to one day dance on the same stage as the artist he admires.

But even after the interview ended, another line kept coming to mind.

“When I dance, I feel I can express myself best.”

It is a short sentence, but it stayed with me. We often view K-pop from the perspective of flashy choreography and technique. Yet, in the end, what moves people is not technique but expression. Some express themselves through song, and others through writing. For Lilgun, dance is the most honest language to explain himself.

Photo courtesy of|=Poppin Lilgun

His dance had already crossed borders.

Lilgun said he once received a gift of shoes from a fan living in Seattle in the United States. The boy who dreamed while watching stars on TV has now become someone who receives support from others.

Asked what kind of dancer he wants to become, Lilgun answered like this.

“Someday I want to create performances that people around the world can enjoy together. I want to be a dancer who can change the atmosphere just by stepping onto the stage, and an artist whose style is distinctly my own.”

A boy who liked robots and nurtured a dream while watching Poppin Hyun Joon dance. A dancer who embodied the childhood of J-Hope. And someday, someone else may start dancing after seeing Poppin Lilgun.

The dance of one generation becomes the memory of the next.

So it was with Poppin Hyun Joon, and so it was with J-Hope. And now that baton is being handed to another generation. Even after the interview, one answer kept coming back to me.

“No one is perfect from the start. Do not be self-conscious about others; believe in your own style.”

It is a sentence so firm that it is hard to believe it came from a 14-year-old. Perhaps the true power of K-pop performance lies not only in the stars now on stage, but in the next generation who watch those stages and dream of their own futures.

As I wrapped up the column, I asked his father.

What do you want most for Lilgun?

“I hope he does not lose, for a long time, the heart that loves dance more than results or popularity.”

After a brief thought, his father continued.

“On stage he is Poppin Lilgun, but at home he is Lee Geon, full of laughter and playfulness.”

A boy who performs on professional stages, receives support from overseas fans, and portrayed the childhood of J-Hope.

Yet to his father, he is still a 14-year-old boy, full of laughter and mischief.