The Race Heats Up for August
It’s only mid-August, but the fan wars are already in full swing. As of 6:44 PM on the 14th, K-pop rookie Choon Gil holds fourth place in the latest Netizen Awards’ Neo Star category with 4,289 votes (10.9%). That puts him just 166 votes behind current third-placer Min Soo-hyun, who’s sitting at 4,455 votes (11.4%).
Can His July Momentum Carry Over?
Choon Gil made a splash in July when he joined the awards for the first time and snagged fifth place with 5,478 votes. For a rookie jumping into the game mid-season, that was a power move. And now, he’s pushing even harder, gunning for the top-three tier in August.
The numbers say it all: his fanbase has kicked into high gear, and his vote pace is already outstripping last month’s. Could he hit the elusive ’10K Club’ before the month wraps?
The Real-Time Battle for Third
With such a razor-thin margin separating spots three and four, things are bound to get wild. A well-organized weekend voting campaign from the fans could easily flip the ranking. If the fandom rallies, Choon Gil could break into the Top 3—for the very first time.
A Steep Climb to The Top
Still, the upper crust of the chart isn’t budging easily. First place belongs to Son Bin-ah with a whopping 13,051 votes (33.3%), and Kim Ji-hoon takes second with 7,398 votes (18.9%). That’s a steep gap, even for a rising star like Choon Gil. But all eyes are on whether he can rattle the leaderboard and emerge as this month’s biggest plot twist.
Why This Matters
Whether or not Choon Gil secures third place this month, his rise shows that he’s no passing trend. If he maintains this trajectory, he could be carving out his spot as a serious contender in the K-pop rookie scene—and potentially even more.
Can Choon Gil turn August into his breakout month? The final rush of votes could change everything.