ENHYPEN’s Sunghoon carried the Olympic torch through the streets of Milan for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. The 23-year-old singer, who once dreamed of becoming an Olympic athlete, took part as an official torchbearer in the historic relay.
He was one of 10,001 participants carrying the flame across a 12,000-kilometer journey across Italy.
Sunghoon completed his segment during the relay’s final stage on February 5, just one day before the opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium. After finishing his run at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, he spoke openly about being ‘a little nervous’ through a livestream. The K-pop idol further said, “Because so many ENGENEs were there, the tension melted away the moment I stepped out.”
He added that seeing ENHYPEN fans in the crowd made him feel proud, saying his shoulders “naturally held a bit higher.”
Long before becoming a global K-pop star, Sunghoon spent more than ten years training as a competitive figure skater. He was once part of South Korea’s national reserve team, and competing in the Olympics was his biggest dream at the time. Ahead of the relay, he shared, “Competing in the Olympics was once my dream as an athlete,” adding, “So being connected to that dream now as a singer is truly meaningful and an incredible honor.”
At the same time, he admitted the responsibility felt heavy. “I do have my worries because it’s such a meaningful event,” the ENHYPEN member said. “The weight of it is just so big.” That feeling stayed with him as he took part in the relay’s final leg, helping deliver the flame to Milan at around 3:00 p.m. local time.
The torch relay, known as “The Greatest Journey,” began in Olympia, Greece, on November 26, 2025. It traveled through every region of Italy and visited all 110 provinces before arriving in Milan for the final celebration. Sunghoon joined many global figures who carried the torch during the journey, including Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli, actor Jackie Chan, and rapper Snoop Dogg. His invitation to participate came from the worldwide Olympic partner Samsung.
Sunghoon also made history as only the second K-pop artist to carry the Olympic torch overseas. The first was BTS member Jin, who served as a torchbearer during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Sunghoon shared that knowing Jin had done so well before him gave him a “deep sense of responsibility.”
ENHYPEN’s connection to the Olympics did not end there. The group received another major honor when their 2022 song “SHOUT OUT” was chosen as the official cheer song for Team Korea at the Milano-Cortina Games.
Sunghoon shared the song’s message of confidence and speaking out made it “perfect for cheering people up.” He also revealed it was the ENHYPEN track he personally felt suited to support national athletes the most.
Last year, he was selected as a promotional ambassador for the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee. This role allows him to support athletes more closely.
After completing the relay, Sunghoon thanked ENGENEs for coming to support him and said he felt relieved and proud. He said with a smile, “I think I did… well,” and fans wholeheartedly agree. The ENHYPEN member shared, “Since this was essentially the main reason I came here, I’m glad I did a good job.” He added that visiting the Olympics had been a dream since he was young, and experiencing it now as ENHYPEN’s Sunghoon made the moment feel even more special.
Meanwhile, ENHYPEN recently released their comeback album, THE SIN : VANISH last month, which debuted at #2 on Billboard 200 and sold over 2 million copies.
