On June 30, a post titled “Im Si-wan’s Past Finally Revealed to Overseas Fans” was shared on online communities. The post included a video of Im Si-wan from his days as a member of the idol group ZE:A, performing girl group dances with his fellow members.
In the video, Im Si-wan, dressed in a blue dress and striped leggings, performs cute girl group choreography with playful expressions, showcasing everything from adorable hand gestures to sultry poses like lying on the floor and swaying his hips.
The post’s author wrote, “The sacred has finally been unearthed. Overseas fans are in chaos,” relaying reactions from international fans pleading for an explanation of the situation. The video in question is from ZE:A’s first official fan meeting, “Happy ZE:A’s Day,” where the members, dressed in vibrant, colorful outfits, danced to Orange Caramel’s “Magic Girl” and miss A’s “Bad Girl Good Girl.”
Netizens reacted with comments like, “Even Koreans are seeing this video for the first time,” “Why did Im Si-wan do this?”, “He really lived his life to the fullest,” “ZE:A fans are so loyal,” “Please bury this, we’re all doomed,” “I expected a lot, but not this. So sacredly shocking,” and “No wonder overseas fans are shocked,” expressing amusement. Im Si-wan, who starred in Netflix’s Squid Game Season 3, released on June 27, played Participant 333, Lee Myung-gi, a character who joins the game after failing at cryptocurrency investments, delivering a captivating performance with his versatile acting.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight (ET), Im Si-wan was asked how he felt about the script and the story’s conclusion, to which he responded, “I thought Lee Myung-gi was paying the price for the shallow decisions he made.” In a February 2025 L’Officiel Hommes pictorial interview, he drew attention by saying, “I kept thinking about what kind of emotional arc Lee Myung-gi should have until the final scene. I approached the character as someone who makes foolish choices repeatedly, rather than a bad person.”
Meanwhile, Im Si-wan, born in 1988, debuted in 2010 as a member of ZE:A. He began acting in 2012 with MBC’s The Moon Embracing the Sun as young Heo Yeom, and has since established himself as a reliable actor through works like Misaeng, The Attorney, The Merciless, Emergency Declaration, OCN’s Strangers from Hell, JTBC’s Run On, and Coupang Play’s Boyhood.
