Fans Were Sure It Was Soobin — Then Realized the Truth

A viral video of BTOB's Minhyuk sent K-pop fans into a frenzy this week after viewers overwhelmingly mistook the idol for TXT's Soobin, reigniting one of the most enduring visual debates in the K-pop community. The clip, which showed Minhyuk in a shirtless appearance, spread rapidly across social media as fans did double and triple takes trying to identify who they were actually looking at.

The Video That Broke the Internet

The confusion began when footage of Minhyuk, also known by his solo stage name HUTA, surfaced online. Without context, the resemblance to Soobin was so striking that many viewers were genuinely convinced they were watching the TXT leader. One fan admitted they had been moments away from reporting the video as AI-generated content before realizing the person on screen was actually Minhyuk.

Another viewer summed up the experience simply, stating that they needed to do a double take because their brain had immediately registered the person as Soobin. The raw, unfiltered reactions highlighted just how remarkably similar the two idols appear, especially in certain angles and contexts.

K-Pop's Most Famous Doppelgangers

The Soobin-Minhyuk resemblance is one of K-pop's longest-running visual phenomena. The two have been compared to each other for years, with fans and even their fellow idols acknowledging the uncanny similarities. In previous encounters, both artists have leaned into the comparison with good humor, including a memorable selfie together that only served to fuel the doppelganger narrative further.

Minhyuk has previously joked about the comparison, once posting a selfie with Soobin alongside a playful caption referencing the myth that meeting your doppelganger means danger. The lighthearted rivalry between their respective fandoms over who the original lookalike is has become a beloved running joke in the K-pop community.

Fan Reactions and Creative Responses

Rather than letting the confusion die down, fans leaned into the chaos with characteristic humor. Some enterprising fans created side-by-side comparison guides attempting to outline the subtle differences between the two idols, though even these efforts often left readers more confused than before. Others simply declared the situation hopeless, accepting that distinguishing between Soobin and Minhyuk was sometimes beyond human capability.

The viral moment also sparked discussions about genetics and visual similarities within K-pop, with fans compiling lists of other idol doppelganger pairs. However, the consensus remained that the Soobin-Minhyuk pairing sits at the top of any such ranking.

Two Different Generations, One Face

What makes this particular lookalike pair fascinating is that Soobin and Minhyuk belong to different K-pop generations. Minhyuk debuted with BTOB under Cube Entertainment in 2012, making him a second-generation idol, while Soobin debuted with TXT under BIGHIT MUSIC in 2019 as part of the fourth generation. Despite the seven-year gap between their debuts and their different musical styles, their visual similarity continues to surprise new fans who discover the resemblance for the first time.

As both artists continue to thrive in their respective careers, the latest viral moment serves as a delightful reminder that K-pop always finds ways to surprise and entertain its passionate global fanbase, sometimes in the most unexpected ways.