ISAC Exposed As “Flirting Grounds” For K-Pop Idols By Two Huge Stars

The Idol Star Athletics Championships has long been treated as lighthearted fan service, but two veteran idols recently exposed just what happens on the grounds.

During a casual conversation, SHINee’s Minho and BIGBANG’s Daesung addressed the long-running idea that ISAC is a place where idols quietly size each other up.

So the one person who genuinely enjoyed ISAC was [Minho]. Everyone else was busy flirting and stuff! Like if someone said hello from behind, she thought it was someone greeting her, but it was actually someone behind her.

— Daesung

However, Minho was quick to separate himself from that narrative.

He explained that his experience at ISAC was far from relaxed or playful. Instead of paying attention to other idols in the venue, he said his schedule was packed with multiple events each day.

Minho: You know those stories from ISAC. At ISAC you lock eyes…

Daesung: The square of  flirtation.

Minho: But for me… I was just focused on my events (games)!

With little downtime, his focus stayed on performance, strategy, and figuring out how to do better in the next round. According to him, there was simply no mental space left for anything else.

Seriously! I was doing three or four events a day. So I was thinking, what else is there, how can I do better… That’s all it was in my mind.

— SHINee’s Minho

Together, their comments confirmed why ISAC has become such a magnet for speculation, while also reminding fans that many idols are just trying to get through a demanding filming schedule.