"Nobody does like him!!"— Fans gush as Kim Seon-ho takes on 'Kim Seonho smile trend' during birthday Weverse live

Actor Kim Seon-ho thrilled fans worldwide by going live on Weverse on May 7, 2025, to celebrate his 39th birthday. The moment became even more special when the actor playfully joined a viral challenge inspired by his own performance.

The trend, called the "Kim Seonho Smile Challenge" or "金宣虎笑容模仿," gained popularity on Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu. The trend features a scene from When Life Gives You Tangerines in which Kim's subtle wink and heart-tugging smile capture the hearts of viewers. The clip went instantly viral, with millions attempting to imitate his signature look.

During his live session on May 7, Kim acknowledged the trend with a smile and explained his now viral move by saying,

"I have to do it, like I got shot by that gun. As if I got hit, then you glance over."

The actor then mimicked the scene, sending fans into a frenzy. The moment again went viral on social media, continuing to fuel the trend. Fans began sharing side-by-side clips from the Weverse live and When Life Gives You Tangerines, drawing parallels between the original scene and Kim Seon-ho’s live reenactment, accompanied by the soundtrack Supernatural by Ariana Grande.

With the creator now on board, supporters swamped social media with responses, hailing his wit and charisma.

"This trend is only for him nobody does like him!!! aaaa," one fan wrote.

"One of many reason why his acting is so detailed is because he is very attentive to things around him. He sees, hears, and learns from them, and then implies those details in his performances..." said one more fan.

"Made my whole year if we're being honest.. i'm still on cloud nine this actually happened hbd my man thanks for granting our wishes kekeke" mentioned an X user.

"I can't stop liking posts of him doing his own challenge..thank you for doing it again SeonHoya.." wrote a netizen.

Many fans praised how his effortless charm truly suited the 'wink and smile' moment, also expressing disbelief that the actor joined the trend on his birthday.

"I feel like he's the only one who doesn't cringe, everyone else makes him cringe like crazy, he doesn't care, he's beautiful and handsome, but he's still funny" said one fan.

"I can't believe he did his own challenge it's a full circle, and on his birthday too" read a comment from a fan.

Kim Seon-ho also shared that the inspiration for the iconic move came from observing his dog.

"This is exactly how our Sogeum-ie is when laying down, and whenever I walk by slowly, he always looks to me like this. That's what suddenly crossed my mind at that moment.." he said.

As Kim Seon-ho credited his dog Sogeumi as the inspiration behind his viral smile scene, fans couldn't help but gush over this detail.

"Thank you sogeumi for being your hyung inspiration, and created a new trend of aegyo. No wonder the challenge looks extra cute like a puppy" said an individual on X.

"How can you not love someone who makes a viral scene because they were inspired by the face their dog makes when they look at them?? I swear" added one netizen.

Kim Seon-ho’s wedding scene in Tangerines sparks global “smile challenge” craze, takes over Chinese social media

The now-viral "Kim Seon-ho Smile Challenge" originated from episode 13 of When Life Gives You Tangerines on Netflix. In the scene, Park Cheong-seop, played by Kim Seon-ho, gazes at his soon-to-be wife, Yang Geum-myeong (played by IU), for the first time in her white wedding gown. Geum-myeong playfully flaunts her look in front of Cheong-seop, teasing him as he stands inside the chapel.

Cheong-seop, taken aback by her appearance, grips his chest and pretends to swoon. Looking at his exaggerated reaction, Geum-myeong laughs; Cheong-seop, still tilting his head, then opens one eye, creating a wink while smiling.

This pose quickly gained a life of its own within moments, with a surge of recreations flooding the internet. In China, the challenge swept the nation, particularly on sites such as Douyin and RedNote (Xiaohongshu). Participants copy the pose down to the tilted head, one-eyed wink, and gentle smile, usually accompanying their clips with Ai Cun Zai (Love Exists), a popular song from Meteor Garden.

According to Sina News, a Chinese news portal, the "Kim Seon-ho Smile Challenge" has been embraced by big influencers, celebrities, and regular users alike. A-list celebrities and emerging names have all jumped onto the trend, including Chen Zheyuan, Xu Ruohan, Bai Lu, Liu Xiening, Maxky, Yang Chaoyue, and Zhuang Dafei.

Other prominent figures like Chen Feiyu, Zhou Yutong, Xu Yiyang, and Lil Ghost followed suit, helping to further legitimize the challenge as one of the most appealing social media crazes of the year. K-pop stars Jisung and Jeno of NCT Dream also participated.

Kim Seon-ho is preparing for his small screen comeback in the upcoming romantic comedy Can This Love Be Translated?, in which he stars alongside Go Youn-jung. In the drama, Ju Ho-jin, a talented interpreter fluent in English, Japanese, and Italian, finds himself working very closely with top star Cha Mu-hee as her personal interpreter.

From the pens of the Hong sisters—who also created hits such as Hotel Del Luna and The Greatest Love—the drama promises a blend of humor, romance, and cross-cultural miscommunication. Directed by Yoo Young-eun, the drama is set to premiere on Netflix in the latter half of 2025.

​