Circle Chart Director Shares The Moment He First Realised The "Power of EXO"

Steve Choi, director of the infamous Circle Chart, recently uploaded another one of his popular K-Pop artist analysis videos on the OK POP!! YouTube channel. This time it was SM Entertainment‘s EXO that was the main focus of the video, and Choi had nothing but great things to say about the reliability of the group’s fandom, EXO-Ls.

The Circle Chart director even shared that he thinks of EXO-Ls as the most passionate K-Pop fandom, revealing that, according to him, they’re the fandom that suggested the paradigm for idol fandom culture. His praises didn’t stop there, however, as Choi went ahead and shared how it was the group’s fans that made him understand the sheer power of EXO.

Back in 2013, EXO attended and performed at the Asia Song Festival held in the Jamsil Olympic Stadium. The stadium was naturally packed, full of fans eager to see their favorite K-Pop acts. Steve Choi, who shared he participated in the organization of the festival, revealed just how loud EXO’s fans were cheering for them and how that made him realize how powerful EXO really was. “Everybody went bananas,” said Choi.

That’s when I thought for the first time, ‘Oh, there can be not just one or two handsome guys but a whole bunch of them as a group,’ and truly realized the power of EXO.

— Steve Choi

EXO performing at the 2013 Asia Song Festival | *Yonhap News*

But Asia Song Festival wasn’t the only place EXO-Ls had left a positive impression, Steve Choi revealed that similar events ensued whenever EXO would perform at the Gaon Chart Awards (now Circle Chart) as well. The chart’s director shared that EXO would attend the award show almost every year, and together with their fans, they would never disappoint.

Even before EXO appears for the ending stage, and the lights go out and they get ready on stage to find their formations, etc., the crowd already starts going crazy.

— Steve Choi

EXO attending the 2016 Gaon Chart Awards. | *OSEN*

Choi even shared that the crowd was so overwhelmingly loud when the EXO members would get on the stage and start performing he feared the stairs and the seats would eventually break down. That’s just how hard EXO-Ls would go for their idols, making sure the members felt the amount of love and passion EXO-Ls have for them.

It’s as if the volcano is about to erupt. Like, something is about to go down. Seriously, not only the stage but even the stairs and the seats shake so much to the point where I start to worry if they will start breaking down. That’s how hard the fans cheer.

— Steve Choi