AHOF’s JL tops Picnic’s 'summer king' poll

Boy band AHOF's Filipino member JL ranked first in the “Summer King of the Year” fan poll, according to fan voting platform Picnic.

In the poll, which ran from June 26 to July 10, JL received 380,911 votes to claim the top spot. Myung Jaehyun of BoyNextDoor placed second with 379,691 votes, followed by Wonbin of Riize with 366,774 votes.

JL is a member of AHOF who debuted as a K-pop idol through the audition program “Universe League” (2024). During the competition, he earned recognition for his dancing, vocals and star potential, receiving selections from every team mentor, according to Picnic.

AHOF set a rookie boy group record in 2025 by selling about 360,000 copies of its debut album during its first week of release. The group recently released its new EP “Run to You.”

“This result reflects the growing importance of the brand value of overseas members as the global reach of Hallyu continues to expand,” the fan voting platform said. “Fans are supporting artists based on their talent, charm and potential for growth regardless of nationality, helping shape a new K-pop brand.”

Picnic hosts weekly polls on a wide range of K-pop topics in collaboration with the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Participation in the polls is available through Picnic's official website and mobile app.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]