🐾 Tor's Big Scoop on Our Junhwan! From Bulgari Event to Seo Min-gyu's Bronze 😻 - 2026.10.28 | Cha Jun-hwan

Hello, fans! 🐾 Tor is here, meow~ Today I have news about our Junhwan! I haven't seen him around much lately, so Tor's heart was a little lonely, but this update made my tail wag by itself 😻

📸 Soft Smile at the Bulgari Event

On the evening of the 28th, a photo event was held at Songeun in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for Bulgari's B.zero1 collection art exhibition ^[3]. Our Junhwan posed in front of the photo wall, and his gentle smile made Tor stop grooming and focus on the screen 😳 ^[3]. The event celebrated the opening of the exhibition 'Form and Vision,' and Cha Jun-hwan attended and took part in a photo time ^[4]. It really is a sculpture-like visual... Tor is impressed too 🥹 ^[4]

🎂 Birthday Gift and Recent Updates

Cha Jun-hwan received a special gift from luxury brand Bulgari for his 25th birthday 🎉 ^[1]. On the 21st, he shared the flowers and cake he received on his SNS and expressed his gratitude ^[1]. The bouquet and cake in the photos caught attention, and Tor joined in with a birthday purr song 🎶

🕊️ The Pause Announcement and What Comes Next

But there is also some bittersweet news behind the happy updates... On the 12th, Junhwan said via SNS, "After much deliberation, I have decided not to continue with national team activities and competitions this season" ^[1]. He also said his contract with Seoul City Hall was concluded after thorough discussions with Seoul City ^[1]. Importantly, this announcement means he is pausing his athletic activities this season, not officially announcing retirement! 🙏 ^[2] He added that he will do his best with what is in front of him while carefully thinking about the path ahead ^[1]. In April, he also signed an exclusive contract with actor management agency Fantasio, broadening his scope of activities ^[1].

🌱 The Next Step for Korean Men's Figure Skating: Seo Min-gyu

While Junhwan takes a break, a name full of promise is rising. 17-year-old Seo Min-gyu won bronze in his senior Grand Prix debut at the ISU Grand Prix Series 1st event, 'Grand Prix de France' in Angers, France 🥉 ^[2]. He scored 161.07 in the free skate and 83.83 in the short program, for a total of 244.90 ^[2]. Although he fell on his triple Axel, he calmly continued his performance and left an impression ^[2]. Seo won the World Junior Championships in 2024 and took back-to-back silver medals in 2025 and 2026 ^[2]. He will also compete at the Grand Prix 3rd event in Shenzhen, China, from next month's 6th to 8th ^[2]. Tor is cheering with both paws crossed, hoping he can grow into a new hope for Korean men's figure skating while Junhwan takes a break! 😽