Junhee, a member of the K-pop group A.C.E, emerged victorious in “Korea’s Next Wave,” securing his place as South Korea’s representative for the first-ever Eurovision Song Contest Asia.
Hosted by 2AM’s Jo Kwon, the national selection broadcast saw eight musical acts compete for the honor.
The winner was decided through a blended scoring mechanism, combining a 40% contribution from a professional jury panel, 40% from South Korean viewers, and 20% from global votes. Junhee claimed top honors after performing “Deep Dive,” while Sojeong Shim placed second with “Eheradiya” and Angel Noise took third with “Nan Naya!”.
Following his win, Junhee is set to compete in the grand final on November 14 in Bangkok, Thailand. The event will feature performers from eleven participating nations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Philippines previously selected Carmelle to perform “Sobra-Sobra” at the competition.
Reflecting on his national final victory, Junhee shared his gratitude for his supporters:
”I still can’t believe I’m writing this. Today, I won Eurovision 2026 Korea Next Wave, and I will have the incredible honor of representing South Korea.”
”I thought of all of you.”
He acknowledged the difficulties he faced throughout his career, noting that his motivation stemmed from the belief his supporters placed in him.
”That’s why tonight means so much more to me than simply winning a competition. Now, I have the honor and responsibility of standing on the Eurovision Asia 2026 stage as a representative of South Korea. I love you. Truly. And this is only the beginning. See u in Bangkok,” he said.