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ISAC 2022: K-pop idol star athletics returns, fans excited for '4th gen interactions'

The MBC Holiday program to return after two years to finally have idols of the fourth gen of K-pop finally interact with each other in person

If there is one thing that fans of the third-gen of K-pop got to witness a lot more than fans who have gotten into K-pop because of Gen 4 is idol interactions. While fans are aware that idols from different groups are friends when there are labelmate idols being close to their contemporaries or be it idols with the same birth year being extremely close like in the case of the 97-liner boys of K-pop, watching idols of different K-pop groups interact at events used to be one of the highlights of K-pop. Aside from award shows, a place where K-pop idols having these interactions was common was MBC's holiday program ISAC which is popularly called the K-pop Olympics.

The Idol Star Athletic Championships was one place for many artists from the industry to bond with other artists and fans had a gala time swooning over these interactions. Be it GOT7 and BTS or Seventeen and Monsta X, many idol friendships were seen at the event. But it all came to a standstill when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the world came to a halt. Now as things have finally gone back to normal, 4th gen fans will finally be able to see how fun idol interactions are. 

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The K-pop Olympics - ISAC is back

All the K-pop groups made their debut in 2019 and after never really had the chance to meet and interact with fans in the same way as their seniors. With award shows taking place online and concerts being held without an audience, the genre was seeming to lose its edge by having idols enjoy themselves with their peer and contemporaries. This is why the news of ISAC returning is one of the best things fans of the fourth-gen of K-pop could ask for. On June 17 it was reported that MBC's representative holiday program 'Idol Star Championship' aka ISAC will be returning in 2022 for an in-person event for the first time since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report suggested that ISAC will be opened for the first time in two years since the '2020 Lunar New Year Special'. Every year ISAC used to take place twice a year, once during the Lunar New Year and then again months later during the Chuseok holiday. The 2020 Chuseok Special ISAC event was slated to be held but the onset of the pandemic and its global surge led producers of the show to cancel it for the health and well-being of all parties involved.

Now, in 2022, three years since the last Chuseok Special, the K-pop Olympics event is making a comeback for the '2022 Chuseok Special'. Last year's '2021 Lunar New Year Special' was released as a unique event titled, 'Idol Star Championship: Hall of Fame' that summarized famous scenes.

'Its gonna be so interesting'

Fans are sharing their nostalgia and excitement about ISAC's return as one fan said, "ISAC with the 4th gen is gonna be so interesting." Another fan manifested, "Nct at isac 2022." One fan guessed, "I feel like isac is only 4th gen huhuhu i want 3rd gen interactions again." One fan said, "If all of my fave 4th gen groups attenda isac & have interactions I'll def d1e fr." One fan concluded, "Isac is back 4th gen interaction cutie."

One fan listed, "LITERALLY I WANT TO SEE ISAC INTERACTIONS THIS YEAR EUNCHAE HIYYIH, HISHAYEON, TXT AND ENHYPEN STICKING BY EO THE WHOLE TIME, TXT AND KEPI, MAMA EUNBI COLLECTING HER KIDS, AETZY, 4TH GEN J-LINES, LILY AND THE AUSSIE LINE OF STRAYKIDS." One fan said, "My 4th gen babies & ateume heart is yearning for more interactions, hopefully in isac soon." One fan hoped said, "What if ISAC 2022 consists of 1st to 4th gen. groups?"