‘Lore runs deep’ as BTS Jungkook lookalike competition is crowned in Chicago

The chain reaction set off by YouTuber Anthony Po’s super-viral Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest in Manhattan on October 27, led fans to the K-pop chapter of this journey a month later.
On Sunday, November 24, the new US trend surrounding celebrity lookalike contests saw BTS’ Jungkook enthusiasts turning up for registration in droves. As the Hindustan Times (and several other outlets) previously reported, the event held at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chicago, Illinois, handed out a $20 cash prize and a bottle of Soju to the winner. As it turned out, some older fans of the K-pop septet already knew the much-debated winner of the anticipated turnout.
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A flurry of fan-shared videos and photos popped up online on Sunday (US time), capturing the three finalists in action as the trio, like other Jungkook impersonators showed up dressed in variations of black outfits. Ultimately, Andrew Alexander, a widely renowned YouTube sensation, was crowned the winner. Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, some BTS fans will remember the content creator from a years-old YouTube video, in which his sister “turned” him into the beloved K-pop group’s maknae.
A post shared by andrew (@_andrewalexander_)
According to the social media personality’s YouTube videos, Andrew is a third-year university student living in California. He clearly flew into Chicago, especially for the Jungkook contest scheduled this week.
Over four years ago, Alexander’s sister, Ashley, posted a video titled “I turned my brother into BTS Jungkook,” as she highlighted how “a lot of people say he looks like” the K-pop star. Given their “striking similarities,” as reflected not only their resemblance (though not validated by a lot of fans) but also their mannerisms, Andrew’s other sister (presumably), Amber, said at the time, “It’s so funny every video we post, there’s at least 20 new people that are like ‘I don’t know if anyone’s ever said this but, Andrew looks like Jungkook’”.
However, Andrew himself did not admit to the similarities. That didn’t stop BTS fan pages from drawing comparisons between him and the BTS singer.
In a video posted before the viral winning announcement, Andrew’s sister documented the scene at the competition venue. Ashley wrote confirmed in the caption, “He flew from LA we flew from NY.” Ironically, the ultimate Jungkook lookalike contest participant was also registered as #7, a number that holds great emotional significance in the BTS fandom, given the group’s member count.
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A netizen who’d had been a longtime fan of the Alexander siblings clan – all YouTube personalities – commented on one of Andrew’s posts on November 24, “been a fan since 2018,” as they added a reference to Ashley’s YouTube channel “ur mom ashley.”
In yet another video posted by Amber Alexander, she also recorded the full-circle moment: “He flew all the way from California for this (crying emoji) after years of getting comments saying he looks like Jungkook @andrewalexander WON THE LOOKALIKE COMPETITION.”
A post shared by amber alexander (@_amberalexander)
Hours before show time, Ashley also took to her TikTok profile (@aaashleyk), showing a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the family ‘Jungkook-ified’ Andrew by drawing the pop star’s famously known hand tattoos and suggesting that he needed a lip ring as well. For his final look, Andrew also showed up with Jungkook’s eyebrow and ear piercings. 
While some instantly approved the decision with comments like “Andrew is actually the ONLY one who looked like jungkook, the others literally have no similarity at all,” others who probably never tracked the siblings’ years-old digital footprints were lost why this win was especially gaining momentous traction online.
A post shared by ashley alexander (@aaashleyk)
“If Andrew didn’t win, I would have hosted another one to make sure he won,” someone else wrote in the comments. Others quipped along the lines of how Jungkook had returned from the military and “Kinda crazy how they let Jungkook win his own lookalike competition.”
Those familiar with Andrew’s journey, definitely agreed with how the contest “cooked” with its final decision, especially since “the lore runs deep.” Who could’ve known that this was years in the making at a time when lookalike contests weren’t a norm?