SEVENTEEN rapper Vernon has turned his life into a movie. On July 8, 2026, he dropped the official film for his solo track mia, a raw, autobiographical project that traces his journey “From Hansol to Vernon” over a pounding electronic beat.
Titled the Vernon MIA official film, the video plays more like a nostalgic home movie than a standard K-pop music video. It lands in the middle of the V8 era, just weeks after Vernon and THE 8 released their debut mini album V8.
What Is Vernon’s ‘MIA’ Official Film?
Built around his solo cut from V8, the film sets the full version of mia to personal footage and curated clips from across his life. It was released through SEVENTEEN’s official YouTube channel, with links pushed out on Weverse and social accounts, so global fans can stream it for free.
In a recent track-by-track interview for V8, Vernon explained that, “In Korean, it’s ‘미아’ (mia), which means ‘lost child.’ In English, it’s ‘MIA.’” The song was co-written with Robb Roy and Han Jung In and produced with acclaimed electronic artist KIRARA.
He has said he reached out to KIRARA after hearing an EDM remix of Blur’s “Song 2”, aiming for something loud and cathartic. That energy drives the film too, turning what could have been a quiet scrapbook into a high-speed timeline of his life.
From Hansol to Vernon: Childhood to Idol
The film opens with the voices of his parents calling “Hansol,” using his Korean given name instead of the stage name fans know. Grainy home-video clips from his toddler years show him playing, grinning, and getting into mischief while the beat of mia kicks in.
Vernon, born Hansol Vernon Chwe in New York City before moving to Korea as a child, has rarely shared this much family footage with the public. By letting viewers hear his parents and watch him grow through these candid clips, he turns the phrase “From Hansol to Vernon” into something literal and lived-in.
As mia hits its stride, the visuals shift to his SEVENTEEN years, from practice-room snapshots to performance moments that underline how that kid became a main rapper in a 13-member group. On Reddit and X, CARATs describe the cut from “baby Bononie” to present-day Vernon as a gut punch, compressing more than a decade of work and growth into a few minutes.
The Meaning of ‘mia’ in the V8 Era
In that same interview, Vernon said, “I really connect with this song, personally, because it’s a message to myself and all my friends, to everyone who just feels lost. It’s like an anthem, singing, ‘Let’s get our s—t together.’” The film mirrors that idea by pairing a “lost child” title with images of a kid slowly finding his path.
An EDM remix of Blur’s “Song 2” inspired Vernon to work with KIRARA, Han Jung In, and Robb Roy, turning mia into the punky heart of the V8 mini album. The film lands just as V8 begin their July live shows and reports point to his military enlistment in late 2026, giving fans extra reason to replay it on official channels.