K-POP STARS PROMOTE SEOUL
ACITY of culture and shopping, Seoul has long been established as a popular tourist destination. Last year alone, more than 240,000 Malaysians visited South Korea.
And the Seoul Metropolitan Government continues its promotional efforts to attract even more Malaysians.
A recent one (and perhaps the most effective too!) was a free concert — featuring K-pop artistes — dubbed I.Seoul.U Concert (after Seoul’s new slogan) held at the KL Convention Centre. More than 6,000 K-pop fans turned up for its star-studded line-up of three of K-Pop’s biggest names.
Yesung, the vocalist from K-pop unit Super Junior, and junior groups Red Velvet and NCT 127 are artistes from SM Entertainment, the internationally successful talent agency.
All three thrilled the audience with a blend of musical splendour and catchy choreography during the two-hour show.
The first onstage was girl group Red Velvet, which was in town a month ago to promote its latest EP,
“Last time, our fellow member Joy couldn’t come due to a clash of schedules but as promised, we return to Malaysia with her!” said vocalist Wendy.
She added: “Thank you for giving us your love and support all the time, and also the chance for us to create good memories with you.”
Donning shades of white, pink and red, the five members performed the upbeat
and aswellastheslowerR&Btrack, that showcased their vocals.
Fast songs and good choreography make you want to jump to the beat.
in particular, is the perfect song for cheerleading.
Their fans showed their support by singing along loudly.
Next up was NCT 127, the nine-member sub-unit of boy band NCT, whose goodlooking individuals sent female fans into a screaming frenzy.
The group’s latest EP, made it to No.3 on Malaysia’s iTunes charts.
“We’ve always wanted to thank our fans here for their support and now we can finally meet them in person to do so,” said Canadian-born member Mark.
“Thank you, Malaysia! We’ll come by again for a full show, so please wait for us,” he screamed.
NCT 127’s first song was a catchy EDM-inspired tune that featured intense choreography, and which had fans singing along.
Then came and two catchy feel-good tunes with hints of R&B.
NCT 127 finished its set with the bassheavy, hip-hop flavoured
The highlight of the event, Yesung, performed next.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here,” said the singer, referring to Super Junior’s concert in Kuala Lumpur in November 2013.
“I’m the happiest person in the world tonight, seeing your passionate cheering,” he added before giving fans an update on theothergroupmembers.
“Kyuhyun just went for military enlistment, but the good news is Siwon, Donghae and Eunhyuk will return from theirs!”
Addressing the loud and incessant cheers, he said: “Since many people are waiting for us, we will make a comeback as a group soon.
“Malaysia will always have a special place in our hearts because we filmed the musicvideofor here. On behalf of Super Junior, I promise to come back,” he said to more screams of elation.
Known for his husky and velvety vocals, Yesung started off with his solo debut single,
a heart-wrenching ballad. He followed it with tracks from his second EP, another ballad and an uplifting tune with a moderate tempo.
Yesung is also popular for singing K-drama theme songs, and he closed the show with the ballad, from the drama series,
The concert also saw Seoul vice mayor Liu Gyoung-gee giving a few recommendations of Seoul’s popular tourist spots.
They included Bamdokkaebi Night Market, Hangang Summer Festival, Seoul International Fireworks Festival and Seoul Lantern Festival.
Most recently, the Sky Park Pedestrian Road (also called Seoullo 7017) was opened in Seoul.
Originally a bridge for motor vehicles built in 1970, it has since been renovated for pedestrians.
The Red Velvet members recommended Gyeongbokgung Palace, for its traditional architecture from the Joseon dynasty.
Johnny of NCT 127 said he liked hanging out at Hangang River, which has a nice ambience during the day and at night.
Yesung suggested Dongdaemun, Insadong, Itaewon, Hannam-dong, Hongik University or Konkuk University for shopping.
“The weather is always wonderful in Korea to walk around town. I highly recommend the Seoul walking tour. Take many photos, and when you get hungry, go to the night market for delicious food,” hesaid.
Earlier, the Seoul Metropolitan Government had set up Korean-themed booths at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur to promote the capital.
The three K-pop artistes’ appearances were too brief, but hey, the concert was free after all.
Fans had to redeem entry passes via TicketCharge at select Rock Corner outlets orviaAstroCircle.
Malaysian pop trio De Fam and rapper Altimet opened the show with two songs each, namely and and and ,respectively.
Sultanah Kalsom of Pahang and her son Tengku Arif Temenggong Pahang Tengku Fahd Muadzam Sultan Ahmad Shah also attended the concert.