Hanam — Reporter Park Seong-hoon “When the song we always listened to comes on the radio, everyone sings along!” singer Kim Yeon-woo shouted, thrusting the microphone-bearing hand toward the crowd. “Do you want to cry like me? Why do I keep regretting it?” Tens of thousands of low, resonant voices answered, filling the stadium. Kim waved his arms and urged the audience to keep singing; together they launched into a rousing version of “If You Are Like Me” (original by Kim Jang-hoon).
The moment came during the April 18 concert “Music in the Hanam,” held at the Hanam Sports Complex in Misa 1-dong. Each time bright lights swept the stage and stands, tear-glazed faces sparkled before dimming again. Kim warmed the crowd with renditions of Yang Ji-eun’s “Don’t Cross That River” and Lim Jae-beom’s “When This Night Passes,” songs he’d previously sung on television competitions.
The energy spiked when musical actor Lee Geon-myeong introduced trot star Kim Yeon-ja. She moved freely between stage and audience, performing hits such as “Amor Fati,” “Bling Bling,” and “Within 10 Minutes,” along with her new single “Ssukdeok Ssukdeok.” Children’s cheers stood out above the rest.
Lim Chang-jung followed, walking calmly onto the stage and earning warm applause for the songs that made him a star: “Then, Once Again” and “You Who Look Like Me.” When he asked the crowd what they wanted to hear next and a child cried out, “Soju, please!” the audience laughed. During the line “Hello, it’s me — are you doing well over there? It’s been a long time, my love,” several concertgoers reached for handkerchiefs.
Local youth groups — Dream Orchestra Hanam, the Dream Dance Troupe, and the Hanam United Children’s Choir — offered quietly moving performances. Seen as the next generation of Hallyu talent, these young artists performed selections from the musical The Mission: K, produced and music-directed by former Hanam Cultural Foundation CEO Seong Young, including “Say It Again” and “We Are the Light.” The finale belonged to multinational girl group Fifty Fifty, whose hits like “Cupid” have repeatedly climbed the U.S. Billboard charts and helped expand K-pop’s global reach. Dressed in coordinated white outfits, members Norn Kina, Moon Chanel, Athena and Yewon delivered powerhouse renditions of “Starry Night,” “Puki,” and “Skittles,” showcasing precision choreography and sensual stagecraft as the show reached its peak.
Although the concert ran until about 11 p.m., the audience showed no sign of fatigue. The glow of hundreds of phone screens turned the stadium into a sky full of stars. Fifty Fifty thanked the crowd: “We’re happy to make memories with such a beautiful audience in Hanam. We’ll work even harder to repay the love you gave us.”
The “2026 Hanam Music Festival — Music in the Hanam” was hosted by Hanam City and organized by the Hanam Cultural Foundation. Officials said about 31,000 people attended over the two-day event that began on April 17, and online video views, including on YouTube, totaled roughly 30,000. Nine-year-old Kim Seo-yul of Mangwol-dong, Hanam, who attended the concert, said, “I liked Fifty Fifty and Kim Yeon-ja’s ‘Amor Fati’ the most. I came with my dad last year, too — I hope there are more events like this.”
Hanam Mayor Lee Hyun-jae said, “Music in the Hanam is playing an increasingly important role as our city emerges as a K-pop hub. We will focus municipal resources on making the K-Star World project, centered on Misa-dong, a success.”
