Kim Jong Kook’s First Japanese Concerts

Family Outing's mosquito-voiced muscle man, Kim Jong Kook, kicked off the hallyu stage of his career with two concerts in Japan last weekend. The shows took place on May 30th and 31st, with the first at Tokyo Nakano Sun Plaza Hall and the second at Osaka NHK Hall.

Fans lined up in droves for the event, with KJK's Japanese fan club preparing a gift for their buff hunk who came across the sea:


Having greeted his audience first in Japanese, Kim Jong Kook then told everyone that he was "grateful towards everyone that came to my first Japanese concert" and that the concert would "show everyone my entire 15-year music career from the Turbo era to today." Yoon Eun Hye's main squeeze sang his songs in reverse chronological order, performing his solo hits "Today More Than Yesterday", "Can't Get Better Than This", and Loveable as the mostly female show ate up the show and muscular accompaniment. But to the disappointment of many Family Outing fans, Yoo Jae Suk wasn't there to parody "Today More Than Yesterday", as he often does on the show to an incredulous Kim Jong Kook. Maybe next time.

After performing his newer solo songs, KJK brought back a blast from the past, calling former bandmate Mickey up to the stage for some Turbo resurrection. The duo sang some of Turbo's 90s hits including "Love Is" and "My Childhood Dream", introducing Japanese fans - most of whom only knew Kim Jong Kook from his solo career - to their one man's turbo-charged past. KJK even catered to the audience by singing a Japanese song, giving fangirls a Happy Virus with his good Japanese. Hip-hop duo Mighty Mouth also performed for KJK's overseas venture, singing their own single "Energy" - I wonder if Kim Jong Kook sang Sun Ye's part with his own high-pitched voice?

Turbo & Mighty Mouth & his dancer.

The audience response was fantastic for both concerts, with news reports quoting that "Kim Jong Kook's sweet voice is the best" and "Jong Kook really has that aura that pulls people. Everyone at the concert hall was united." KJK fans were also extremely pleased at the concert's unique nostalgic structure. Because Kim Jong Kook has been in the music industry for so many years, the concert became a manifestation of his long career, with reminiscent video greetings from KJK's friends splicing the concert set, including messages from Lee Hyori, Shinhwa's Jun Jin, Big Bang's Daesung, My Sassy Girl's Cha Tae Hyun, and of course, Yoon Eun Hye. The concert also featured a lengthy montage recapping KJK's life in the entertainment world, inducing tears from the ahjummas who had followed the singer since their teenage years.

For three hours, it did not matter if you were young or old, Korean or Japanese, had followed KJK for fifteen years or didn't know Turbo from TaeBo - one could sing and dance to their heart's content simply as a KJK fan.




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Credits:ALLKPOP
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