Jaehwa Bernardo

South Korean rapper and producer Jung Ilhoon during his interview with ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

For Ilhoon, reuniting with ‘passionate’ Filipino fans feels ‘like a dream’

Alyssa Carmina Gonzales

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785831414619Screenshot 2026-08-04 at 15.55.30.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="South Korean rapper and producer Jung Ilhoon during his interview with ABS-CBN News"/>South Korean rapper and producer Jung Ilhoon during his interview with ABS-CBN News</div>After spending around four years away from the spotlight, South Korean rapper and producer Jung Ilhoon admitted he felt anxious about taking the stage and facing fans again.“I felt kind of nervous, then kind of worried, because I’m a worrying person. But even though I wasn’t able to perform for a while, I came to realize that I&#x27;m happiest when I&#x27;m on stage and creating music,” the 31-year-old told ABS-CBN News in a recent interview shortly after taking the stage at the SM Skydome for his “1-Day Art Class” fan concert.Despite his concerns, Ilhoon said one thing outweighed his worries. “I think the feeling of wanting to meet my fans again was greater. That’s why I really want to continue singing again.” he said.As Ilhoon emerged onstage for the Manila fan concert — his first since holding the event in Seoul in 2025 — he was welcomed by the excited cheers from fans pouring out from every direction in the venue.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785827571120NX309472 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Ilhoon during his fan concert at the SM Skydome in Quezon City, July 18, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Carmina Gonzales, ABS-CBN News"/>Ilhoon during his fan concert at the SM Skydome in Quezon City, July 18, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Carmina Gonzales, ABS-CBN News</div>“It’s like a dream,” Ilhoon said of the experience.“I wanna perform in a foreign country for so many years, so many past years, so I’m so happy for it,” added Ilhoon, who last performed in the Philippines in 2017.“The cheers from the Filipino fans [were] incredibly loud and passionate. I was so touched because there were fans who had waited for me for such a long time, and of course there were also new fans who have come to support me. But seeing everyone come together as one and cheer for me so passionately was really moving,” he said.During the fan concert, Ilhoon performed his recently released songs including “Lullaby,” “Merry Go Round,” and “Devil Can Wait,” alongside older hip-hop anthem “She’s Gone,” and fan-favorite “Spoiler,” which was a nostalgic recall to his signature melodic rap style.During “Closet,” he brought out a can of Filipino beer as a prop, later commenting that it was the “best beer I&#x27;ve ever had,” drawing laughter and cheers from the audience.Presented by Show Biz Town, the fan concert also featured interactive games with lucky fans, including the “Gwiyomi Telepathy Game,” referencing the viral cute “Gwiyomi” choreography that Ilhoon popularized.Caught off guard by the ultimate throwback, Ilhoon laughed along with fans as they recreated the song’s iconic moves.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785827550277NX309438 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Ilhoon during his fan concert at the SM Skydome in Quezon City, July 18, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Carmina Gonzales, ABS-CBN News"/>Ilhoon during his fan concert at the SM Skydome in Quezon City, July 18, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Carmina Gonzales, ABS-CBN News</div>Ilhoon stepped off the stage during “MICHELANGELO,” walking across every area of the venue to make  “eye-to-eye contact” with each fan.The Korean star also treated his fans to an unreleased song he called “the opposite of meeting and parting” towards the end of the show.This year, Ilhoon continued to produce music, with his latest release being “Glory,” part of the RGB SGNL project. “I wanna express myself many of colors, like this genre, like hip-hop or punk. I want to try my best in music, so RGB SGNL project is kind of like that,” he said in the interview. “Because I think I’m greedy. Some artists express or just go with one genre all throughout, but I’m the type of artist who wants to challenge myself in doing different genres,” he said.Watch the rest of our interview with Ilhoon below as he talks about his return to Manila, reconnecting with fans, and what they can look forward to from him next.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQVo5RpWJHs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

After spending around four years away from the spotlight, South Korean rapper and producer Jung Ilhoon admitted he felt anxious about taking the stage and facing fans again.

After spending around four years away from the spotlight, South Korean rapper and producer Jung Ilhoon admitted he felt anxious about taking the stage and facing fans again.