Singer-songwriter Kim Dong-ryul closed out the final night of his 2025 “Stroll” concert series in Seoul to raves, delivering what fans called a full-on feast of light and sound.
Staged at Seoul’s KSPO DOME across seven shows from Nov. 8?10 and 13?16, the run moved a staggering 70,000 seats―every single ticket gone on on-sale day. The tally tops his 2023 solo concert “Melody,” which drew 60,000, underscoring his still-massive (and arguably growing) box-office pull at home.
“Stroll” doubled down on scale and finesse: a 24-piece orchestra led by conductor Lee Ji-won, a seven-piece band featuring Park Eun-chan (drums) and Jung Dong-hwan (piano), a six-piece brass section, an eight-member choir, and a full dance team―about 60 performers onstage. Their rich, analog live sound turned KSPO DOME into a bona fide opera house for the night.
Opening with a thunderous overture into “I Say ‘I Love You’” and “Should I Say I Love You Again?,” Kim asked fans to put their phones away to preserve the blackout and lighting design―“Lighting is everything at my shows,” he noted. Seventy thousand people obliged, creating a rare, high-touch experience focused purely on music and light.
A mid-set suite pairing “Travel” with “At J’s Bar” dropped the room into a smoky New York jazz club, while “The Beginning” + “Fairy Tale” and “Golden Mask,” boosted by the dance team, delivered a kinetic spectacle on par with any big-budget K-pop production.
Ever the dry wit, Kim quipped, “I used to be a World Cup singer―once every four years. As I inch toward 60, I’ve cut it to every two,” marking his first full concert run in two years. He added, “This is year 32 since my debut. Younger stars might have a hundred million more fans than I do, but I’ve got something they don’t―fans who’ve stuck with me for three decades,” sending longtime supporters into cheers.
The setlist came with surprises: he premiered a newly arranged take on “The One Beside You,” a song he originally gifted to BoA, and turned the arena into a single chorus with a 70,000-strong singalong to “Drunken Truth.”
Bandoneon virtuoso Ko Sang-ji and the Go Sangji Quartet, back after guesting at “Melody,” returned for the intermission and raised the bar with fiery tango renditions of “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” and “Show,” adding another layer of sophistication to the night.
The show’s emotional peak arrived at the encore. Kim honored his longtime duo Exhibition with “First Love” and “Etude of Memories,” a tribute to the late Seo Dong-wook, his musical partner who passed away late last year. After “First Love,” a message filled the giant screen alongside Seo’s photo: “Farewell to my beloved friend, Dong-wook.” Kim then sat at the piano for “Etude of Memories,” delivering a hushed, devastating finale that had the arena holding its breath.
True to its title, “Stroll” felt like a gentle walk through Kim’s life in music―more than two and a half hours of warmth and quiet catharsis. With seven sold-out shows and waves of emotion to match, Kim Dong-ryul once again proved why his name is shorthand for a masterclass in live performance.
Photo= Music Farm Entertainment
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)