[K-pop Hallyu Originals] Super Junior at 20: "Ready to Go Another 30 Years" [Review]

Super Show 10 World Tour Wraps Up at Seoul KSPO Dome
30,000 Fans Gathered Over Three Days
"We Are Still Ongoing"

Group Super Junior's 'Super Show 10' Seoul concert scene. Photo by SM Entertainment

"If you add up all the members' ages, it's almost 360 years. We're the oldest existing idol group, with an average age over 40. When we hit our 15th year, people said, 'You're finished,' 'You're old.' Maybe some thought, 'They won't make it.' But after watching today's stage, you'll probably feel, 'They could keep going for another 30 years.'"

Super Junior leader Lee Teuk made these remarks at the group's 20th anniversary concert. His greeting, laced with humor, filled the venue with cheers. On August 24, the final day of 'Super Show 10' was held at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Ten thousand fans waved blue light sticks and sang along. Over the three days of concerts, a total of 30,000 people gathered. As befits the original K-pop Hallyu idols, many overseas fans, including those from Greater China, were also in attendance.

The concert opened with their debut song "Twins," followed by performances of "U," "It's You," "Black Suit," and "MAMACITA." Kyuhyun said, "I even gave up drinking for a week for this stage." The show continued with "Superman," "No Other," "Pajama Party," "Rokuko!!!," and "Bonamana." During "From U," the members came down to the audience, making eye contact and greeting fans.

The loudest cheers erupted during the rock version of "Sorry, Sorry." Fireworks and dazzling lights synchronized with the rhythm heightened the atmosphere. After the "Don’t Don" stage, fans sang together to celebrate Ryeowook’s birthday. Ryeowook responded, "I was born today just to meet you all."

The members were directly involved in the production of the concert. Eunhyuk handled the performances, Shindong directed the VCRs, Lee Teuk planned the audience interactions, Yesung contributed styling ideas, and Heechul played instruments. The August 22 concert was broadcast live in theaters in 14 regions, including Japan and the UK, while the August 23-24 concerts were streamed online via Beyond LIVE and Weverse.

During the concert, Kyuhyun twisted his ankle. A representative from SM Entertainment stated, "His muscle was shocked," adding, "Kyuhyun was very determined to participate, so for the remaining stages, he performed without dancing." On stage, Kyuhyun reassured fans, saying, "I'm sorry I couldn't show you both dance and live singing today. I really want to show my stage again in Seoul. I'm just pretending to be hurt, so don't worry." He planned to get a medical checkup at the hospital after the concert.

(From left) Shin Dong, Choi Siwon, Lee Teuk, Kim Heechul. Photo by SM Entertainment

Group Super Junior's 'Super Show 10' Seoul concert scenes. Photo by SM Entertainment

Heechul revealed that he was even willing to suspend his variety show appearances for this stage. He said, "Living as an entertainer, I had forgotten my idol mode, but I wanted to dedicate everything to this 20th anniversary stage." Lee Teuk emphasized, "Super Junior is still ongoing."

Lee Teuk recalled the group's biggest crisis as the 2007 car accident. He said, "I heard about Kyuhyun's accident on the news and hugged each other and cried in the restroom." At that time, Kyuhyun suffered a broken rib and was unconscious for four days, and Shindong, Lee Teuk, and Eunhyuk were also taken to the hospital. Kyuhyun joked, "Back then, the members said, 'No matter how tough it gets, we'll endure everything from now on,' but in the end, we didn't."

The concert lasted for a full four hours, including encore songs such as "Marry U" and "Happiness." Super Junior performed more than 30 songs, filling the stage for an extended time. Shindong joked, "The back of my neck suddenly tightened at the end of the stage," and added, "We exist thanks to your love." Lee Teuk said, "There were many happy moments and many painful ones. We exist today because we shared all those times with our fans."

Debuting in 2005, Super Junior looked back on their 20-year journey and promised more to come. Kyuhyun said, "When the venue was first booked, I worried about not being able to fill it, but over the three days, even the limited-view seats were full-thank you. I am sure we can absolutely make it to our 30th anniversary."

Ryeowook said, "Thank you to everyone who came together to celebrate our 20th anniversary. I hoped we could do Super Show 11, and it seems that dream will come true soon." Eunhyuk announced, "Until March next year, we will continue our tour in 16 cities with 24 shows, meeting 300,000 fans."