Concert Aired on TV After 28 Years: 29 Songs Performed
Nationwide Viewership Reaches 15.7%, Tops All Holiday Specials
"How happy would I be if I could die singing on stage? That is my dream."
The winner of the Chuseok holiday TV lineup was the King of Pop, Cho Yongpil (75). To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, KBS aired the grand concert special "Cho Yongpil, Forever This Moment," which achieved a nationwide viewership rating of 15.7% (according to Nielsen Korea), ranking first among all programs during the holiday period. The peak minute-by-minute rating soared to 18.2%. At home, audiences across generations sang along in unison.
This concert was a recording of the free performance held on September 6 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. Cho Yongpil performed on stage in front of about 18,000 fans, condensing his 58-year musical journey into a single show. It was his first solo TV concert for viewers in 28 years, since the 1997 KBS "Big Show."
The performance lasted for two hours and thirty minutes without a break. He sang 29 signature songs, including "Come Back to Busan Port," "Woman Outside the Window," "Short Hair," "Mona Lisa," "Red Dragonfly," "Leopard of Kilimanjaro," "Bounce," "Dream," and "It's Okay," leading the stage with unwavering vocal power despite being in his mid-70s.
The concert was further strengthened by the accompaniment of his longtime band, "The Great Birth." The seasoned sounds of veteran musicians such as guitarist Choi Heeseon (64) and bassist Lee Taeyoon (61) blended seamlessly with the King's voice. To capture the overwhelming atmosphere of Gocheok Dome, the production team deployed around 30 cameras.
On the day of the concert, all audience members received free light sticks. KBS plans to collect and reuse them after the event to promote a sustainable concert culture. A KBS representative said, "It was an attempt to create a participatory concert atmosphere while also considering environmental protection."
On stage, Cho Yongpil said, "I thought I might not have many more chances to see you all if not now," and added, "I decided I needed to do this before my voice gets any worse." He continued, "A voice ages if you don't sing. That's why I practice constantly. Until I go on stage, I practice very hard."
Near the end of the concert, he said with a smile, "The reason I've been able to sing for so long is because of all of you. I will keep singing in the future. If I can't, I'll take a break for two or three years and come back, and if I still can't, I'll rest for four or five years and return." He concluded the show by saying, "I hope this moment will be remembered forever."
His juniors also expressed their respect and admiration. Singer Lee Seungchul said, "Cho Yongpil's music is a genre of its own." Shin Seunghun commented, "He is the senior who gave me the confidence that I could do it too." IU said, "He is the one and only artist loved by every generation," while director Park Chanwook described him as "my hero."
Even after the concert ended, Gocheok Dome was filled with Cho Yongpil's music for some time. Thousands of fans stood up and sang "Mona Lisa" together to close the show. On the broadcast, Cho Yongpil greeted viewers by saying, "I am happiest when I sing on stage."
In addition to the main concert, KBS organized a three-part special, including a prequel, a documentary, and a rebroadcast. The behind-the-scenes documentary "Memories of That Day," aired on the 8th, recorded a nationwide viewership of 7.3%, while the special rebroadcast on the same day achieved 7.0%. The documentary showed Cho Yongpil continuing to practice despite experiencing tinnitus and dry mouth. He said, "If you don't train your voice, it collapses," then took a sip of water and returned to his practice.
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