Kim Dongryul Pays Tribute to Exhibition's Seo Dongwook on First Anniversary: "Still Miss Him"

Singer Kim Dongryul is paying tribute to the late Seo Dongwook. Music Farm Entertainment

Singer Kim Dongryul has shared a tribute message to mark the first anniversary of the passing of the late Seo Dongwook, who was a member of the group Exhibition.

Kim Dongryul recently posted on his social networking service (SNS), stating, "'First Love' was the song that played a decisive role in the birth of Exhibition." He explained that during high school, Seo Dongwook listened to a demo tape containing 'First Love' through a friend's introduction and sent a lengthy review in response. This exchange led the two to become friends and naturally start making music together.

Recently, during the encore stage of his 2025 concert "Stroll," Kim Dongryul paid tribute to Seo Dongwook by performing "First Love" and "Etude of Memories." Regarding why it was difficult to sing the songs in full at that time, he wrote, "I thought there might be audience members who came just to hear 'Etude of Memories,' and I wanted to give my best until the end." He added, "I am grateful that the audience quietly filled in the parts I could not complete," and continued, "In that moment, it felt like I was finally able to let Dongwook go."

Kim Dongryul said, "Today marks one year since Dongwook left us," and added, "I plan to attend mass and have a meal with those who loved him." He also wrote, "I still miss him a lot and it's still very hard, but I want to keep singing Exhibition's songs for a long time," expressing his gratitude to everyone who cried and sang along with him.

Kim Dongryul and Seo Dongwook were classmates at Whimoon High School and Yonsei University, and together they won the grand prize at the 1993 MBC College Music Festival with the song "In a Dream." The following year, in 1994, they released their first album, producing several hit songs including "Etude of Memories," "Journey," "Confession Under the Influence," and "Graduation."