Seoul is a city of duality, where the old and the new coexist: the tranquillity of centuries-old palaces and soaring mountains set against the restless energy of a megacity and its fast-paced culture.

82Major, a K-pop act named after Korea’s calling code, has positioned itself as a standout in the cutthroat industry by building its identity on this dichotomy.


At its two-and-a-half-hour concert, “Bebeom: Be the Tiger,” taking place in the heart of the city, the six-piece boy band opened with distinctly Seoul-like spectacles — tradition and trend seamlessly woven together into contemporary pop — powered by the members’ strong live performances.

By the finale, however, it was its fandom that filled the venue to its fullest, their roof-raising chants creating the sense of collective unity that defines K-pop culture.

The two-day Seoul kickoff of 82Major’s latest tour, which marks its fifth concert series, took place at Blue Square SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday.

The concert’s title, “Bebeom: Be the Tiger,” is witty wordplay: bibeom in Korean means “extraordinary,” and beom means “tiger,” an animal of cultural significance in Korea’s national identity.

“Since today’s title is ‘Bebeom,’ I’ll go with a roar instead of a meow,” declared member Park Seok-joon at the beginning of the night.

82Major debuted in 2023 under Great M Entertainment and consists of six members: Park, Cho Seong-il, Kim Do-gyun, Nam Seong-mo, Hwang Seong-bin and Yoon Ye-chan. The group has consistently incorporated traditional Korean elements into its visuals, such as taekwondo uniforms, as seen in the critically acclaimed “Stuck” (2024) music video.

True to the title, the Sunday show opened with a stage design filled with traditional motifs. At the beginning of the evening, six vertical light-emitting diode (LED) panels on stage served as wooden-and-paper doors of a traditional Korean structure. As the “doors” lifted, bamboo groves swayed against a deep red backdrop, accompanied by a fashion-show-like bass line, fusing heritage with modernity.

Black ink then spilled and spread across the screen like an ink wash painting in progress, followed by members emerging between the vertical center LED panel, dressed in outfits inspired by traditional Korean clothing, or hanbok, before launching into “Heroes” (2025).

The motif continued with “Passport” (2025), during which a solitary pine tree stood framed within the outline of a traditional palace door.

The set list continued into “Thorns” (2024) and then “Stuck” and “Choke” (2025). The intense run took a brief turn toward a romantic, slower mood with “Say More” (2025) and “Face Time” (2024), before the tempo surged again with “Takeover” (2025) and “Trophy” (2025).

82Major’s musical identity centers on hip-hop, with the members actively involved in production and rap-writing. As with other self-producing groups, those strengths came sharply into focus in a live setting.

Starting with Yoon’s DJing session, the energy further escalated with the unreleased track “Muri,” as the six members gathered around a white pin light, stepping into it one by one to deliver fierce rap verses in a charismatic performance.

The first highlight of the night came with “Need That Bass” (2025), where the crowd and the performers traded the chorus line, “I need that bass,” truly turning the audience into part of the act.

The track was followed by Nam’s solo track “Pinterest Luv” (2025), which features singer Moon Su-jin in its original version. While Moon appeared as a guest on Saturday, Kim took her place on Sunday with a wig and cap, singing the female verse in its original key — an unexpected, playful surprise that drew cheers for commitment.

During the encore, 82Major kept its words to go into full-acceleration mode, launching into unreleased tracks “Fire” and “Overheating,” alongside unit performances. At fans’ enthusiastic request, the group even repeated “Overheating” and “Need That Bass.”

“Whenever I hear the fan chants, I get energized,” said Kim near the end of the night, referring to the deafening and tightly coordinated fan chants that echoed through the venue during every lead track performance. “That’s what allows me to stand and perform confidently on stage.”

In an emotional moment, leader Cho expressed gratitude to the staff and family, before turning to his bandmates — “those whom I’m most grateful for” — and breaking into tears.

“As the number of 82DE [82Major’s official fandom] grows alongside our concert venues, so does the love we receive from you,” said Cho. “Thanks to that love, I’m spending happy days.”

Following the Seoul kickoff, 82Major’s “Bebeom: Be the Tiger” tour will now move to Japan, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]