Kim Jong Kook, affectionately known by the fans as ‘SpartaKook‘, ‘Commander‘, ‘One Man‘ or ‘Kookie‘, was in town last week for his fan meeting showcase which saw a full-house attendance of 1,500 audience at the Kallang Theatre. Unlike his strong physique and character, the singer is actually quite soft at heart. Charming the audience with his unique ‘mosquito’ voice, Kim Jong Kook kicked-start the show with his opening song Today More Than Yesterday (어제보다 오늘 더), leaving the fans in awe as he hits the high notes perfectly.
The showcase continued with a self-introduction of himself, followed by a series of games and activities which allowed some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for lucky fans who were picked to go on stage as they experience up-close and personal interactions with the singer.
Personally, Kim Jong Kook left me an amazing impression (as I’m sure he did with all other fans who were present at the showcase as well). He hardly requires the assistance of the translator as he conversed fluently in a good command of English throughout the showcase. Kim Jong Kook also displayed different sides of himself – a soft-hearted one, and a humorous one. One can easily see that he was deliberately losing to fans on stage during the Running Man games (such as Flamingo and Tug-of-War) as he did not exert much force like his usual self in the variety show. I thought that was really nice of him, demonstrating the qualities of a true gentleman.
The other fresh side of him that I’m talking about is his sense of humor. From time to time, he jokes around with the host and keeps the fans entertained in their seats. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that he has been in the entertainment industry for a long while and picked up some tricks of the trade – but nonetheless, it was very enjoyable watching him on stage.
When asked if the highly popular variety show Running Man will visit Singapore for a filming, Kim Jong Kook happily said that he will convey the news to his PD and with that, he hoped that his next trip to Singapore will not be alone, but with the rest of the Running Man cast instead.
The fan meeting showcase wouldn’t be complete without hearing more live performances from the one man, as he continues with his signature ballads Men Are All Like That & Don’t Be Good To Me. His next item was Saying I Love You (사랑한다는 말), a song which he tells his fans, “I prepared many songs as it’s my first time performing here in Singapore. I am wondering what songs you would want to hear from me and which song would be the best for you. I’m sure everyone knows Yoon Eun-hye from X-Man. She’s featured in this MV, and I’m going to perform this song right now. I don’t perform it often even in Korea, and this song is for you guys.”
All eyes and ears were glued to him as Kim Jong Kook captivates the audience with his mesmerizing vocal and signature dance moves for Lovable, while bringing a satisfying close with the encore song One Man. Echoes of the encore song filled the entire hall as fans began to sing the chorus after him, making it one of the most memorable encore performances I have ever witnessed. We bet everyone was taken away by the one man’s live vocals – it was definitely a one-of-a-kind fan meeting showcase that evening!
Special thanks to MODE Entertainment for extending the invitation to the event. More official photos of the fan meeting showcase can be viewed HERE, taken with full credits from MODE Entertainment.
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