Flonique Guimary

Korean artists relive K-Drama feels at KOSTCon in Manila

Article (news)

Nikka Avegail Sabio

Push Team

<p>It was a night of nostalgia and feels as seven renowned Korean artists took over the Mall of Asia Arena last August 6 for KOSTCON 2025, a concert dedicated to beloved Korean drama original soundtracks (OSTs).</p><div> </div><p>Presented by Random Minds Inc., Hi5 Entertainment, and Kelebrity, the event featured powerhouse performances from EXO’s Chen, SISTAR’s Soyou, Kim Bum Soo, Lyn, Lee Mujin, K.Will, and Heize with each serenading Filipino fans with songs that brought back iconic K-Drama moments.</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754650846574IMG_7445.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>Lee Mujin Opens the Night with a Confession</strong></div><p>South Korean singer-songwriter Lee Mujin kicked off the show with his feel-good tracks “Ordinary Confession” and “Rest”. He then performed OST favorites “Rain and You” from <em>Hospital Playlist Season 2 </em>and “Sweet” from<em> Business Proposal</em>.</p><div> </div><p>“Normally, I don’t really sing ballad songs kasi medyo tahimik ang aking vibe (while singing) pero namili talaga ako ng OST songs an magugustuhan niyo,” he said as per the event translator.</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754650871494IMG_7089.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Mujin also charmed the crowd by speaking Filipino phrases like “Salamat po (Thank you)” and “Mahal ko kayo (I love you all).” He wrapped up his set with his hit “Episode.”</p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754650893396IMG_7111.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNDJamJymMm/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=591&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A8256160.1%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="922" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>Heize Tugs at Heartstrings</strong></div><p>Known for her emotional vocals, Heize greeted fans warmly in Filipino: “Magandang araw po! Kamusta kayo? Miss na miss ko kayo, talaga sobra. Sobrang saya ko na makilala kayo.”</p><div><br/></div><p>She performed touching OSTs like “The Last” (<em>Our Blues</em>), “Can You See My Heart” (<em>Hotel Del Luna</em>), and “Hold Me Back” (<em>Queen of Tears</em>).</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651496880IMG_7116.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754650946557IMG_7137.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>The singer also gifted a lucky fan a sunflower and a signed album with a personal letter. She also took a selfie and video greeting from the fan’s phone, expressing her appreciation.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNDkBUTvNQ4/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=591&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A8378034.1%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1104" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754650968358IMG_7206.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div> </div><p>She then closed her performance with her songs “HAPPEN” where Song Joong-Ki appeared in the song’s music video as Heize’s love interest as well as “And July” where she showcased her rap skills.</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754650989717IMG_7216.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>SISTAR&#x27;s Soyou Returns to Manila</strong></div><p>Soyou, dubbed an OST queen of love songs, brought the crowd back to <em>Goblin</em> with her heartfelt rendition of “I Miss You,” a track dedicated to the scenes of Lee Dong Wook’s Grim Reaper Wang Yeo and Yoo Inna’s Sunny in the hit series</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651013097IMG_7225.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div> </div><p>“Masaya po ba kayo? I really practiced a lot but hello everyone, I’m Soyou!” Soyou said as she stumbled saying her Filipino greetings. “I was in the Philippines last year and parang ang bilis ng pagbabalik ko rito sa bansang ito and I’m very happy to see you all again.”</p><div> </div><p>She also sang “No Sleep” (<em>Love in the Moonlight</em>), “Once More” (<em>Empress Ki</em>), and “Good to Be with You” (<em>When the Camellia Blooms</em>).</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651037455IMG_7233.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Delighting fans further, she sang an a cappella version of “Touch My Body” and wrapped her segment with her popular song and crowd-favorite “Some.”</p><div> </div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNBYrC6zb__/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=591&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A8405545.3%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1014" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>EXO’s Chen Brings the Power of OSTs</strong></div><p>Chen, a KOSTCON favorite, wowed fans with “Fall in Love Again” and thanked them for singing along even though it was his first time performing the track in the Philippines.</p><div> </div><p>“It was actually the first stage pero ramdam na ramdam ko na hinihintay niyo talaga ako. ‘Di ba syempre a concert is something we must enjoy together so if I do point my mic at you please sing the song with me,” Chen said.</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651057735IMG_7281.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Chen then made the crowd cheer even louder as he sang one of the favorite OST songs “Best Luck” from<em> It&#x27;s Okay, That&#x27;s Love</em> which starred fellow EXO member D.O.</p><div> </div><p>“Last time, I was here performing and I enjoyed listening to your voices. I was also here earlier this year to be a mentor in an audition show. So when we were filming the show, I really wanted to be on the stage, actually. That&#x27;s why I’m looking forward to being on the stage and to perform for all of you kaya napakasaya ng araw na ito para sa akin,” Chen said.</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651077758IMG_7307.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>He then performed “Make It Count” from <em>Touch Your Heart</em> and “Everytime” from<em> Descendants of the Sun.</em></p><div> </div><p>“For tonight’s show, it’s all about Korean OSTs. It’s very precious to be able to be onstage to perform to all of you and I think it’s all because of your amazing love even from foreign countries like this who love Korean dramas. I promise to be a good singer Chen so I can sing more great songs. So I hope we can have more time singing together,” he said.</p><div> </div><p>For his final performance, Chen sang his newest single “Broken Party.”</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651097656IMG_7339.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1953274919225291202&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-08-08T07%3A39%3A27.883675%3A98394985-2a9a-4eaa-90ba-03caf09db288%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=056f0746a2cc31c7a774ac7165d6c8046f028c1c&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:474px;height:655px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1953274919225291202"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>K.Will Makes His Manila Debut</strong></div><p>Making his Philippine debut, K.Will expressed joy in finally meeting Filipino fans. He performed “Love Blossom,” “All I Have is My Heart” (<em>Ghost Doctor</em>), “Beautiful Moment” (<em>The Beauty Inside</em>), and “Talk Love” (<em>Descendants of the Sun</em>).</p><div> </div><p>“I’ve actually waited for a long time because I’ve been longing for a time like this to spend with you. It’s really really nice to meet you all. It’s my first time to be onstage here in the Philippines so definitely today will be a very memorable day for me,” the Korean star said.</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651116216IMG_7348.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div> </div><p>Grateful for the warm reception, K.Will closed his set with “Please Don’t,” promising to return for future performances.</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651137937IMG_7355.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>Kim Bum Soo shows stunning performance to Filipino Fans</strong></div><p>One of Korea’s best vocalists and a legend in the Korean music industry Kim Bum Soo finally arrived on the Philippine stage showcasing his vocal prowess as he performed “A Love Begins With a Confession” from <em>The Producers</em>.</p><div> </div><p>Bum Soo shared that he was initially worried if concert attendees would know his songs but the worry eventually faded seeing and hearing the reception from the crowd.</p><div><strong> </strong></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651157199IMG_7384.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>“Nakita ko na napakarami sa inyo na sumasabay sa akin sa pagkanta, I feel overwhelmed and also very very thankful for your support,” he said. </p><div> </div><p>Celebrating his 25th year in music, he performed “Journey” from his latest album, saying: “I really wanna say thank you so much for all the love I’ve been receiving from all throughout the years.”</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651175736IMG_7395.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div> </div><p>He then made the crowd stand up from their seats and danced and sang with him as he sang “Appear” from hit Korean series <em>Secret Garden</em> featuring Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won.</p><div> </div><p>“You’re the best! It’s unbelievable and I’m very thankful and also very happy that you are singing along this song with me,” he expressed. “I really appreciate all of you who make efforts to be here tonight to share your energy and your love towards us. Nagpapasalamat ako sa inyong lahat.”</p><div> </div><p>He then proceeded to perform a popular OST from the classic series Stairway to Heaven, “I Miss You” and his final song “Last Love” as he planned to come back more often to perform for his Filipino fans.</p><div> </div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>Lyn Brings Iconic OSTs to Life</strong></div><p>Known for her unforgettable K-Drama ballads, Lyn began her set with “We Used to Love”</p><div> </div><p>“Nice to meet you all. I am from Korea and who love Manila so much, I’m Lyn! I’m quite very nervous tonight. I sang a lot of OST songs in Korea, that&#x27;s why I’m very grateful and honored to be performing here,” Lyn said. “Thank you so much for your welcome!”</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>The popular Korean singer then brought nostalgic performances of beloved soundtracks “With You” from <em>Descendants of The Sun </em>and <em>The Legend of The Blue Sea</em> OST “Love Story.” Despite language barriers, Lyn emphasized the power of music in connecting people.</p><div> </div><p>“As you listen to the song that all of you must agree that you remember the scene from it and I think that’s the power that the song gives every time I perform on stage,” Lyn expressed. “It’s really hard to perform with the language barrier but through the music we can communicate and also through your energy na ibinibigay niyo sa akin.”</p><div> </div><p>Lyn also happily sang an acapella of fans’ requested songs such as “LOVE” from <em>Are You Human?</em> and “Teddy Bear.”</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651331398IMG_7405.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div> </div><p>With the love from fans, she also learned the Filipino expression “mahal kita,” saying: “Next time, I will be back from Manila for a solo concert to perform for all of you. Promise!”</p><div> </div><p>She ended her performance with “My Destiny” (<em>My Love from the Star</em>) and “Back in Time” (<em>Moon Embracing the Sun</em>).</p><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754651354558IMG_7419.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/7/18/kostcon-2025-to-give-focus-on-k-ost-artists-through-the-concert-1235" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: KOSTCON 2025 to give focus on K-OST artists through the concert</strong></a></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/7/14/chen-of-exo-looks-forward-to-meeting-filipino-fans-again-for-kostcon-2025-1638" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: Chen of EXO looks forward to meeting Filipino fans again for KOSTCON 2025: &#x27;I hope we’ll make great memories together&#x27;</strong></a></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Following the Manila and Jakarta legs, KOSTCON 2025 is set to continue in Dubai, Bangkok, and Malaysia, bringing the magic of K-drama OSTs to even more fans across Asia.</p>

<p>EXO Chen, Soyou, Kim Bum Soo, and more bring the magic of K-Drama OSTs to Philippine stage</p>

EXO Chen, Soyou, Kim Bum Soo, and more bring the magic of K-Drama OSTs to Philippine stage