The bridge, the beats, the burst Seventeen's 10th anniversary party shakes up K-pop
Boy band's milestone party draws 10,000 to Seoul's Hangang Park
It's rare for a K-pop group — boy band or girl group — to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Most acts fail to survive the so-called 'seven-year curse,' a widely observed trend where many disband or undergo significant member changes around their seventh year. The standard contract term set by the Fair Trade Commission in Korea is also seven years.
Seventeen, however, beat the odds. While members Jeonghan and Wonwoo were absent at the show due to their military service, the group marked its decadelong journey in a groundbreaking way — by performing on the Jamsu Bridge in central Seoul, the first K-pop act to do so.
The anniversary concert, titled 'B-Day Party: Burst Stage,' kicked off 20 minutes behind schedule at 7:50 p.m., Sunday, opening with the premiere of the group's new main track, 'Thunder,' from the fifth studio album, 'Happy Burstday,' released on Monday at 6 p.m. Around 6,000 Carats — Seventeen's fandom — selected via online lottery, gathered on the low-lying bridge next to Banpo Hangang Park to sing along to the unreleased song in unison.
'We imagined all kinds of things when we first heard we'd be performing on Jamsu Bridge,' said member Mingyu during the show. 'We wondered, 'Will there be yachts? Will the sunset be pretty? What if it rains?' But everything turned out perfect. I hope everyone enjoys the show to the end.'
Hoshi added, 'They say we're the first K-pop group to ever perform on Jamsu Bridge,' highlighting the occasion's significance. DK followed up by thanking fans: 'It's all thanks to our Carats. None of this would've been possible without you.'
Those who without tickets still joined in, gathering around the nearby Banpo Hangang Park to watch the performance in real-time via large LED screens installed across the area.
After performing 'Thunder,' Woozi shared a behind-the-scenes story about the song's production.
'It's a powerful track, but after 10 years of making albums, I started to doubt myself — 'Maybe I don't have it anymore.' But inspiration struck like thunder. That's how this song came about. I hope you enjoy it just as it is,' Woozi said.
The group then performed the B-side 'HBD' from the new album and its 2022 hit 'Hot' from the fourth album 'Face the Sun.'
'This year marks our 10th anniversary, and since it's our fifth full-length album, we titled it 'Happy Burstday,'' said Mingyu. 'It's a celebration of our 10 years and a combination of the words 'burst,' as in explosion or release and 'birthday.''
'The album includes three group tracks including 'Thunder' and solo songs by all 13 members — 16 songs in total,' Vernon said.
The hour-long concert featured a total of 12 songs, including fan favorites like 'Rock With You,' 'God of Music' and 'Very Nice.' The performance was followed by a dazzling fireworks display over the Han River, adding to the party atmosphere.
Visual effects using the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain — installed on Banpo Bridge directly above Jamsu Bridge — heightened the spectacle. As the group sang 'Our Dawn is Hotter Than Day,' the fountain lit up in Seventeen's official colors, rose quartz and serenity. During 'God of Music,' the water jets danced in sync with the rhythm, amplifying the festive mood.
The event was livestreamed globally via Hybe's global fandom platform, Weverse; Hybe Labels' YouTube channel and Naver's ZikZok platform — allowing fans from Japan, China, the US, Indonesia, Singapore and beyond to join in virtually.
As the concert neared its end, Hoshi said, 'It feels like we just debuted yesterday, and now it's already been 10 years. The concert just started, but it's already over.'
DK added, 'Performing here is truly overwhelming.' Seungkwan wrapped up the night by saying, 'Just being able to perform in this space felt like a miracle.'
To mark the occasion, Seventeen also hosted a three-day fan event starting Friday on Some Sevit — a cluster of artificial islands on the Han River. The event included a 'Seventeen History Zone' chronicling the group's journey, an interactive message wall, an offline version of the group's mobile game 'Puzzle Seventeen,' a photo card exchange area and self-photo booths.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
15 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Starship Entertainment wins lawsuit against cyberbully 'Taldeok Prison Camp'
Notorious "cyber wrecker" operator faces continous defeat in lawsuits Starship Entertainment, the agency behind girl group Ive, has won a partial victory in its lawsuit for damages against cyberbully YouTube channel "Taldeok Prison Camp." On Tuesday, the court ruled in favor of Starship, ordering the channel operator, a woman surnamed Park, born in 1988, to pay 50 million won ($37,000) in damages. The verdict will serve as a strong warning to a growing number of so-called "cyber wrecker" channels, which profit from spreading malicious, baseless rumors and defamatory content about celebrities. From November 2022, Starship filed both civil and criminal suits against 'Taldeok Prison Camp,' citing the continuous spread of false claims that severely defamed the agency and its artists, disrupted business operations, and caused significant emotional distress to both the artists and their fans. The agency initially sought 100 million won in damages. To identify the anonymous channel operator, Starship utilized the US legal system's discovery process. They first obtained a disclosure order from a US court and demanded that the identity of the person behind "Taldeok Prison Camp" be revealed to Google's US headquarters. Park became the first anonymous Korean YouTuber to be unmasked and brought to court. Between October 2021 and June 2023, Park uploaded 23 defamatory videos targeting seven celebrities. Earlier this year, Jang Wonyoung also won a separate civil suit against Park, with the court ordering Park to pay another 50 million won in damages. Park has faced other lawsuits and convictions for spreading malicious rumors about other K-pop stars, including Kang Daniel, Karina, Suho, V and Jungkook. In one such case, she was convicted in the first trial and sentenced to two years in prison, with three years' probation. The appeal is ongoing. In a statement following the court's decision, Starship said, 'Through this ruling, we have pursued every possible civil and criminal avenue against the operator of 'Taldeok Prison Camp.' We believe this result holds her legally accountable beyond the financial gains she made from her illegal acts.' The agency added, 'This case sends a clear and powerful warning to so-called 'cyber wrecker' creators who profit from content that defames, insults or slanders others for clicks and revenue.'
Korea Herald
17 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Woman who pestered IU online slapped with another fine, for another attack
Court awards 3 million won fine for malicious comment, after the writer had already been fined for the same offense last year A 40-year-old woman previously punished for contempt against IU has been sentenced to a fine for another malicious comment, once again against the K-pop superstar. Seoul Central District Court found the defendant surnamed Kim guilty of insult, a criminal offense in South Korea, sentencing her to 3 million won ($2,200) fine. The defendant was accused of posting sexually offensive comments against the 32-year-old singer and actor, along with the accusation that her agency Edam Entertainment had bribed the judges in recent litigations. Kim denied writing the comments, and claimed that they did not specify a target and it did not damage IU's reputation. The court rejected the defendant's claims, pointing out that Kim had already been punished for similar crimes and that she had not been forgiven by the victim. But the court issued a relatively lenient sentence in giving her the same punishment handed when she had no priors, as the offense had been committed before she was indicted for her previous offense. In the previous online attack against the victim, Kim wrote comments disparaging IU for her singing and attire in April 2022. Kim said the comments merely expressed her personal preference and that her linguistic skills are limited due to her mental condition, but the court sentenced her to 3 million won fine in December of last year. Edam Entertainment has been engaged in legal battles against those posting malicious comments against IU, with the agency saying in November that it has filed for criminal punishment against 180 individuals. IU, one of the most popular and influential figures in the Korean pop culture, has been subject to online attacks for years. She was recently targeted by supporters of disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, expelled for his martial law imposition in December, when she paid for food and drinks to be provided for protesters calling for Yoon's impeachment earlier this year.
Korea Herald
17 hours ago
- Korea Herald
aespa announces comeback
K-pop power girl group to release first new track in 8 months Kpop girl group aespa is making a comeback with new music. At midnight on Wednesday, the group announced its return by unveiling a logo motion clip via official social media channels. The video shows molten metal pouring down and forming the title of the new track, 'Dirty Work.' The single will be released on June 27 at 1 p.m. KST and will include three tracks: the original version, an English version and an instrumental. It will be aespa's first release since the group's mega-hit mini album "Whiplash" eight months ago. With a string of hits like 'Supernova,' 'Armageddon' and 'Whiplash,' the group has continued to solidify its signature futuristic and urban sound — that fans have nicknamed it the 'iron taste' of aespa. With "Whiplash," the group became five-time million sellers. From June 2024 through March 2025, the group embarked on its second world tour, "SYNK: Parallel Line," performing 43 shows across 18 countries. Riding an unstoppable wave of momentum, anticipation is high for what aespa will deliver next. Pre-orders for the upcoming album began Thursday both online and in stores.
