"Practicing Guitar Every Day Until Calluses Form on My Fingertips"... Kim Gun-mo Makes Comeback with 35th Anniversary Concert

Marking the 35th anniversary of his debut, singer Kim Gun-mo is set to embark on a nationwide tour titled "Kim Gun-mo 35th Anniversary Live Tour," starting in Daegu on October 10 and running through 2027.

Having released his first new song in 10 years, "Where Are You Going?", last July, Kim plans to expand his musical activities beginning with this 35th-anniversary nationwide tour. The biggest highlight of this tour will be seeing Kim play the guitar for the first time since his debut. Long engraved in the public memory as the "piano-playing Kim Gun-mo," he has been pouring himself into practice for this tour stage to the point of developing calluses on his fingertips.

Previously, Kim held his first comeback tour in six years, starting in Busan in September of last year and concluding in Incheon on December 31, selling out all tickets across every region. During his opening performance back then, he showed nervousness uncharacteristic of a singer with 35 years in the industry and even burst into tears. As the concerts continued, he received praise for dominating the stage with his signature wit and live vocals amidst the enthusiastic support of the audience, re-establishing the true essence of "singer Kim Gun-mo."

In a recent interview, Kim shared, "During my hiatus, I practiced the guitar alone for four to five hours a day and returned to music once again," adding, "This is not a comeback, but rather the debut of Kim Gun-mo playing the guitar." This tour is expected to be the venue where he showcases this new side to the audience for the first time.

Kim also shared his reflections on the passing years. Looking back, he said, "It didn't take long for the tower I built over 28 years to collapse," expressing his determination to pave a path that junior artists can walk on rather than building another tall tower. This aligns with the main tagline of the tour, "With the same name, but different steps, we will pave the way with our story." It also signifies sharing music that has deepened over the years with long-time fans who spent their youth listening to Kim's songs on cassette tapes and CDs in their teens and twenties.

Currently, Kim is juggling concert rehearsals and recording work. He plans to sequentially release new tracks starting this fall and is accelerating work on a full-length album with the goal of releasing it next year.

The 35th-anniversary nationwide tour "Kim Gun-mo 35th Anniversary Live Tour" will kick off on October 10 at Hall 6 of the EXCO East Building in Daegu, followed by performances on October 31 at the Outdoor Theater of the Jeonri Sori Arts Center, on December 5 at the Kwangju Women's University Universiade Gymnasium, and on December 26 at Hall 9A of Exhibition Center 2 at KINTEX in Goyang. The schedule and additional regions for the second leg in 2027 will be announced later, and ticket reservations will be available exclusively through Yes24 Ticket.

(Photo: Yonhap News) (SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Kyung-yoon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.