UPSIZE PH | K-pop Idols Connect With Filipino Fans Virtually At KCon

MANILA, Philippines—“It’s my first time here at KCON, the world’s biggest K-Culture festival. Good to see you all here. The energy here charges me,” said Korean pop icon Rain. “It was great to be able to share this moment with you all. It’s awesome to share this moment with you. I want to be together with you next time.”

Much love was exchanged between fans and some of the biggest K-Pop stars gathered at KCON:TACTHI 5. In the Philippines, the event was live streamed exclusively on Smart’s new GigaPlay App, giving subscribers free access to watch the live performances and meet-and-greet events from Sept. 18 to 26.

GigaPlay is a mobile app where Smart subscribers can watch exclusive live sports and entertainment events. A streaming channel exclusive for Smart mobile users to stream videos anytime, anywhere across the Philippines, GigaPlay is the newest source of free, exclusive live concerts and sports events live and on-demand.

On its final day last September 26, fans from all over the world, including the Philippines, were treated to amazing performances by ITZY, ONF, THE BOYZ and Rain.

ONF performed their hits “Popping,” “Dry Ice” and “Light ON” on a stage inspired by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which they said “is a city girls want to visit with their boyfriends.” They then took the opportunity to be their fans’ boyfriends for the night, recording sweet messages for them as well as doing a live video call with two lucky fans. Later, ONF returned for a special K-Pop Reborn stage, where they performed a cover of BTS’ “Black Swan.”

THE BOYZ also performed their hit tracks “Thrill Ride,” “Stealer,” “Reveal” and a relay dance version of “No Air.” After their performance, the group’s11 members expressed how amazing it felt to be able to perform their 2018 track after a while.

Meanwhile, ITZY sang fan favorites “LOCO,” “SoooLucky,” Tennis” and “In The Morning,” and had an amazing time interacting with their MIDZY fans. During their performance, they also met Daisy, a fan from the Philippines, who owns an amazing collection of ITZY posters and merch. Later,Yeji, who happens to be Daisy’s favorite member, accepted a special request to sing a few lines from the song “WhenThe Rain Stops” by Korean singer Wendy.

Apart from the concert performances, KCON also held fun and interactive meet-and-greet events. Hosted by Lee Gi-kwang, THE BOYZand ONF played a variety of parlor games and exchanged messages with their fans through the KCON chat room. Meanwhile, ITZY, who received a basket of flowers with hidden messages from their fans, expressed their gratitude for the love and support they’ve been receiving. “MIDZY is sending so much support to us. We want to be your support, too. Keep supporting us!”

Finally, K-Pop legend Rain proved his undying stage power with performances of “Why Don’t We,” “Love story,” “It’s Raining” and “Hip Song.”

Other performances courtesy of T1419 and J-Pop band INI also added flair to the event, which also served as an awareness and fundraising campaign for KCON:TACTHI 5, CJ Entertainment and UNESCO’s campaign for Girls’ Education. The campaign aims to send underprivileged girls all over the world to schools and receive education for a brighter future.

To watch your favorite moments from KCON:TACTHI 5, go to your GigaPlay App or download here and click http://smrt.ph/gigaplay.