Gigs
Kanye West Returns to Korea With Fiery Concert and Fierce Crowd Energy After Controversy Hiatus
Incheon, South Korea – On a sweltering summer night, hip-hop icon Kanye West—now known as Ye—made a triumphant return to the Korean stage, shaking Incheon Munhak Stadium with a euphoric, unapologetic performance for over 26,000 screaming fans. Marking his first full concert in Korea in more than a decade, the July 26 show delivered an emotional rollercoaster of iconic tracks, viral moments, and a bold reintroduction to one of music’s most controversial figures.
Emerging from behind a massive stage mound under blazing lights and stadium-shaking bass, Kanye West kicked off the night with his 2010 anthem “Power,” clad in a sweat-drenched gray hoodie that simply read “KOREA.” It was a minimalist yet pointed look—one that acknowledged both his Korean audience and the stripped-back, music-first approach he adopted for the night.
Despite the lingering controversy from earlier this year—when a previously planned May concert was canceled following his antisemitic posts on social media—Ye refrained from making any public statements or commentary. Instead, he let the music do the talking. And talk it did.
From “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” to “All of the Lights,” Kanye West took the crowd through a relentless two-hour setlist of greatest hits. Fans, many of whom had lined up for merchandise since early afternoon despite the near-30°C heat, sang every word, turned their phone flashlights into a glowing sea, and echoed “Yeezy! Yeezy!” throughout the venue.
One of the most viral moments of the night came when Kanye West paused during “Heartless,” letting the South Korea crowd take over the vocals in an emotional, stadium-wide singalong. Later, to wild applause, he invited his daughter onstage during “Bomb,” where she rapped and danced alongside him, adding a rare family moment to a night otherwise steeped in fierce performance and visual spectacle.
The production remained strikingly minimal by modern stadium standards—no long speeches, no flashy costume changes, just raw performance energy. Visuals pulsed behind him during “On Sight,” but the true highlight remained West’s commitment to reconnecting through his music.
For fans like 20-year-old Kim Hwan-young, who had missed West’s brief Korea appearance last year, the show was more than just a concert—it was a cultural event. “We waited hours in the heat and sang every word,” he said. “It was worth it.”
As Kanye West continues a controversial path of image rehabilitation following global backlash and unpredictable public behavior, the Incheon concert offered something powerful: an unfiltered reminder of the artist’s enduring connection with fans through music alone.
If Korea was any indication, Kanye West ‘Ye’ still has the power.
