Approaching their 30th debut anniversary, H.O.T returned to the stage together for the first time in six years at the ‘Hanteo Music Festival’ on the 22nd at Incheon Inspire Arena, delivering a headlining set that emphasized live band sound and tight choreography.
Rather than a pure nostalgia play, the performance highlighted precision and unity. The members curated the setlist themselves and augmented it with band arrangements to raise overall impact. Fans filled the venue with white light sticks and balloons, and the sing-along chants underscored how much the audience had missed the group.
Before H.O.T’s stage, Teen Top, fromis_9, and tripleS each performed 30-minute sets. Members of tripleS stayed in the stands afterward to watch H.O.T, paying respect to their seniors.
In the interview, Lee Jae Won described the preparation and his emotions: "We practiced hard for months. It was so tough it felt like we were groaning, but I could feel H.O.T’s DNA waking up again. Right before the show, the anticipation was huge. Even our group rehearsal felt exciting." He added that the set featured around ten of the group’s biggest hits because "rehearsing with the band and tightening the moves took more time."
Recalling the most demanding number, Lee Jae Won pointed to ‘We Are The Future’: "There are lots of sit-down/stand-up sequences. Watching old videos, I thought, ‘Who are these people flying around?’ But standing with the members again, it felt like we were back 30 years ago. When I’m dancing on the far right, I can see everyone on the left—the tiny movements only I can see… it was really moving."
The set included classics such as ‘Warrior’s Descendant’, ‘Candy’, ‘We Are The Future’, ‘Line Up!’, ‘Happiness’, and ‘Light’, with the members’ voices and synchronized moves locking back into place. New material also appeared at the festival, including Lee Jae Won’s ‘Call Me Right Now’ and Jang Woo Hyuk’s ‘Nothing ★ To Lose’.
Reflecting on time and teamwork, Lee Jae Won said, "We’ve changed a little, but our vibe is the same. After doing this, it feels like there aren’t any big issues. I think we can go another ten years." He also mused, "Back then we practiced by shuttling around videotapes. If we’d lived in a time when you could pull up YouTube instantly, maybe we would’ve been even better. Our 30th is next year—we want to prepare a lot and do it without regrets."
Getting to a full-group stage took time and care. "The process wasn’t easy," Lee Jae Won acknowledged, "but we’re happy we could keep our promise to fans. For the 30th, we’d like to do a world tour if possible. Nothing’s set yet, but it would be great to perform in places like Greater China or North America."
He closed with a message to fans: "We were so excited to meet you again after so long. We want to give those who haven’t forgotten us another page of good memories." H.O.T’s festival performances continue on the 23rd, with stages that day by 2AM, OH MY GIRL, and Solar of MAMAMOO.
SEE ALSO: Fromis_9 returns with special digital single this winter
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