Legendary band Songgolmae returns to rock on stage after 38 years

Iconic South Korean hard rock band Songgolmae is embarking on a nationwide tour this fall, Dream Maker Entertainment announced on Monday.

Titled, “Yeolmang,” meaning “aspiration,” the tour will kick off in Seoul with two days of concerts, starting Sept. 11, at the Songpa Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul.

The upcoming tour will be the long-awaited reunion of the band‘s two best-known members -- Bae Cheol-soo and Koo Chang-mo -- after some 38 years.

The band, put together by Bae in 1979, led the country’s rock music scene in the 1980s with multiple hit songs such as “Accidental Encounter,” “Let’s Gather!” and “The Moment I Saw You.” 

When lead vocalist Koo Chang-mo left the group in 1984, the band continued with new members.

Songgolmae stopped performing after releasing its ninth album in 1990.

In 2020, during a press conference held to mark the 30th anniversary of MBC FM4U’s long-running radio program “Bae Cheol-soo’s Music Camp,” hosted by Bae, the singer-DJ hinted that Songgomae may return to the stage. “I started out as a rock band (musician), so I want to end my career where I began.” Bae said.

Ticket sales and more information about the tour will be announced through Dream Maker Entertainment’s social media pages.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)