82MAJOR, Winner of the Asia Rising Group Award, Held Release Events in Tokyo Featuring the Viral 'Watch Dance' Performance

On September 9, 82MAJOR, winners of the Asia Rising Group Award (Male Category) at 'ASIA CULTUR FESTIVAL 2026' held in Tokyo, hosted release events on September 11 in Odaiba, Tokyo, and on September 12 in Shiodome, Tokyo.

82MAJOR, a six-member next-generation K-pop idol group that debuted in South Korea in October 2023, embodies their name—combining South Korea's country code '82' with 'MAJOR'—to signify their ambition of becoming globally prominent beyond Korea. Promoting their mini-album 'FEELM', released in South Korea in April, the group achieved their highest chart position to date on Korea's Hanteo Chart. The album was fully self-produced, with each member contributing to songwriting and production.

Despite unstable weather, fans known as '82DE' (pronounced 'Etitude') flooded into DiverCity Tokyo Plaza for the September 11 event. As anticipation built for the long-awaited Japan return and the first-ever Japanese performance of an album track, the members appeared in all-white outfits. Deafening cheers erupted across the venue, and riding the wave of excitement, they performed 'W.T.F' from the new album. After the performance, leader CHO SEONG IL (Cho Seong-il) led the group in thanking the audience in Japanese: 'Thank you all today!' The MC segment began with member introductions. NAM SEONG MO (Nam Seong-mo) greeted fans with 'Hello everyone! We've missed you!', while HWANG SEONG BIN (Hwang Seong-bin), who learned Japanese through anime, and KIM DO GYUN (Kim Do-gyun), who grows more fluent with each Japan visit, delivered polite greetings: 'Thank you so much for coming today!' Fans responded passionately with loud shouts of 'Thank you!'

PARK SEOK JOON (Park Seok-joon) and YOON YE CHAN (Yoon Ye-chan) expressed their bittersweet feelings: 'We're really having fun, but actually, the next song is our last,' and 'We're truly sorry, but you'll enjoy it to the end, right?' When they announced, 'The next song is 'Sign'!', the crowd erupted in even greater joy. KIM DO GYUN shared, 'This song captures mature charm,' while the members taught the audience synchronized chants matching the melody. Responding instantly, fans shouted 'Sign!' at the top of their lungs as the song began with YOON YE CHAN's verse.

During the chorus, they performed the iconic 'Watch Dance', pointing to their wrists in sync with the memorable lyrics 'tiki taki tak', symbolizing the song's theme of 'time'. The powerful wrist movements drew intense cheers and visual focus, culminating in an overwhelming finale driven by fan-created chants. Following the performance, CD purchasers participated in high-five sessions, card handover events, and video recording opportunities. On September 13, the group held a fan club event. Amid their intense Japan schedule, the members revealed their secret joy: food. Particularly passionate about ramen, they reportedly enjoyed tonkotsu ramen and Japanese karaage the previous day. In July, they will hold a fan concert in Korea, followed by an Asian tour, raising expectations for their continued activities in Japan. Their journey remains one to watch.

※82DE (Fan community name, pronounced 'Etitude')

[Album Information]

'FEELM' Special Website: https://82major-fc.jp/feelm/

'FEELM' Self-Liner Notes (SPICE): https://spice.eplus.jp/featured/0000174976/articles

[Various Links]

・Official Home Page (Japan Official Site): https://82major.jp/

・JAPAN OFFICIAL FANCLUB 82DE: https://82major-fc.jp/

(GLOBAL SNS)

・Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/82major_official

・TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@82major_official

・X: https://x.com/82major_231011

・YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@82major_official

・SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/82major_official

(JAPAN SNS)

・X JP: https://x.com/82MAJOR_JP

[Profile]

The group name '82MAJOR' combines South Korea's country code '82' with 'MAJOR', reflecting their confidence and ambition to become major stars beyond Korea on the global stage. They debuted in South Korea in October 2023. The six members are NAM SEONG MO (Nam Seong-mo), PARK SEOK JOON (Park Seok-joon), YOON YE CHAN (Yoon Ye-chan), CHO SEONG IL (Cho Seong-il), HWANG SEONG BIN (Hwang Seong-bin), and KIM DO GYUN (Kim Do-gyun). All members participate in music production. The fan community name is '82DE' (Etitude).