"Psy's Heumppuk Show Summer Swag 2026 — Wonju" is set to begin at 6 p.m. Saturday at Wonju Stadium.
The Heumppuk Show — a water-soaking concert series Psy launched in 2011 — is his signature summer brand concert.
The touring show has drawn hundreds of thousands of fans across the country each summer, with audiences drenching themselves under powerful water cannons fired from the stage.
Psy — dubbed the "oxygen tank of world pop" and said to possess "three performing hearts" — will bring his trademark energy to Wonju, delivering a set that spans "Gangnam Style," the song that ignited the K-pop global boom, through his latest hits.
This year's theme is "long-distance running," and fans are watching to see how his seemingly inexhaustible drive will translate into an endless outpouring of love for the crowd.
Behind the scenes, Wonju's public and private sectors have been working hard to prepare. About 30 hours before showtime, Mayor Ku Ja-yeol grabbed a quick lunch and headed to Wonju Stadium with his staff for a joint on-site safety inspection with relevant agencies aimed at preventing accidents.
"We must be thoroughly prepared for unpredictable weather conditions, with heavy rain and heat waves alternating," Ku said. "We will do our utmost to protect the safety of residents and concertgoers by rigorously checking every possible risk factor — heat-related illness, hypothermia, electric shock — and by carefully implementing safety measures in each area to minimize noise and traffic disruption from the outdoor concert."
Wonju Fire Station chief Kim Geun-tae joined the mayor in conducting a comprehensive review of safety management conditions at the venue and the response systems in place for each area.
The inspection team first confirmed follow-up actions taken on items discussed at a safety planning meeting with relevant agencies on July 13, then toured the site with concert organizers, focusing on crowd flow, crowd density management, emergency vehicle positioning, safety personnel deployment, measures for heat-related illness and hypothermia cases, and traffic management.
That morning, officials also conducted a pre-inspection of stage structures and electrical equipment with concert organizers, the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation's Wonju-Hoengseong branch, and a safety advisory panel, with instructions to address any deficiencies on the spot.
On Thursday, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province disaster safety director Yun Seung-gi and Wonju Deputy Mayor Kim Jeong-nam visited the venue for an additional pre-inspection with concert staff to review overall safety preparations. On the day of the concert, police, the fire department and city hall will operate a joint situation room.
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