Kim Gun-mo launches 35th-anniversary national tour: 'It didn't take long for 28 years to crumble'

Singer Kim Gun-mo is taking the stage again — this time with a guitar — to mark the 35th anniversary of his debut.

According to concert promoter Istar Media on Friday, Kim will kick off a national tour in Daegu on Oct. 10 and continue through 2027. After the opening show at Daegu's Exco East Hall, the tour moves to Jeonju on Oct. 31, Gwangju on Dec. 5 and Goyang on Dec. 26, before extending to other major cities nationwide into next year.

Kim broke a six-year hiatus last year to return to the concert stage, and in July released his first new song in a decade, "Eodijjeum Gago Isseulkka" ("Where Along the Way Are You Going").

A key highlight of the tour is that Kim will perform live on guitar for the first time in his career, breaking the long-held image of him as a pianist.

The promoter said Kim has practiced so intensively for the shows that his fingertips have developed calluses. "During my time away, I came back to music by playing guitar alone for four to five hours a day," Kim said. "This isn't a comeback — it's a new debut as Kim Gun-mo the guitarist."

Reflecting on the long absence that preceded his return, Kim said, "It didn't take long for the tower I had built over 28 years to come crumbling down." He added, "Rather than building a tall tower again, I want to lay a path that those who come after me can walk. With the same name but different steps, I will carve out a road that becomes our shared story."

Kim is currently juggling tour rehearsals with new recording sessions, signaling a busy stretch ahead. He plans to release new songs in succession this fall and is pushing forward on a full studio album aimed for release next year.