Singer Cha Ji-yeon's surprise gift of local craft beer steals the show at Chilgok concert

Singer Cha Ji-yeon has become the talk of the town after surprising audience members at a concert in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, with cans of a locally made craft beer — all while performing through heavy rain.

According to Chilgok-gun, Cha delivered a passionate performance Sunday at the Chilgok Harmony Concert, a side event of the 13th Chilgok Nakdong River Peace Festival held at Chilgok Weir Ecological Park, undeterred by the downpour.

Despite the heavy rain, audience members in the stands stayed in their seats and sang along to Cha's songs. Cha fed off their energy and kept the show going.

Mid-performance, she handed out one can of beer each to eight audience members — stepping to the front of the stage to deliver some in person and passing others through security staff.

As she gave out the cans, Cha told the crowd, "Please don't drink it here at the venue — save it for when you get home."

Kim Yeong-gyu, a Daegu resident who received a can, said he would "keep it as a family heirloom without drinking it."

After the concert, comments flooded social media asking what brand of beer Cha had given out, with many who had tried it praising the taste.

The beer was "Chilgok Kkulmek," a local craft beer jointly developed in June last year by the Chilgok-gun Agricultural Technology Center and Gyeongbuk Science University.

Chilgok Kkulmek is made with honey and oats produced in Chilgok-gun, the country's only designated beekeeping special zone. It was created to add value to local agricultural products and build a craft beer brand representative of the region.

Chilgok-gun Mayor Kim Jae-wook said the beer had drawn public attention thanks to a well-known singer's performance, and pledged to "continue discovering distinctive products unique to Chilgok and strengthening the competitiveness of local brands."