HAHA Laments Low Concert Ticket Sales Despite High Recognition: 'Famous But Not Popular'

Korean entertainer HAHA (하하) recently appeared on the variety show “Radio Star,” where he openly discussed his upcoming first solo fan concert. He surprisingly revealed that only about half the seats for the Seoul show have been sold, admitting that despite his high recognition in the entertainment industry, his actual popularity doesn't align with it. He also joked that he didn't want to rely on Yu Jae-seok (유재석) even for his solo concert, to avoid being criticized for “always leeching off Yu Jae-seok.”

The MBC program “Radio Star,” which aired on the 19th, featured HAHA as a guest under the theme “Turns out I'm not dead yet, hehe,” where he candidly spoke about his life in entertainment. During the show, Kim Gook-jin (김국진) playfully asked HAHA if he was hosting a large “neighborhood gathering.” HAHA laughed and revealed that it was actually his first fan concert as the main act since his debut, scheduled for August 22 in Busan and September 13 in Seoul.

However, when discussing ticket sales, HAHA admitted, “Busan is okay, but Seoul has a problem. The Seoul show is only about half full right now.” He explained that the concert planning company was surprised by the sales figures, which prompted him to quickly appear on “Radio Star” for promotion. Ticket prices are 110,000 Korean Won (approximately 2,500 New Taiwan Dollars).

Addressing the disparity between his recognition and actual popularity, HAHA candidly stated, “It's true I'm famous, but my popularity doesn't match my recognition.” He confessed that he hoped at least 2,000 fans would attend for him, adding with a laugh, “Given my career experience, it shouldn't be difficult.” A hint of disappointment was evident in his words.