If there’s only one thing to say about Junhee fans, it’s that they’re always ready to dive right in.
Junhee, the leader of K-Pop group A.C.E, brought his Into the Oce@n solo tour to Distro Music Hall on January 15. The small venue lent an intimate atmosphere that suited the vibe incredibly. While getting one of the VIP packages guaranteed a spot close to the stage, even having a basic ticket like mine still got you a pretty decent view if you – or your shoes – were tall enough.
The night kicked off with “Supernova (00:00)”, the first single off his debut solo album The First Day & Night released September 12, 2025. During the show, Junhee admitted he was recovering from a cold and thus wasn’t at his best. If he hadn’t said anything, I never would have guessed he wasn’t feeling well. From the moment he stepped onstage, he was captivating. Junhee defined “feeling himself,” from his confident dancing to that gigawatt smile that never fails to brighten my day.
Also included on the setlist was the wonderfully sincere “Tattoo (12:30)”, made in collaboration with A.C.E teammates Lee Jiham (formerly Donghun), Wow, BK and Yuchan. Album cuts “Sugar (18:00)”, “You Should Come (21:00)” and “Night (02:00)” had fans feeding off his contagious energy. He humorously noted how the crowd was having fun and dancing to “Umbrella (10:00)”, despite the fact that “it’s not a happy song”. Hey man, you can’t make a sad-boy banger and expect your fans to not shake ass.
As good of an album as it is, you can’t fill a 90 minute set with only eight tracks. As such, the setlist included a good number of covers. One such cover was “Your Idol” by Saja Boys of the 2025 global phenomenon K-Pop Demon Hunters, which was fitting not just because his cover of the track has garnered 7.5 million views on YouTube. Junhee fully embodied the song, even wearing just a white tank top and blue jeans, body rolling and belting until the entire crowd was under his spell.
Other covers included “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Toxic Til the End” by Rose of BLACKPINK and “Beautiful” by Bazzi.
The night took on a particularly emotional vibe when he started discussing his fellow A.C.E members.
“First, thank you for loving K-Pop,” Junhee said with help from a translator. “Second, thank you for loving A.C.E; and third, thank you for loving all the members. I truly trust that, thanks to you guys all for loving us, supporting us and believing in us that, one day, all five of us will be able to meet again.”
On March 20, 2025, their now former company Beat Interactive announced the mutual decision to part ways with A.C.E following the completion of their exclusive contract. Despite this, the group is still permitted to use the A.C.E name, branding and discography unconditionally.
“Departing from conventional industry practices, we have decided to allow A.C.E to freely continue using the group name and related content, without any conditions, so that their journey as A.C.E may continue seamlessly,” Beat Interactive CEO Kim Hye-im said in a press release.
Despite this, the group has been focusing on solo projects since leaving the company. That being said, this is not the end of A.C.E. He expressed that the group’s hiatus was for the members’ individual growth and experiences. When they do come back, he promised a new and improved A.C.E. Considering how high of a bar they set, that’s a promise that will surely be kept.
Appropriately enough, the main set closed with solo covers of A.C.E songs “Clover”, “My Girl”, “Just Better” and “Effortless”. “Clover” isn’t just a song lovingly written for CHOICE, A.C.E’s fanclub, but it’s also the name Junhee gave to his solo fans. Wrapped in the Chicago flag, the encore included repeat performances of “Supernova (00:00)” and “Sugar (18:00)” before finally closing with “Too Bad (15:00)”. Anyone who purchased selfies with Junhee was able to do so post-concert.
For some Clovers, the fun didn’t end with the concert or even selfies. On January 16, Chicago K-Pop store K-Pop Merch by ChocChoc hosted a meet and greet with the idol. There were three experience tiers available for purchase.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do the second or third tier experience. However, it was still a delightful and unique experience to purchase an artist’s album directly from them. In his shop apron, he seemed shy and grateful as I told him what a great show he put on the night before. After paying for the album and accompanying photo card, both sat on the counter until one of the regular employees gently prompted him to hand it to me. It probably didn’t help that I ended up being the first person in line, but I’m sure he hit his stride for the rest of the attendees.
On February 10, the Chicago K-Pop store posted a highlight reel of the meet and greet on their official Instagram account. Check it out below!
Whether solo or with A.C.E, I know I’ll be one fan who will be ready to dive right back in next time Junhee comes back to Chicago.
The US leg of the tour wrapped up in San Francisco at Brick and Mortar Music Hall on January 19. Junhee’s Into the Oce@n tour came to Seoul’s Gurumare Theatere on February 1. The European leg is set to begin in Amsterdam on March 4.
The In-Crowd 