"ENGENE, Come On Over!" ENHYPEN Are Basically Busan Ambassadors

K-pop group ENHYPEN reunited with Korean fans in Busan on Saturday, and the group spent much of the night sounding less like touring idols and more like local ambassadors. The seven members leaned into Busan dialect, name-checked the city's food, and shouted out its landmarks throughout the show.

ENHYPEN, made up of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon and Ni-ki, performed its world tour "ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR 'BLOOD SAGA'" at Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Dongnae district, Busan, on Aug. 9. It was the group's first Korean concert since its Seoul dates in May, three months earlier.

Jungwon opened by teasing the crowd, asking ENGENE, the group's fandom, whether they had been doing well while ENHYPEN was away. Fans shouted back "No!" almost in unison. "It's nice to see you after a while. We look good, right? I know," Jungwon joked.

The venue was heavy with local fans. When Sunghoon asked who was seeing "BLOOD SAGA" for the first time, then asked who lived in Busan, hands shot up across the arena. "It seems like a lot of ENGENE came from Busan," Jungwon said.

That set the tone for a running dialect bit. Jungwon said the group had to try speaking in the Busan dialect while they were in town. Sunoo followed with a loud "ENGENE, come here!" in dialect and mimed a hug. Jay joined in with his own Busan-style line, telling ENGENEs, "You're so cute." Sunghoon then suggested doing all of their stage comments in dialect for the night, and his awkward attempts at the dialect kept the crowd laughing.

Food came up almost as often as music. Jungwon said he had enjoyed milmyeon, the cold wheat noodles Busan is known for. Sunghoon mentioned trying eomuk, the local fish cakes. Jay said he had heard that makchang and gopchang, both grilled offal dishes, were also famous in the city. "There seem to be a lot of good things to eat in Busan," he said. Other members added nakgopsae, a spicy octopus-and-intestine stew, and raw fish to the list.

Sunoo, who had recently filmed a vlog in the city, said Gwangan Bridge and Haeundae Beach were beautiful. He also brought up a well-known pizza spot in town and said he was disappointed he did not get to try it. Between the dialect, the food, and the sightseeing notes, the members sounded more like Busan ambassadors than visiting performers.

The tour will now pause. ENHYPEN is set to release a new album Aug. 21 and begin its comeback promotions. Jay pointed out the gap to the crowd, saying the next concert would not come until October. "After the Busan shows, the next concert is in October. Let's have two months' worth of fun here. Let's play so we don't have any regrets," he shouted. The crowd answered with a roar that carried through the arena.