Charlie Puth Tears Up at Seoul Stadium Show: "It Took 11 Years"

American pop star Charlie Puth performed at his first Korean stadium show on Oct. 11, drawing 38,000 fans to Goyang Stadium just outside Seoul. It was his first visit to Korea in two years, and at one point through the night he grew emotional in front of the crowd. "It took 11 years to get to a stadium stage," he said.

The concert was part of his "Whatever's Clever!" world tour. Before Puth took the stage, backup singers warmed up the crowd with songs, using their vocals to open the show.

Puth kicked off his set with "Beat Yourself Up," the title track from his newly released fourth studio album. He then greeted Korean fans whom he was seeing again for the first time since his 2023 stop on the "How Long" tour.

"I first came to Korea 11 years ago," Puth told the crowd. "Back then I think there were about 1,000 people. This time they told me 40,000 are coming. This is also my first time on a Korean stadium stage. It feels different." When fans shouted that they loved him, he responded in Korean, "Saranghae."

He also reworked "Dangerously," one of his best-known songs in Korea, with a fuller band arrangement rather than the original acoustic version. A vintage electric piano carried the verses, and the chorus opened up with electric guitar and other instruments, giving the song a late-20th-century sound.

For "One Call Away," the song that first introduced him to many Korean listeners, Puth walked to the front of the stage and made eye contact with fans up close. He sang along with the audience, accompanying himself on piano without any other instruments.

After performing "Left And Right," his collaboration with BTS's Jungkook, Puth paused to thank his collaborator. "Thank you to Jungkook," he said. "Because of him, I was able to finish this song."

The biggest surprise of the night came when TWICE's Nayeon appeared as a special guest. She joined Puth for "We Don't Talk Anymore," swaying along to the beat beside him in a moment that drew laughter from the audience. The two shared a brief hug after the song, and Puth asked the crowd to cheer for her.

Near the end of the show, Puth said "Gamsahamnida," which means "thank you" in Korean, and his eyes welled up.

Puth has steadily performed at bigger venues with each visit to Korea. His first Korean show at Yes24 Live Hall in 2016 sold out within 10 minutes of tickets going on sale. In 2018 he filled 17,000 seats across two nights at Jamsil Arena. He drew 45,000 fans over three nights at KSPO Dome in 2023, followed by about 50,000 across two nights at Gocheok Sky Dome in 2024. This time he took the next step by performing at Goyang Stadium.