South Korean singer Donghae apologised to his fans in Cantonese after he collapsed on stage during his solo concert in Hong Kong on June 28.
Donghae, 39, who debuted as a member of K-pop boy band Super Junior in 2005, is currently on his first solo concert tour, Alive. The tour kicked off in Seoul with a three-day run from May 15 to 17, followed by shows in Taipei from May 29 to 31 and in Hong Kong on June 27 and 28.
In videos of his June 28 concert circulated by fans on social media, Donghae is seen slumping to the ground abruptly while performing his song, Help (2026), on stage. The singer tries to get up, unsuccessfully, then lies on his back with a noticeably pained expression across his face.
His staff rush forward to help him to his feet, and escort him off the stage.
Donghae later returns to the stage and apologises to concertgoers for “ruining” the day, before completing his show.
Donghae, whose full name is Lee Dong-hae, took to Instagram on June 29 to apologise again to his fans. He explained that the sudden pain he felt in his back during the concert was caused by a pre-existing slipped disc.
“I promise I’ll come back healthy. And I promise I’ll keep making you smile for the rest of my life,” Donghae wrote in an Instagram post caption, with a photo of a handwritten letter in Cantonese.
“Today is the day after my first solo concert in Hong Kong. I promised you at the start of the show that we would have a happy and wonderful time, but I failed to do so, and I feel apologetic about it.”
Donghae said he had hoped to use the concerts to repay his fans who have supported him over the years.
“However, I wasn’t able to perform well owing to my physical condition, and for that, I am truly sorry,” he wrote. “Even though everyone told me that ‘it’s all right’, I feel that I have let you down as I didn’t take care of my body properly.”
Donghae assured his fans he would seek treatment as soon as he returned to South Korea, and that he would take care of his health.
“I promise I will be back in the best possible condition next time,” he wrote. “I promise I will bring you only happiness and joy when we meet again.”
Donghae is scheduled to perform next in Osaka, Japan, on July 4 and 5, before heading to Tokyo and Taiwan’s Kaohsiung later in July. The tour will wrap up in Macau on Aug 15 and 16. – The Straits Times/ANN
