Changwon K-Pop World Fest Cebu Preliminary returns

CEBU, Philippines — After a two-year hiatus, the Changwon K-Pop World Festival 2025 – Cebu Preliminary will return for its latest edition on June 29 at the City Wing Atrium of SM Seaside City.

Aside from cash prizes, ranging from ?10,000 for second runner-up to ?20,000 for the champion, the main prize for singing and dancing contestants is the chance to represent the Philippines at the global competition in South Korea.

Organized by the Korean Consulate in Cebu, the Korean Association in Cebu, SM Seaside, Y101 radio station, and its weekly K-pop show HALLYU IL, the festival was put on hold in 2023 and 2024 as the South Korean government felt that Korean entertainment had already achieved global dominance.

It was the strong demand from Cebu’s K-pop community that prompted the consulate to reformat the event as a community-led initiative, with HALLYU IL spearheading the competition, a program that has promoted K-pop in Cebu for nearly seven years, originally on Magic 92.3 before moving to its current home on Y101.

“It was one of the few events that showcased the talents of the Cebuano youth in dancing and singing. This event is something that K-pop cover groups and soloists in Cebu look forward to because there’s history attached to it,” HALLYU IL host June Rabin told The FREEMAN.

“Having the consulate sponsor events like this makes the Cebuanos feel recognized and seen,” she added, “and it fosters a strong friendship and acceptance for both Koreans and Cebuanos.”

In his remarks at a June 19 press conference, Consul General Song Sewon said the event strengthens diplomatic ties between Koreans and Cebuanos through the partnership with HALLYU IL under their Korea-Friendly Foreigners Outreach Project.

“Thanks to the continued support, our efforts in conveying their passion to Korean media is thrilling, as we want to bring back this competition, bigger and better,” Song said.

“This year’s festival is particularly meaningful as we can hope that through events like this, we can deepen our mutual understanding and friendship. Cultural exchange is a bridge that connects people, and together, we can continue to build on this strong foundation,” he added.

Out of 60 applicants, 40 were selected to participate – 34 dance groups performing covers and six individual singers performing songs in Korean. Twenty of the selected contestants will also qualify for the Cebu K-pop Star competition later this year.

“They are looking for a group that is very synchronized, and they want a singer closest to the idols they were covering. Basically, a whole package,” Rabin said.

“I am deeply grateful to the young performers in Cebu who continue to express their love for K-pop with such energy and dedication, even after a two-year break,” Song remarked.

The local K-pop dance groups competing are Asteria, Crescendo, Fluxions, Geezteen Grey, Humbles, Hedone, Henosis, Highness, Lazuli, Lilies, Lucent, Maeurix, Mix of Angels, NMAXX, N’ouelus, Nyxie, and Kemikal X.

Also part of the lineup are ONCE, Orpheus, Prism, Profile Sonata, Starlight Strave, The Glitz, Titans, Understatement, Vivid, X: Encrypted, X.O, X5G, Young Villains, Zenith, and Z-iur.

They will be performing dance covers of idol groups such as aespa, ATEEZ, BADVILLIAN, BTS, CLC, fromis_9, HEARTS2HEARTS, ITZY, IZNA, KATSEYE, LE SSERAFIM, MEOVV, NCT 127, RIIZE, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, TWICE, and XIKERS.

The six singers competing in the vocal category are Aines Leigh Atendido, Jhon Rey Pardillo, Jian Kylie Tiu, Lee Haeseong, Seth Luna, and XING.

They will be providing their vocal interpretation of songs by ECLIPSE, Jung Seunghwan, K/DA, Kim Ryeowook, Taeyeon, and The Rose.