Shim Hyun-hee holds debut concert one month after first EP, Baek Jong-won appears as surprise guest

Shim Hyun-hee, who bills herself as a 'journal artist,' held her first concert at JADE 409 in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on June 12. The show was titled Geuli Eumagi Doeneun Sungan ('The Moment Writing Becomes Music'), arriving just one month after her debut mini-album Songs from a Real World dropped in May.

The invite-only event ran roughly 110 minutes as a visible-radio-style music talk show. Personal stories wove through live performance. A wine networking event kicked things off, followed by the main show and an open audience interaction session afterward.

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Jeong-heon co-hosted, reading columns throughout the evening. He also surprised the crowd with a solo performance of Huin Suyeom Gorae and joined Shim for an unannounced duet of Choiae-ege. The set opened with Choiae-ege, then Sso-biyon Beullang, Chikso, new track Gajja-ui Sidae, and Eomma-wa Na. The encore brought the upbeat Uuyut-bit Makgeolli. Pianist Jeong Jae-hyeong closed with a solo performance of Saranghaneun Iledeul-ege as an epilogue.

Barely anyone saw it coming: Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea, walked out as an unannounced guest. He said the lyrics hit deeper with each song — "노래마다 가사의 의미가 점점 깊이 와닿는 느낌" (each song's lyrics felt increasingly meaningful).

Lee Jeong-heon told her that a veteran journalist's hard-fought life and columns had "bloomed into a stage where deep resonance and lightness coexist." He fully backs what he called Shim's 'expansion of journalism.'

Shim closed with a promise of her own: "더 열심히 연습해서 완성도 있는 아티스트의 모습을 이뤄가겠다" — she will practice harder and grow into a more complete artist.