Less than a day after wrapping the final 82 SYNDROME North America tour in Los Angeles, rising K-Pop group 82MAJOR gave their fans, 82DE, one more unforgettable moment to close out the weekend. The six-member group–Seong Il, Ye Chan, Seong Mo, Seong Bin, Seok Joon, and Do Gyun–traded microphones for staff t-shirts and name tags as they stepped into their roles as temporary hello82LA employees.
The event served as part of hello82’s “Employee of the Day” series, a pop-up event that puts artists behind the counter–literally. Hosted at hello82’s flagship fanspace in L.A., the event blurred the lines between artist and their international fanbase, offering attendees a rare opportunity to interact with their favorite musicians up close in a casual, unique setting.
The experience started the moment the doors opened, with Ye Chan and Seong Il there to personally welcome everyone into fanspace. Inside, the remaining members took on various roles: Seong Mo handled the register at the hello82 Mart where fans purchased Korean snacks and drinks; Seok Joon ran the photo zone, snapping Polaroid shots of fans in front of the hello82 neon signage; and Seong Il, Seong Bin, and Do Gyun worked the merch counters, helping fans check out and purchase K-Pop merchandise while chatting with them one-on-one.
Roaming the space was Ye Chan, who fully embraced his assigned role as “Space Manager.” When he wasn’t greeting fans at the door or checking in on his colleagues’ work, Ye Chan photobombed fans at the hello82 photo booth (which featured a limited edition 82MAJOR photoframe), observed fans reactions to their live album unboxing, and even found himself in the center of a dance circle, surrounded by 82DEs who were more than eager to show off their own dance moves.
A mid-day raffle gave select attendees the rare opportunity to take photo booth pictures alongside the members, while the biggest surprise came when the center of the store was cleared for a live, pop-up performance of their track “Takeover,” turning the intimate retail space into an impromptu concert venue. For the nearly 300 fans who cycled through hello82LA that day, it was an experience that blurred the lines between idol and audience. With the group set to appear at next week’s KCON LA, the event served as a perfect prequel to what promises to be another milestone moment in the group’s career.
WATCH: “POV: You’re a goated Space Manager” (Cr. hello82LA)
Following the event, Kpopconcerts.com sat down with the members to reflect on their North America tour, their creative process, and the moments they’ll carry with them as they look to the future.
KPC: Congrats on completing your 82MAJOR TOUR <82 SYNDROME> in North America! You’ve been on the road since mid-June and played across 20+ cities. Can you walk us through how you prepared for this tour?
Seong Il: We already had three days of concerts in Seoul, but we already knew in advance that we would be coming to the US as well. We slightly adjusted the setlist to prepare for the North America leg of the tour. Our concerts in Seoul went well, and that momentum allowed us to have a great US tour as well.
KPC: Looking back, what moment from the tour stood out most?
Seok Joon: When we came to America for the first time and had our first performance ever, we saw that the crowd was cheering for us really loudly, and we were able to have a lot of fun because of that.
Seong Bin: I had a concert on my birthday, and the fans and the members congratulated me. It was a new experience for me.
KPC: What was your favorite song to perform on tour, and did your feelings about any of the songs change after performing them live night after night?
Seong Il: “82” is closer to the end of the setlist, so we are putting in all the remaining power, and we were able to enjoy it with the fans as well.
Seong Bin: “Facetime.” I was really surprised because it was a really big reaction and a lot of fans followed along to it. So, I think “Facetime.”
Ye Chan (in English): I agree.
Seong Il (in English): Me too.
KPC: You’ve visited 20+ cities across North America, each with its own unique culture. What’s your favorite food you tried while on tour?
Seok Joon: Texas brisket was very delicious! (Ye Chan: OH yeah!).
Seong Mo: In-N-Out burger!
Seok Joon: I don’t remember the exact place where I ate it, but it was a hand-crafted burger place, and it was really delicious!
Do Gyun: All the steak I had in America was really great!
Seong Mo: Outback!
KPC: As a group that’s deeply involved in producing its own music, what’s your favorite part of the creative process?
Ye Chan (in English): I think my favorite part is when we have that first meeting to start a new song. We kind of treat it like a mini song camp. All six of us get in a room with the producer—sometimes a rapper or songwriter too—and we just start throwing out ideas. Someone might say, ‘Let’s make a song with this kind of vibe,’ or, ‘What if we express this emotion differently?’ And then we all start brainstorming together. We’ll go, ‘Hmm, that title feels too basic—let’s find a new way to say it.’ That creative back-and-forth is the most enjoyable—and I think the most unique—part of our process.
Seong Bin: Talking with the members and making the song together really helps us learn from each other. So I really like that.
KPC: You’ve all also released self-produced, unreleased tracks on SoundCloud. What drives you to keep releasing music there—and what does that space mean to you creatively?
Seong Il: Before having a concert, we pre-release a lot of songs onto SoundCloud, and this is so that fans can get familiar with them before coming to the concert. It’s for fans to have a good time when they come to our concert and enjoy our performances.
KPC: You’ve primarily released hip-hop and rap-driven music. Are there any unexpected genres or moods you’d like to explore in future releases?
Ye Chan (in English): Oh yeah, all the time! Right now, 82MAJOR is mainly focused on rap and hip-hop, like you said. But each of us has different tastes—Seong Il’s really into ballads, and Seok Joon is into alternative rock, indie pop, afrobeats… stuff like that. So we’re always thinking about how to bring those influences into our music while still staying true to our hip-hop foundation.
KPC: From KCON JAPAN to now performing at KCON LA, you’ve been part of some major stages this year. What do these opportunities mean to you as rising artists?
Ye Chan: I think it’s important for us to realize that it’s a really big opportunity for us, while at the same time, you know, a way to prove that we’re not just any other group you know, on the big stage. We have to be able to show them that we are 82MAJOR. I feel like that gives us the chance to do that.
Seong Mo: I think it’s because our fans keep looking for us that we’re able to go on to these big stages, and the more our fans look for us, we’re able to go on to bigger and bigger stages. And so we’re very thankful to our fans for giving us this opportunity.
KPC: At the concert, you performed “Passport,” a song about traveling the world to meet your fans—and how seeing each other is like filling up your passport with memories. If you could stamp one meaningful moment from your career into that passport, what would it be?
Ye Chan (In English): There are so many memories I could stamp, but since we’re still early in our careers, it feels a little too soon to choose just one. If I had to pick, though, I’d say this tour—since it’s our first ever. But I think with a little more time and experience, I’ll be able to find a truly definitive moment.
Do Gyun (in English): I’d say our first concert. It was a really big moment for us—something that carried a lot of meaning. So yeah, definitely our first concert.
Seong Bin: I was so happy throughout the whole tour, they really helped us put the stage together. So I think it’s an unforgettable experience.
KPC: How do you want 82MAJOR to be known/remembered for?
Seong Bin: I want people who want to become idols to look up to us and say they want to become like us.
Seong Il (in English): A representative of Korea.
Seok Joon: I want us to be remembered as the group that had the best concerts!
KPC: Lastly, do you have any final messages you would like to say to your fans?
Seok Joon: There were a lot of fans who came from afar and fans who waited in long lines in the hot sun, and they just enjoyed the concert with us together. So I think they were able to help us create a memory together.
Catch 82MAJOR at KCON taking place on August 1-3, 2025 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena.