JUNG JAEIL ORCHESTRA CONCERT
Music composed by Jung Jaeil
Music conducted by Kanade Yokoyama
Performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Piano, electric guitar and recorder performed by Jung Jaeil
Traditional Korean instruments and vocals performed by Kim Yulhee, Lee Junhyung and Park Sungkeun
February 21, 2026
Tokyo Metropolitan Festival Hall
Tokyo, Japan
PART 1: MUSIC WITH SOUL
While his name might not be familiar to some, Jung Jaeil is a celebrated Korean composer and multi-talented performer who has written music for some of Korea’s most popular and critically acclaimed films and TV shows of the last few years, namely the Academy Award-winning 2019 film PARASITE, and SQUID GAME, the highly popular Netflix series that has fans the world over.
In addition to his film and TV work, Jung has also released a number of solo albums as well as pieces that combine traditional Korean music with modern orchestral sounds.
Whatever the medium, his music is always strongly melodic, rooted in humanism, and performed with a tremendous amount of soul. Indeed, his music feels timeless, cutting across culture and genre to linger long in your memory.
PART 2: A CONCERT FOR ORCHESTRA
Jung Jaeil’s first orchestra concert in Japan showcased medleys from his most famous works for film and TV as well as select pieces that featured traditional Korean instruments and vocalists performing alongside the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Each medley was preceded with short anecdotes from Jung (in Japanese no less!), who also performed on the piano – and a few other instruments – throughout the concert.
The set list for the concert was as follows:
Unfortunately, no encore was performed.
PART 3: THE FIRST HALF
SQUID GAME
– Moogoonghwa
– Way Forward
– I Remember My Name
– Jung – Bae Ya!
– Vote
– Pink soldiers
– So it goes
It was a forgone conclusion that the concert would start with Jung’s iconic music from Netflix’s SQUID GAME, and start it did with a wildly satisfying medley of themes that only made me want to rush home after the concert to watch the series again.
“Moogoonghwa (Mugunghwa)” kicked off the medley with the sounds of that truly creepy girl’s voice emanating in turn from speakers set up on each side of the stage. Some in the audience laughed, but I couldn’t help but grin with delight.
Jung then stood – recorder in hand – and started playing the iconic “Way Forward,” a march-like dirge that soon gave way to Jung picking up and playing his electric guitar.
The tragic and melancholy “I Remember My Name” came next, with Jung moving to the piano (with guitar strapped to his back!) to give the piece an extra layer of soul. At times it felt as if he had taken on the character himself, so painful was the expression on his face.
“Jung – Bae Ya!” followed with a performance dominated by smoky electric guitar figures and feelings of despair. A guitar string had snapped but Jung soldiered on.
After “Vote” came the short but iconic “Pink Soldiers,” immediately reminding me of the show and its sometimes quirky tone.
The sensational “So It Goes” then concluded the medley, leaving us all in a state of hope.
Jung then took to the microphone for the first time in the concert to introduce himself and say a few words about SQUID GAME. Mind you, this was all done in Japanese and without notes – this was mightily impressive considering that he is also fluent in English.
LISTEN
– Listen
– Ocean Meets the Land
Two selections from the 2023 album LISTEN came next. Released by Decca Records, LISTEN is an album that focuses on the themes of nature and human connection.
The first piece titled “Listen” featured a lovely recurring theme that had shades of pain yet was often reflective, warm, and brimming with beauty.
“Ocean Meets the Land” was another winning piece featuring a much more positive and hopeful tone.
To see Jung perform both pieces live and with such sensitivity at the piano was a real privilege, and one that this reviewer will not soon forget.
MICKEY 17
– Mayhem
– Nasha
– Set Off
– Chaos
– Barnes
Opening with pounding timpani, “Mayhem” immediately set an ominous and oppressive tone before segueing into a kind of manic, fast-paced romp.
My favourite piece of the medley, “Nasha,” came next in the form of a playful and elegant waltz. Led by Jung on piano, it featured some lovely moments for solo violin and cello.
“Set Off” was an epic action set piece that made me think Jung would be ideal for an action adventure or sci-fi film. Listen to the original recording and judge for yourself here:
After the mysterious and dark “Chaos,” the MICKEY 17 medley concluded with the positive and folksy “Barnes.” This also brought the terrific first half to an end.
PART 4: THE SECOND HALF
BROKER
– To Be a Bird
– Forgiven
The second half kicked off with an orchestral arrangement of Jung’s music for BROKER, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s first Korean-language film.
Used to the acoustic guitar-led arrangement on the original soundtrack album, I was immediately won over by the lovely piano take of “To Be a Bird.” Flute also featured in this uplifting piece.
“Forgiven” was more or less the same as the original with its (pardon the pun) “forgiving” tone.
When the piece concluded, Jung explained that he had been a huge fan of director Kore-eda after seeing his award-winning film SHOPLIFTERS. He told Kore-eda of his desire to score BROKER to which Kore-eda responded by questioning his ability to write guitar music as BROKER was a road movie that would feature guitars, and he only knew of Jung’s works for piano. Jung responded by stating that he had in fact played guitar in a band when he was young!
PARASITE
– Opening
– Busy to Survive
– Zappaguri
– The Belt of Faith
Ah, PARASITE – a tremendous film with an even better score.
And to see its composer perform the “Opening” live at the piano? Nothing but chills and flashbacks to that masterful Bong Joon Ho film.
When I got back from the intermission, I recall noticing that the harp had been moved closer to the front of the stage and wondered why – “Busy to Survive” provided the answer with its frantic harp and orchestra sound.
The iconic “Zappaguri” came next, a brisk classical-inspired piece full of drama and movement – I can certainly see this piece becoming a trailer music staple if it hasn’t already.
But the medley saved the very best for last: Jung’s magnum opus, “The Belt of Faith.” This baroque-infused masterpiece had it all – gorgeous violin and cello statements, a dramatic sonic narrative that just kept pushing forward, and a tremendous build up and climax that led to a deafening round of applause from the audience.
If you ever need to convince someone of Jung’s brilliance, “The Belt of Faith” is it and then some.
A PRAYER
– On this Road
– A Prayer
The concert concluded with two pieces from the 2023 EP titled A PRAYER. Another release from Decca Records, these pieces featured a unique blend of traditional Korean instrumentation and vocals with modern orchestral sounds.
The music clearly means a lot to Jung as he could be seen singing along to the music as he accompanied the orchestra on piano.
Despite not understanding the Korean lyrics, I still found much to enjoy about the piece, especially when the instrumentalists and orchestra combined in climax during the performance.
With no encore, that ended Jung Jaeil’s first ever orchestra concert in Japan.
Bravo to all involved!
PART 5: MEETING JUNG JAEIL
At the conclusion of the concert I thought I would try my luck for an autograph along with about a dozen other fans at the stage door.
After about an hour of waiting, Jung came out and happily signed CD/LP jackets and posed for photos with the fans who I noticed were mostly Korean.
When it came my turn, he was visibly surprised to see the album jacket for the promo score for OKJA – I guess the people at Netflix did not send him a copy! (FYI: if you’re wondering, I got my copy from eBay)
In any case, he was impossibly friendly and quite humble when I complimented him on the Japanese speeches he made throughout the night to which he replied, “I just memorized everything :)”
He also kindly signed and personalized my concert program which I will forever treasure:
A cool dude to be sure!
PART 6: LOBBY LOVE
As is customary with major concerts in Japan, concert sponsors, friends and other figures in the industry often send huge flower arrangements to the performing artist and have them placed in the concert hall lobby.
For Jung’s concert I was pleasantly surprised to see ones from Hirozaku Kore-eda and the estate of Ryuichi Sakamoto:
There was also a signed score sheet of “The Belt of Faith” from PARASITE which can be won as part of a special online competition.
Good luck to all those applying!
PART 7: JJ SPEAKS
In the lead up to the concert, Tokyo-based radio broadcaster Guy Perryman conducted an excellent interview with Jung in English which can be found here. Check it out!
PART 8: TEN DAYS LATER
It was only ten days later that Jung would return to Japan for another concert – this time as a special guest performer at a shamisen* concert headlined by legendary shamisen musician, Hiromitsu Agatsuma.
* a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument
I honestly would not have known about this concert had its concert flyer not been included inside the program of Jung’s concert on February 21st!
Nevertheless, I immediately got my ticket and started YouTubing shamisen music which up until that point had not really been my cup of tea.
I guess my first reaction to it was similar to what I felt about “hard” jazz music the first time I heard it as a teen – I just couldn’t connect with it because I couldn’t easily identify any recurring melodies or melodies that lingered in my mind. Indeed, the music seemed more about technique, rhythm and this kind of attitude or state of being.
Hearing the shamisen performed live at the concert completely changed my opinion about the music not only because of the spellbinding performances by Agatsuma and fellow shamisen player Sho Asano, but also because of Jung’s involvement as both composer and performer on two pieces during the concert.
For the first time, I could finally appreciate the intricacies of the melodies and the incredible skill needed to perform the music. Yes, it was technically perfect, rhythmically complex and loaded with attitude, but it was also beautiful and deeply enthralling.
The first piece involving Jung was “SHAANME,” which saw him bring a heavy dose of funk (yes, funk!) through his badass bass guitar playing. The crossover sound with traditional shamisen was extremely addictive and just bursting with cool – I can only hope that this will be professionally recorded and released someday.
For the second piece titled “YUGEN,” which Jung was commissioned to compose by Agatsuma himself, we were treated to an interesting and lengthy piece for two shamisen and electric guitar that was specially arranged for this concert. This slower piece featured some memorably melancholy guitar solos by Jung as well as some dramatic moments for the shamisen.
As for the rest of the concert, it was certainly an eye-opener that made me appreciate the many sounds and possibilities of the shamisen. A particular favourite from the set list was “AME NO DANSU,” a highly filmic piece that was performed to dramatic perfection by Agatsuma.
The concert also proved beyond doubt that Jung truly is a multitalented composer and performer that continues to impress by exploring and melding new and traditional sounds.
I for once cannot wait for his next project (and concert in Japan)!
PART 9: OVER TO YOU
Did you go to these concerts too? How did you like them?
And what did you think of my report? Feel free to comment below or reach out to me directly in the “Contact Me” section.
