KUALA LUMPUR: The highly-rated South Korean TV show Infinite Challenge recently released a preview of its upcoming special episode, ToToGa 3: Return Of The Kings H.O.T., which featured the K-Pop group H.O.T. performing for the first time in 17 years in front of delighted fans.
According to Soompi, the teaser highlighted droves of fans lining up outside the Olympic Stadium on Feb 15, where the reunion performance was staged.
Inside the venue, fans, clad in white raincoats and holding white balloons, started to chant in unison while some broke down in tears, as their idols, Moon Hee-joon, Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony An, Kangta and Lee Jae-won, came on stage.
During the performance of H.O.T.’s hit song, You And I, the five members as well as fans were overcome with emotion and began to shed tears.
A previously-released clip shows the members rehearsing this ballad, which presents touching lyrics about eternal love and memories shared by the group and its fans.
The end of the preview had the Infinite Challenge cast members practising a performance of H.O.T.’s classic hit, We Are The Future.
Producing director Kim Tae Ho was later seen explaining to them that only five out of the six members will be selected to perform, with the chosen ones to be revealed on next week’s episode.
The second half of the Infinite Challenge H.O.T. special is expected to air on Feb 24.
Formed in 1996 by SM Entertainment, H.O.T. released 13 singles, including Candy, We Are The Future and Hope, as well as five albums, which saw sales of more than 12 million copies.
Arguably the first K-Pop boy band to emerge and a forerunner to the idol group trend in the South Korean music scene, H.O.T. gained fame in South Korea, Taiwan, China and Asian communities in the United States.
The group, made up of the five teenagers at the time, garnered multiple wins at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, including for Best Group in 1999. Its name stands for High-five Of Teenagers.