The story began on May 24, 2025, when Oh, working as a stage manager at Pit Rock, a venue in Aachen, Germany, struck up a conversation with Shin Hye-nam of Lumix, who was there to perform. Later, Oh and his fellow musician Gido Klopfish performed at Club Bigteam in Seoul. According to Oh, what had initially been unplanned became planned a year later.

Background and context

Oh has returned to Korea, which he describes as his parents’ country, several times, but Mino’s connection to the Korean music scene began with the encounter with Lumix. At the time, Shin Hye-nam was filling in on bass for Lumix and gave Oh a personal point of connection to the Korean music scene.

Not long after that meeting, Oh and Klopfish visited Seoul on vacation. A friend of Oh’s connected them with Club Bigteam, and after getting permission to perform, the two played as a duo using instruments they borrowed from the Nakwon Musical Instrument Arcade (낙원악기상가). After a video of the performance was posted online, Ruby Room, a Tokyo venue, invited Mino to perform. However, the two members had already returned to Germany and were unable to play.

What this news means

What stands out in this case is that the connection between musicians from overseas and Seoul’s music scene began through a personal encounter and a small performance, rather than an official booking. The story shows that one performance can lead to other stages and connections, but it cannot be assumed that this is a path available to all musicians.

For example, if a musician based overseas talks with local musicians and arranges a small performance, that performance could become a starting point for new connections, as it did in this case. But even for Mino, the invitation from Tokyo did not lead to an actual performance, so a connection or an invitation does not automatically guarantee a show or ongoing activity.

Oh’s remark that nothing had initially been planned, but that a year later it was planned, shows how an encounter that began by chance became part of a plan. However, the information provided does not explain in greater detail how this Seoul performance was organized or what support it received.

Confirmed facts and what remains unknown

Confirmed facts

  • Jaemin Oh is a Korean-German musician and a member of the disco-punk duo Mino.
  • Oh and Shin Hye-nam of Lumix met at Pit Rock in Aachen, Germany, on May 24, 2025.
  • Oh and Gido Klopfish performed at Club Bigteam in Seoul, using instruments borrowed from the Nakwon Musical Instrument Arcade.
  • After a video of the performance was posted online, Tokyo’s Ruby Room invited Mino, but the two members had already returned to Germany.

What remains unknown

  • The date and venue of Mino’s upcoming Seoul performance have not been provided.
  • The final part of the original text says that something that began with this DIY performance received support from the Goethe-Institut, but the sentence is cut off, so the nature and scale of the support cannot be confirmed.
  • The specific planning process and participants for this Seoul performance are also unknown.

What readers should check

  • Anyone interested in Mino’s Seoul performance should check the date and venue separately. The information provided here is not enough to identify the schedule or location.
  • It has not been confirmed which items received support from the Goethe-Institut or how much support was provided. It is best not to treat assumptions about the nature of the support as fact.
  • It is important to distinguish the invitation from Ruby Room from an actual performance: the invitation alone does not mean that a Tokyo show took place.