Gong Yoo Reveals Flu and Hospital Visit Before First Jakarta Fan Meeting

A feared loss of voice before the Jakarta stage

Gong Yoo told fans at Istora Senayan in Central Jakarta on October 17, 2026, that he had sought hospital treatment in South Korea before travelling to Indonesia after developing flu and problems with his tonsils. The actor said he had worried that his voice would fail during his first fan meeting in the city.

The event, 2026 Gong Yoo Asia Fanmeeting Tour: The Long Take, began at about 7 p.m. local time on Saturday. Promoted by Three Mountains Ave and hosted by Indra Herlambang, it brought together thousands of fans for songs, conversations, games and a reflection on the actor's 25 years in entertainment.

Gong Yoo explained his illness after performing Boast, also known as Jarang, by Kwak Jin-eon. Before singing, he had asked the production team to restart the introduction so he could prepare himself and express the emotion of the lyrics.

The actor, speaking through interpretation, said he had become ill after returning to South Korea from Thailand. He placed his hospital visit three days before his departure for Indonesia and described being concerned about both his throat and the performance he had prepared.

His account gave the singing segment a different weight. A song he knew and enjoyed had become a source of anxiety because he could not be sure how his voice would respond. Later in the evening, however, he took part in lively games, joked with Herlambang and moved into the audience to greet fans.

Medicine, rest and pressure to perform

Gong Yoo said he had taken medicine and tried to rest before the Jakarta appearance. He also explained that nervousness and the pressure he felt about his condition had affected his confidence on stage.

The actor described his concern in remarks interpreted into Indonesian. The English quotations here translate those remarks.

Over the past few days, I was quite worried, afraid that my voice would not come out while I was here or that I would not be able to give my best performance.

Gong Yoo apologised for feeling that his singing had fallen short of what he wanted to deliver. His explanation prompted concern from the audience, which he sought to ease by mentioning the treatment and rest he had already received.

He described flu and trouble with his tonsils, the tissue at the back of the throat. No detailed medical diagnosis or date for a full recovery was disclosed. His account focused on the immediate problem for the event: whether he could sing and speak as he intended.

The actor also said he had spent a month following a diet while preparing for the appearance. He connected that effort to his wish to present himself well to fans, including people who had travelled a long distance to see him.

Gong Yoo acknowledged that he sometimes felt unwell but said he was grateful to be able to meet the audience. His remarks about preparation, illness and nerves showed how much of his attention before the event had gone into making the visit worthwhile for those attending.

Why he chose Boast

Boast was a personal choice rather than an unfamiliar song selected only for Jakarta. Gong Yoo said he liked its lyrics and often sang it. The fan meeting was his first opportunity to perform it in the Indonesian capital.

Before the performance, he described the words as poetic and sad. He wanted to take care with the opening so the audience could feel the emotion, explaining why he had requested another start to the introduction.

Gong Yoo gave a simple explanation for his attachment to the song.

I like this song because of its lyrics.

The selection placed singing alongside the conversations and games that filled the programme. For fans accustomed to seeing Gong Yoo play characters in dramas and films, it offered a chance to hear a song he personally enjoyed and understand why he had chosen it.

A first Jakarta meeting, after earlier Indonesian visits

Gong Yoo opened the evening by greeting the crowd in Indonesian. A video introducing The Long Take had first shown work from across his career, before he appeared from the centre of the stage display.

The actor's opening greeting was brief and direct.

Hello Jakarta. I am Gong Yoo. I am very happy to be able to meet you all.

Jakarta was a new destination for Gong Yoo, and the event was his first formal fan meeting in Indonesia. He said he had looked forward to coming and was surprised by how many Indonesian fans had gathered to welcome him.

Indonesia itself was familiar. Gong Yoo recalled visiting Bali privately and for photo shoots, while an earlier holiday took him to Lombok in 2017. The Jakarta appearance gave those previous visits a different purpose: a scheduled occasion devoted to meeting the people who followed his work.

A technical problem briefly interrupted the opening. Gong Yoo stepped away because of an issue with his earpiece, which was used for interpretation. Herlambang kept the audience occupied by organising waves and cheers, and the actor returned in less than five minutes.

Games turned the evening toward comedy

Indra Herlambang accompanied Gong Yoo through a programme that included conversation, games and special gifts. Their exchanges became a substantial part of the entertainment, particularly during a challenge linked to the actor's interest in fishing.

Gong Yoo had to lift bottles using fishing equipment. He managed to raise two but struggled with the third, eventually tossing the tool aside in frustration and joking about how little the task resembled actual fishing.

The joke continued when Herlambang stumbled over the equipment. Gong Yoo pretended he had caught a large fish, with the host playing along as the catch. The moment turned a difficult game into a shared comedy routine.

Gong Yoo also acted out words with gestures and spoke about exercising every day unless work commitments prevented him. Those active segments followed his explanation about illness, allowing the programme to move beyond the worries surrounding his voice.

A fan video and a playful request

Fans contributed their own part of the evening through a video project that included Indonesian singer Melly Goeslaw. Before it played, Gong Yoo had been moving along the stage with a camera, recording the audience from closer range.

The stage lights then went out. Gong Yoo said he had known an emotional moment was planned but had become so absorbed in the activities that he forgot about it and was surprised by the change.

Herlambang later prompted the crowd to call out "Ahjussi saranghaeyo," an affectionate declaration of love using a Korean term for a middle aged man. Gong Yoo jokingly asked them to try again with "oppa," a term women use for an older brother or a familiar older man.

The audience obliged, and the actor responded with approval. The exchange added another light moment to a programme that moved between appreciation, personal reflection and teasing.

Before leaving, Gong Yoo also sang a song by MEOMURU, whose Korean title asks whether the listener has become the adult they dreamed of being as a child. He then went into audience areas to greet people more closely, including fans in the stands and on the floor, and exchanged high fives with some nearby.

Twenty five years of support behind the visit

Gong Yoo's career began with the television series School 4 in 2001. By the Jakarta event, he was looking back on 25 years of work, including Coffee Prince, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, widely known as Goblin, and the film Train to Busan.

The opening video gathered that history into the fan meeting itself. Later, Gong Yoo told the audience that, when he looked back at the many things that had happened since his debut, he remembered the fans who had supported him throughout those years.

The actor said meeting Indonesian supporters at close range made him think about the long wait before this first formal gathering.

Today, feeling that this is the first time we have met, I found myself thinking: What would it have been like if I had come to greet you earlier?

The timing also coincided with the tenth anniversary of Goblin, which first aired in 2016. The anniversary was being marked through Guardian: The Lonely and Great God 10th Anniversary, a variety programme linked to the drama's milestone.

For the Jakarta audience, the evening brought together several stages of his career rather than centring on a single new release. Gong Yoo thanked fans for conversations, games and shared activities, saying the event had helped him feel the scale of their affection and support.

How Jakarta fits into The Long Take tour

Gong Yoo had announced plans to meet fans in a letter released on his birthday, July 10. He expressed gratitude for their support and introduced the opportunity to see them through his Asia tour in 2026.

The Long Take followed his earlier 2017 Gong Yoo Live Make A Wish tour, whose Asian stops included South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Jakarta now joined an itinerary that also brought him to Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.

• July 10: Gong Yoo shared a birthday letter announcing plans for the 2026 fan meeting tour.
• October 4: The Long Take began in Yokohama, Japan.
• Before Jakarta: The tour visited Bangkok, after which Gong Yoo said he developed flu on returning to South Korea.
• October 17: The Jakarta event took place at Istora Senayan from about 7 p.m. local time.
• November 7: The next announced stop was Manila, Philippines.

Jakarta was one of three Southeast Asian cities on that route, alongside Bangkok and Manila. The schedule placed the Indonesian event between the Thailand appearance and the announced November visit to the Philippines.

A farewell built around meeting again

Gong Yoo repeatedly bowed to the audience near the end of the programme. He thanked fans for giving him memories he expected to keep for a long time and said he hoped the evening would become a treasured memory for them too.

The actor expressed a wish to meet Indonesian fans again. He also said he would greet them through future work, bringing his closing remarks back to the films and dramas through which many had first come to know him.

His farewell included another message in Indonesian, this time focused on the journey home.

Be careful on the way home, thank you very much.

The stage display closed as Gong Yoo left, following an evening that had begun under the shadow of his concerns about illness and singing. By its conclusion, the programme had included the performance he worried about, physical games, a tribute from fans and greetings beyond the stage.

Key Points

• Gong Yoo held his first Jakarta fan meeting at Istora Senayan on October 17, 2026.
• He said flu and problems with his tonsils led to a hospital visit in South Korea before travelling to Indonesia.
• He feared losing his voice and explained his concerns after singing Boast by Kwak Jin-eon.
• The event included games with host Indra Herlambang, a fan video featuring Melly Goeslaw and greetings in the audience areas.
• The Long Take marked an opportunity to thank fans across his 25 years in entertainment.
• Manila was the next announced tour stop, scheduled for November 7, 2026.