RESCENE's Won-i Clears Up the APEC Stage Scare, and "With" Hits #1 on Melon

"I'm totally fine," RESCENE's Won-i told fans at the group's PULSE showcase on the 3rd, adding in her Geoje dialect that they should stop worrying because she'll look after herself. The line, delivered with a grin, answered the concern that followed her sudden exit from a recent stage, and it landed just before the group's new title track "With" climbed to #1 on Melon.

At the showcase at Blue Square in Seoul's Yongsan district, hosted by broadcaster Yoo Jae-pil, Won-i kept the tone light. "A Geoje tough girl doesn't get beaten by a costume," she said, explaining that her outfit had felt tight for a moment and that she wondered if she had simply eaten a lot. "It was only the clothes. Please don't worry at all."

What happened at the APEC performance

The worry dates back to RESCENE's appearance at the celebration for the opening of the APEC Summit Hall Memorial at Gyeongju Expo Park in North Gyeongsang. After "Love Attack," Won-i adjusted her outfit several times. During "Runaway," she suddenly stepped off the stage, and the other members covered her parts until she returned, fixed her costume and finished the set.

She later said she had decided against traveling for a long time in the costume and planned to change after arriving, but the outfit was washed in the meantime. In her words, she "couldn't breathe" on stage and was badly startled, so she stepped down briefly because the clothes didn't fit properly.

PULSE and the title track

The fourth mini album, PULSE, takes its name from the heartbeat. It follows a dream held alone that becomes real after meeting someone, with that shared pulse carrying from big stage moments into everyday life. The group describes the album as a wish for that connection to last.

There are five tracks: the title track "With," plus "Finest Thing," "Inside Out," "MEME" and "Dragon." "With" follows a voice calling out and the run toward a long-imagined meeting. It moves from a lyrical intro into a forceful chorus and a strong hook, a build meant to evoke a quickening heartbeat.

Listeners responded quickly. Two hours after release, at 8 p.m. on the 3rd, "With" took the top spot on Melon's Top 100, the largest music platform in South Korea. For a group's comeback day, with the health question already settled on stage, it is a reassuring way to start.