German Korean disco-punk band returns to Seoul

Minoh, a German Korean disco-punk trio, is returning to Seoul for shows after an unplanned connection with local punk musicians grew into a Goethe-Institut-backed trip, The Korea Times reported.

The visit highlights a cross-border DIY music exchange linking Germany, Seoul and Tokyo, with Minoh seeking to play alongside Korean bands rather than mount a conventional tour.

The Korea Times reported that Minoh will play Club Victim in Seoul on Oct. 9 and Club Steel Face with Heynam Sin X Patients on Saturday. The band also has two Tokyo performances scheduled for Oct. 11 at Club Gamuso and Ruby Room.

The Seoul connection began after Ja-min Oh met Heynam Sin when Rumkicks played a festival at Pit Rock in Aachen on May 24, 2025, according to The Korea Times. Oh and Minoh bassist Guido Kloppisch later performed an unplanned two-piece set at Club Victim using instruments rented from Nakwon Music Arcade.

"None of this was planned," Oh, a Korean German musician and member of Minoh, told The Korea Times. "Now, one year later, it is — and this whole DIY accident somehow ended up funded by the Goethe-Institut."

The Goethe-Institut grant covered flights for four people and equipment, The Korea Times reported. Oh said the support did not give the institute control over the band's work: "It comes with no editorial say over what we do,"

Minoh began as a duo of Oh and Kloppisch before sound tech Helge Liepertz became the permanent drummer. Kloppisch, the band's bassist, described the original concept to The Korea Times as "a classic new wave setup, two people and a machine."

Oh described Minoh's sound to The Korea Times as "a mix between danceable, mellow new wave and rough post-punk — fuzzy bass, harsh synths, distorted guitars." She added, "Disco-punk is when you really want to dance and kick something at the same time."

Oh told The Korea Times the band wants to learn the local scene, perform with Korean bands and possibly help bring some of them to Germany.