"IT boy"- Fans react as San Jose's Mayor gushes over Yeonjun at TXT's concert

On September 9, San Jose’s mayor, Matt Mahan, surprised many by revealing himself as a fan of TXT’s Yeonjun through a TikTok video. On the same day, TXT held the San Jose stop of their current concert tour, where the mayor was seen at the venue.

Since Yeonjun spent part of his childhood in San Jose, California, the mayor took the opportunity to highlight the city’s special connection to the K-pop star. In the TikTok video, Mayor Mahan is seen mingling with fans, asking for song suggestions, and even opening a photocard packet, only to pull out his bias, Yeonjun’s, card.

Fans at the venue also gave him freebies, which he accepted, and he asked them for their recommendations on what they would tell TXT about San Jose. Some fans jokingly suggested the mayor's presence was linked to upcoming elections, but many praised him for taking the time to visit the concert and personally celebrate Yeonjun’s connection to the city. Fans also praised TXT’s star for his influence, with one person commenting:

The incident sparked a mix of heartfelt and hilarious comments online, with fans appreciating both the mayor’s enthusiasm and the recognition of Yeonjun’s link to San Jose.

More about TXT Yeonjun's early life and connection to the US

Choi Yeon-jun of TXT was born in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. However, he spent about two years in San Jose, California, when he was around 9 years old. During that time, he lived with his aunt and uncle.

While in San Jose, he attended elementary school, experiencing some of his early formative years in a typical American style. During his time there, he learned English and developed his language skills. Yeonjun has spoken about this, noting that his English improved during that period.

Hence, the recent event involving the city's mayor became a wholesome moment for the star's fans. Currently, TXT is on their fourth world tour, titled “ACT: TOMORROW.” It started in Seoul on August 22, 2025, at Gocheok Sky Dome. After the Seoul leg, they began the US leg on September 9, 2025, in San Jose, traveling through cities like Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Newark.

The tour promotes their studio album The Star Chapter: Together, which was released on July 21, 2025. This album concludes the Star Chapter series. The tour also marks their return after a break in early 2025, giving time for rest and recovery.

The US leg schedule is listed below:

San Jose - Sept 9
Los Angeles - Sept 12
Dallas - Sept 16
Rosemont, Illinois - Sept 21 & 22
Atlanta - Sept 25
Washington, D.C. - Sept 28
Newark - Oct 1 & 2

The tour is scheduled to continue for another month, so it's already a busy and exciting time for the MOAs.

About the author

Rujula is a pop culture journalist who covers K-pop at Sportskeeda. She graduated with a bachelors in English Literature from Mumbai University, following which, as a self-proclaimed K-pop fangirl, Rujula pursued her passion for the written word to report on all things Korean. Rujula has over 4 years experience in curating content for diverse companies like Disney (Star Sports), KpopWise, Icy Tales, Nettv4u, and Walking Wicket.

For her, referring to official sources and cross-verifying information are of utmost importance to maintain objectivity and credibility of the information she offers to her readers. She also takes into account social media posts from people experiencing an incident first-hand to add depth and perspective to her story.

While creatively presenting information about an artist’s particular look or campaign is Rujula’s forte, she believes her true strength lies in interviewing celebrities and idols. At Sportskeeda, Rujula has exclusively interviewed famous K-pop groups and idols such as ChoCo, Jae Chong, BLACKSWAN, DKZ, Lee Taevin, E:LFIN, Kim Seong-gyeong, and Hyun-woo.

Rujula’s favorite artists in the K-circle are BTS, Jackson Wang, ENHYPEN, and SEVENTEEN, and she admires them for their humility, genuineness, and generosity. When not busy tracking the latest developments in Korean entertainment, Rujula can be found playing cricket, a sport she has played professionally for over 10 years.

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Edited by Shreya Das