Seowon Valley "Come to the Hallyu Concert"

Charity Free Green Concert to be Held on June 3
Jang Minho, Jin Sung, Pentagon, Ha Dongkyun, Baek Ji-young to Perform
Special Gift Event for the 500,000th Attendee

A golf course transforms into a K-pop concert venue.

This is the story of the ‘Charity Free Green Concert’ held at Seowon Valley Golf Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. This year, it will take place on June 3rd at the special stage in Seowon Valley. The Seowon Valley Green Concert, which started in 2000, is celebrating its 23rd year and 19th event this year. It is the only large-scale charity free concert held on a golf course in the world.

The golf course’s fairways and greens are transformed into the stage and audience seats, with top domestic musicians performing to raise substantial charity funds. K-pop enthusiasts from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, as well as the United States, South America, and Europe flock to watch the Seowon Valley Green Concert, sometimes drawing as many as 3,000 attendees. Every year, about 40,000 people fill the seats.

A charity free green concert featuring 23 teams representing K-pop will take place on June 3rd at Seowon Valley.
[Photo by Seowon Valley]

Most importantly, it is meaningful as families gather to enjoy the fresh nature of May. The entire golf course is closed for play, and the 9-hole golf course is used as a parking lot. The course opens at noon, and the main performance starts at 6:30 PM. Nearby restaurants and accommodations in Paju City and Gwangtan-myeon experience a ‘special effect’ boom. Sales at taxis, gas stations, and other businesses have significantly increased.

This is a voluntary talent donation event with no appearance fees. This year, a total of 23 teams will perform. The trot group is particularly impressive this time. Leading figures such as the trending Jang Minho, Jin Sung, Park Gun, Kim Taeyeon, and Hwang Woo-rim will participate. World-renowned idol groups are also featured, including Pentagon, AB6IX, Super Junior members Leeteuk and Shindong, VERIVERY, Weeekly, Billlie, and Dreamcatcher.

The ballad singers have also become stronger. In addition to Kim Jaehwan, Baek Ji-young, and Jung Dong-ha, who have supported the charity concert every year, Ha Dong-kyun and Kim Ji-yeon will appear for the first time. Ha Dong-kyun said, "I decided to join this time because I liked the purpose of Seowon Valley’s talent donation." Kwon In-seo, who was accepted to seven practical music departments in universities as a ‘seven-time early admission winner,’ the fusion classical group Seodo Band representing Korean traditional music, and Esparo will also perform. The MCs are Lee Jong-hyun, editor-in-chief of Leisure Newspaper, and comedian Park Mi-sun.

Until last year, 485,350 people visited the Seowon Valley event site. This year, the cumulative number of attendees is expected to exceed 500,000. A special gift has been prepared for the 500,000th visitor. The charity funds have also increased from 1.52 million won in 2000 to 42.5 million won last year. The cumulative amount is 583 million won. When hungry, visitors can visit the food market. Employees from the highway rest area in Hwaseong, affiliated with Seowon Valley, sell udon, baked potatoes, Makgeolli, and more.

At Seowon Valley, events hosted by Callaway such as long drive, putting, and approach contests take place. There is also a warehouse sale where golf equipment can be purchased at discounted prices. Various events continue throughout the course, including Ssireum wrestling competitions, 4-5 line acrostic poems, drawing contests, children’s playgrounds, and face painting. Military band performances and One Mount add to the variety. Sneakers are a must, and jackets and blankets are needed considering the nighttime temperature. Prizes worth a total of 100 million won, including LG 65-inch large TVs, airline tickets, travel packages, and golf equipment, await attendees.