Performance Suspended Due to Severe Weather on the 20th in Gwacheon
"Nothing was more important than the safety of the audience. Thank you once again for your understanding."
Singer PSY expressed his feelings regarding the suspension of his concert 'Hmphbbok Show' in Gwacheon, and his agency P NATION also announced ticket refunds.
A lighting fixture that fell onto the stage during singer Psy's 'Hmph Show' concert in Gwacheon. [Image source=Yonhap News·X (formerly Twitter)]
On the 20th, PSY reflected on the moment of suspension on social media (SNS), saying, "It was a sudden storm with rain, wind, and lightning?an unpredictable and unprecedented situation." He added, "I want to express my gratitude to our staff who did their best to ensure safe returns, as well as to Gwacheon City Hall, the police station, the fire station, Seoul Grand Park, and all related organizations."
He continued, "Today, everyone came from afar with expectations. However, due to the unexpected weather conditions, we had no choice but to stop the performance. I was also upset watching the backs of those leaving," conveying his apologies and thanks to the audience.
PSY stated, "I will inform you soon about whether a rescheduled performance will take place. For those who have tickets or reservation details today and wish to receive a refund, we will proceed with refunds, and for those who want to attend the rescheduled show, we will prepare seats again."
Finally, he concluded, "On behalf of myself and our 1,500 staff members, I sincerely thank all the audience members who made the precious journey today. We will definitely show and deliver our best efforts that were left unfinished today on a better day."
The moment when the lighting fell onto the stage during Psy's 'Heumbbeok Show' due to bad weather Photo by Yonhap News
Earlier that day, PSY's concert 'Hmphbbok Show' held at Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, was urgently suspended after about an hour due to heavy rain and strong winds causing damage such as banners flying away. During this process, a lighting fixture about 5 meters high installed on the stage also fell. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
Agency P NATION stated, "Due to severe localized heavy rain accompanied by strong gusts and lightning, it was judged that normal performance was difficult. Prioritizing the safety of the audience and staff, we decided to suspend the concert." Ticket refunds will also be processed.
Meanwhile, there was no separate comment regarding the 'lighting terror' controversy that arose during the preparation for this concert. Previously, an online community post claimed that a strong lighting test was conducted from 10 p.m. before PSY's 'Hmphbbok Show' in Gwacheon, causing distress to a netizen. The author of the post added another message at 3 a.m., stating, "Just as I was about to fall asleep, the lights flashed again."
PSY's Hmphbbok Show, which has become a representative summer concert event in Korea, has been embroiled in various controversies every year, including issues with transportation and accommodation in the concert areas. After the concert, there was also a controversy over inconvenience caused by audience members wearing raincoats soaked with water wetting subway seats.
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