Gumi City "Lee Seunghwan Concert Venue Booking Canceled... Refusal to Pledge No Political Agitation"

"Serious Concerns from Civic Groups in Gumi Region over Biased Behavior"
"Potential Issues in Managing Safety of Citizens and Audience"

Gumi City in Gyeongbuk has decided to cancel the booking for singer Lee Seung-hwan's 35th debut anniversary concert scheduled for the 25th.

On the morning of the 23rd, Mayor Kim Jang-ho held a press conference at the Gumi City Hall main conference room and stated, "The Lee Seung-hwan concert, which was scheduled to be held at the Gumi City Culture and Arts Center on the 25th, is canceled considering the safety of citizens and audience," adding, "This is in accordance with Article 9 of the Gumi City Culture and Arts Center Operation Ordinance."

Singer Lee Seunghwan. Lee Seunghwan Instagram.

Mayor Kim said, "On the 20th, we requested Lee’s side to submit a safety personnel deployment plan and a pledge not to engage in 'political agitation or statements that could cause misunderstandings,'" and added, "However, Lee’s side clearly opposed this in writing through their legal representative, stating they had no intention to sign the attached pledge."

Mayor Kim also said, "On the 10th, we requested Lee’s agency to refrain from political agitation," and "Nevertheless, Lee made political remarks such as 'I’m glad the impeachment happened' during the performance in Suwon on the 14th." He continued, "Due to such politically biased actions and remarks, civic groups in Gumi expressed serious concerns and held two rallies on the 19th and 20th," explaining, "There was a risk of serious safety management issues for citizens and audience, so we consulted local private experts and university professors and gathered opinions from a committee."

Gumi City revealed that last week they unofficially informed Lee Seung-hwan’s side about the possibility of concert cancellation while discussing safety issues. It is reported that refund and return matters related to the concert tickets will be handled later through legal representatives.

Lee Seunghwan Instagram

Previously, Lee Seung-hwan publicly supported the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-youl and received demands from conservative right-wing groups to cancel the Gumi concert. On the 20th, he posted on his Instagram about the concert at the Gumi City Culture and Arts Center, saying, "Currently sold out," and added, "It was the place with the worst ticket situation, so thank you. To the audience, thank you. To the conservative right-wing groups, thank you."

Also, through the law firm Haemaru the day before, Lee’s side stated, "Above all, safety is important," and "We ask those attending the concert not to respond to any rallies or demonstrations scheduled nearby. Please maintain a certain physical distance and refrain from actions that might provoke them as much as possible."

They further said, "If fans suffer any damage due to the above-mentioned rallies or demonstrations during attendance or viewing of the Gumi performance, please inform the law firm Haemaru," adding, "We will handle legal procedures for recovery of damages (civil lawsuits, criminal complaints, etc.)." They also added, "All related legal costs will be borne by Mr. Lee Seung-hwan."