Lee Seunghwan's Side: "Ban on Celebrities' Political Speech Is Unconstitutional... Will File Constitutional Complaint"

Gumi City Unilaterally Cancels Concert
"Preparing Constitutional Appeal Along with Compensation Lawsuit"

Singer Lee Seunghwan. Lee Seunghwan Instagram

Recently, controversy arose after Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province unilaterally canceled singer Lee Seung-hwan's concert, and Lee Seung-hwan's side announced that they are preparing a constitutional complaint.

On the 26th, Lee Seung-hwan appeared on the podcast 'Maebul Show' and spoke about the Gumi City concert cancellation incident. First, host Choi Wook explained, "(Recently) Gumi City demanded that Lee Seung-hwan sign a pledge stating he would not make political statements during the performance," adding, "Naturally, Lee Seung-hwan did not sign it, and then the mayor of Gumi unilaterally canceled the concert, causing an unprecedented incident."

In response, Lee Seung-hwan said, "The pledge says not to engage in political agitation or speech, but this is a completely awkward sentence," and added, "'Causing misunderstanding' would be a more appropriate phrase. I wonder what kind of people around there write such awkward sentences." He continued, "Honestly, it doesn't affect me at all. I have been involved in many lawsuits," and said, "I am not the one to be criticized; rather, they are the ones who should be criticized."

Also appearing on the show, Lee Seung-hwan's legal representative, lawyer Lim Jae-sung, said, "We could claim a large amount of damages for the concert cancellation, but we decided to pursue a lawsuit that the court can recognize," and added, "We are proceeding with a lawsuit claiming damages exceeding 200 million won." Furthermore, he said, "We plan to file a constitutional complaint to confirm that having a national institution such as a local government head require entertainers to sign a pledge not to engage in political speech or agitation before a performance is unconstitutional."

Singer Lee Seunghwan mentioned the cancellation incident of the concert in Gumi City. YouTube channel '[Potbbang] Maebul Show'

Earlier, Gumi City canceled the venue reservation for Lee Seung-hwan's concert scheduled on the 25th, citing concerns over citizen safety and differences in opinion regarding the signing of the pledge. Gumi City explained, "Due to concerns about physical clashes between the audience and conservative right-wing groups, we concluded that canceling the concert was unavoidable for safety reasons. The top priority is the safety of citizens."

However, Lee Seung-hwan immediately expressed regret and announced legal action. Through his social media (SNS) account, he stated, "A public institution demanded that creators sign a document beforehand stating they would not engage in 'political misunderstandings or speech,' and when I did not comply with that demand, disadvantages occurred. It is regrettable and miserable." He also said, "Although it was said to be a decision for safety, I cannot agree, and the real reason seems to be the refusal to sign the pledge not to engage in political speech," and pointed out, "Those involved in this decision, not Gumi City's taxpayers, should bear the legal and economic responsibilities arising from the cancellation of the venue reservation."