Lee Files Constitutional Petition After Gumi City Cancels Concert Reservation
Singer Lee Seunghwan's constitutional petition to the Constitutional Court, claiming that the political agitation ban pledge demanded by Gumi City, Gyeongbuk Province, was unfair, has been dismissed.
According to Yonhap News, Lee's constitutional petition against Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho was dismissed on the 25th, as reported on the 27th. The Constitutional Court ruled that Lee's petition was "improper for constitutional review and its defects could not be remedied." The designated panel dismissed the case at the preliminary review stage. Dismissal means a decision to terminate the case without substantive examination because the petition does not meet legal requirements.
Last year, on December 25, Gumi City canceled the reservation for Lee's concert scheduled to be held at the Gumi Culture and Arts Center's Grand Performance Hall. This was because Lee did not submit a pledge stating that he would not engage in "political agitation or misleading remarks." The city cited "the safety of citizens and audience" as the reason for the cancellation. It explained that conservative groups in the Gumi area had opposed Lee's performance at a rally calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol and had announced protests against the concert.
Lee protested, saying, "Gumi City made an unfair demand to submit the pledge by a specific time when the reservation date was imminent," and filed a constitutional petition on the 6th of last month. At that time, he wrote on social media, "I seek the Constitutional Court's judgment on the infringement of freedom of conscience, freedom of art, and freedom of expression by the Gumi mayor on December 20, 2024," adding, "(My agency) Dream Factory will pursue this to the end." In January, Lee also filed a lawsuit seeking 250 million won in damages against Gumi City and the mayor at the Seoul Central District Court.
After the dismissal of the constitutional petition, Mayor Kim stated on social media, "Lee Seunghwan's claim was an unreasonable argument that did not even meet the basic requirements for constitutional review," and asserted, "This once again proves that Gumi City's judgment was lawful and based on principles."
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