Seowon Valley Green Concert to Be Held on May 31
22 Teams Including Top Dream Trot Singers to Perform
Various Events and Special Economic Boost for Gwangtan-myeon
A golf course is transformed into a trot concert venue. This is the story of the Seowon Valley Green Concert, a K-pop festival and charity event held every May at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. This year, it will take place on May 31. Having started in 2000, the concert is now in its 25th year. Its status has grown into a concert that spreads K-pop to the world. It only paused briefly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lineup is impressive. This year, top-tier dream trot singers such as Jang Minho, Son Taejin, and Song Gain will perform. In addition, a Super Junior unit (Leeteuk, Shindong, Choi Siwon), Lee Hongki, FIFTY FIFTY, Billlie, IVE, DinDin, Bang Yedam, and a total of 22 teams will take the stage, making the event even more spectacular. Leeteuk said, "It has always been meaningful to participate in delivering charity funds, but this year, I want to express my gratitude to the fans who come every year by performing on stage."
Emotional acoustic guitar musicians Park Hakgi and Choo Gayul will deliver sweet songs. Yoon Jongshin will make his first appearance to meet the audience. Heavenly-voiced Soryang, high-note specialist Jung Dongha, Lim Hanbyul, and others will also present beautiful melodies. The MCs will be broadcaster Lee Bongwon, announcer Jang Yewon, and Lee Jonghyun, editor-in-chief of Leisure News.
This year, Vietnamese hip-hop artist Sevendynight and top Thai idols Barcode and Sudyot will perform. Their appearance will also serve as a tribute performance for their compatriots, including workers who have come to Korea. Sevendynight, who is also popular in Korea with the song "It's Okay," has experience working in Korea as a laborer for seven years.
Seowon Valley will suspend golf course operations for a day and set up a stage in the middle of the course. Nine holes will be used as temporary parking lots. Among the 570,000 attendees so far, a significant number are K-pop fans who have come from Asia, including Japan and China, as well as from North America and Europe. Attendance is expected to surpass 600,000 this year. As the event is held under the theme of sharing and caring, more than 700 million won in charity funds have been raised and delivered to those in need and to the local community.
In addition to the concert, a variety of events await the audience. Starting from the afternoon, there will be a Callaway Golf long drive contest, a putting contest, a ssireum (Korean wrestling) competition, poetry writing, and drawing contests. Before the performances begin, the golf course will be open as a family outing venue. Discounted golf equipment sales, food and beverage markets, and all funds raised from Callaway events will be donated to Paju orphanages, Gwangtan-myeon, and the Wheelchair of Love campaign headquarters.
Thanks to the Seowon Valley Green Concert, Paju and Gwangtan-myeon are enjoying an economic boom. The event is making a significant contribution to the tourism industry and the local economy. Accommodation reservations are hard to come by. Sales at taxis, gas stations, convenience stores, and restaurants have increased significantly.
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