Singer Harim has once again expressed his opinion regarding the cancellation of a performance amid allegations of a 'blacklist'.
On the 14th, Harim posted on SNS, “I sit on the bookstore stairs, reflecting on the place of musicians. I hope this small commotion comes to an end,” reiterating his stance.
Harim mentioned, “At this point, when the wounds of the martial law have not completely healed, I received a sudden cancellation notice for an event organized by a national agency just a few days away,” adding, “The reason was that I sang in the square last year.”
He continued, “I cannot know whether the blacklist, which was said to have once existed, still exists. Even if my name is somewhere due to the activities I have occasionally done, I do not think it would affect even a small and poor event held in a small theater,” and speculated, “I think this incident ultimately stems from the caution of a middle manager. Rather than concluding this as organized oppression, I understand it as a structure of fear that still remains in various parts of our society.”
Harim also noted that similar incidents had occurred in the past, but he did not raise issues at those times, stating, “I realized that the things we quietly let pass make all of us close our mouths.” He added, “Initially, I intended to leave this incident as a record. However, considering that colleagues and juniors who sang with me could find themselves in the same position, I decided to cautiously organize this story.”
Harim further questioned, “Is a musician's statement a political act?” and responded, “I believe that much music inevitably reflects the contemporary era.” He added, “While there are indeed those who genuinely seek to express political voices through music, the media's tendency to interpret all expressions of musicians solely as political can suppress the various good things that music can do.”
In conclusion, he stated, “I dream that music is neither a sword nor a shield. Music is just music,” expressing his hope that none of his friends, for whom music is everything, would be swept away by political issues like fallen leaves. He recorded this commotion with the hope that, as a result of this incident, music can return to a safer place.
Harim had previously performed at the 'Citizen Cultural Festival Demanding President Yoon Seok-yeol's Resignation' held in Gwanghwamun Square after the illegal martial law incident on December 3 last year. At that time, Harim mentioned, “It felt like a robber had rushed into my house in the middle of the night,” referring to his uncle, who was a victim of the May 18 Democratic Movement.
On the 13th, Harim revealed on SNS that he received a sudden cancellation notice for an event organized by a national agency, although he did not specify the event's name. This event is reported to be the 'Inter-Korean Youth Talk Concert' scheduled to be held by the Ministry of Unification on the 28th.
In response to the allegations of a 'blacklist', a Ministry of Unification official explained on the 14th, “The working-level staff discovered that the performer (Harim) was a major performer at the presidential resignation rally at the end of last year while reviewing the event plan with the planning company,” adding, “Concerns arose that the timing of the event coinciding with the presidential election could lead to unnecessary political misunderstandings, which is why the booking was halted.”
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
