Singer Lee Seung-hwan's concert in Gumi City, North Gyeongsang Province has been canceled. Gumi City made this decision due to concerns over Lee Seung-hwan's actions, which have shown a political inclination. However, Lee Seung-hwan is rejecting this, claiming it is a matter of freedom of expression.
On the afternoon of the 23rd, Lee Seung-hwan expressed his regret on his social media regarding Gumi City's unilateral decision to cancel the concert. He stated, “I will promptly take legal action against Gumi City. The legal and economic responsibilities arising from this unilateral and unjust cancellation should be borne by those involved in this decision, not through Gumi City’s taxes.”
On the same day, Gumi City stated, “We concluded that we had no choice but to cancel the concert for safety reasons due to concerns about potential physical clashes between the audience and conservative right-wing groups. The safety of citizens is our top priority.”
Previously, Gumi City had informed Lee Seung-hwan's side about the possibility of canceling the concert informally while discussing safety issues last week. It is reported that the cancellation procedures have already been completed.
Lee Seung-hwan has publicly expressed his support for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol. Consequently, conservative right-wing groups have been calling for the cancellation of Lee Seung-hwan's concert in Gumi.
In response to Gumi City's decision, Lee Seung-hwan countered, “This is not a decision for safety.” According to Lee Seung-hwan, the concert organizers proposed various measures, including increasing security personnel at the venue, due to concerns about potential physical clashes between opposing protest groups and the audience. He argued that Gumi City should have ensured the right to cultural enjoyment for the audience while also guaranteeing appropriate assemblies and protests.
Lee Seung-hwan stated that the reason for the cancellation was “refusal to sign a pledge.” It is known that this pledge included clauses stating that “the planning company and singer Lee Seung-hwan will not engage in political agitation or political misunderstandings in accordance with the regulations for the performance permit at the Gumi Cultural and Arts Center.” Lee Seung-hwan refused to sign this pledge.
Lee Seung-hwan raised his voice, saying, “I did not engage in political agitation,” and added, “This should not happen in a democratic country where freedom of expression is the highest value.” In conclusion, he stated, “This incident is a matter of ‘freedom of expression.’ It is unfortunate and miserable. I will point out the issues and work to elevate the level of our society again.”
Previously, Lee Seung-hwan had publicly expressed his support for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol. As a result, conservative right-wing groups demanded that Lee Seung-hwan cancel his concert in Gumi.
In response, Lee Seung-hwan expressed his disappointment, saying, “This is my first concert in Gumi after 35 years of debut, and it is unfortunate.” He added, “I will bring out my special vocal cords that I have been saving, tighten them, clean them, and change them, so I hope you are prepared to come. I will make it the best concert of my life.”
In fact, after Gumi City canceled the concert, fans who had already purchased tickets are targeting Gumi City. They are posting complaints on Gumi City’s official website, saying, “Is the cancellation of the venue at the mayor's whim? Is Gumi City North Korea?”, “Isn’t it embarrassing that we can’t even enjoy culture and arts?”, and “Please cancel the concert cancellation.”
Although Lee Seung-hwan is not active in broadcasting, he is actively communicating with the public through social media. In particular, he expresses his political views without hesitation on social media. He has also taken an active stance by publicly supporting the impeachment during the recent rally against President Yoon.
