[Exclusive] Full Refund for Venue Cancellations Amid Prolonged Protests at Olympic Park, Says Korea Sports Promotion Foundation

Judged as a "Social Issue Comparable to a Disaster"

Refunds for Unused Facilities at Weekend "Weverse Con"

MapleStory Event Also to Be Reviewed by Committee

"Separating Movement Routes to Prevent Safety Accidents"

On the 7th, in front of the Handball Stadium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, citizens claiming election fraud are shouting slogans as the 'Jamsil Counting Center Lockdown Protest' continues. Photo by Yonhap News

Due to the aftermath of protests in front of Ticketlink Live Arena (Handball Gymnasium) at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, the operation of cultural events has been disrupted. In response, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation's subsidiary, Korea Sports Industry Development, has decided to settle and refund rental fees for the venues that could not be used. For upcoming events, if venue use is canceled due to the prolonged protests, the company plans to provide a full refund after the deliberation of the Venue Rental Review Committee and other related procedures.

An official from the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation told The Asia Business Daily on June 10, "For last weekend's Weverse Con event, we will refund unused facilities by reflecting them in the settlement process." The official added, "If a scheduled event is canceled due to the continued protests, we will proceed with a full refund in accordance with the related procedures, including review by the Venue Rental Review Committee."

This is the first time the foundation has specified its policy on settling venue rental fees in relation to the ongoing protests. The performance industry had raised concerns that even if the use of venues becomes impossible due to the protests, event organizers might still have to bear all venue rental and location change costs.

Large-scale performances and showcases do not use the venue only on the day of the event. Equipment is brought in and the stage is set up several days in advance, with lighting and sound system setup, rehearsals, seating arrangements, and audience traffic flow checks carried out sequentially. If the access roads are blocked during this process, the venue essentially becomes unusable.

Nexon, which had planned to hold the MapleStory Summer Showcase 'Overdrive' at Ticketlink Live Arena on the 13th, changed the location to Hall 9 at KINTEX Exhibition Center II in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. This decision was made five days before the event. Although Nexon initially considered holding the event within Olympic Park, it was reported that they secured an alternative venue after determining that access and event preparations on-site would be too difficult. Regarding the venue rental for the MapleStory Showcase, an official from the foundation stated, "The Venue Rental Review Committee will convene soon," and explained, "We plan to provide a full refund in accordance with the procedures."

HYBE's Weverse Con Festival, held on June 6-7, was also affected. Although the main performances took place as planned at KSPO Dome and 88 Lawn Field, the original plans to operate wristband distribution and experience zones inside Ticketlink Live Arena were changed. This was because part of the rented space could not be used due to ongoing protests around the stadium. The foundation stated that unused facilities would be refunded through the settlement process.

At the same venue, the Seoul Park Music Festival is scheduled for June 20-21, and singer Park Seojin's concert is scheduled for July 4-5.

Ticket box near the Handball Stadium in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium began to be used as the Jamsil vote counting center following the June 3 local elections. Subsequently, protesters demanding a re-election in response to the ballot paper shortage incident started gathering around the stadium. The number of protesters once reached up to 10,000, and although it has decreased on weekdays, groups still remain around the entrances. On June 8, there was even an incident where national handball team players attempting to retrieve training equipment were blocked by protesters and had their belongings searched.

The basis for refunding the venue rental fees is Article 8 of the Korea Sports Industry Development Venue Operation Enforcement Rules. This article stipulates that if the use of the facility becomes impossible or an event cannot be held due to a disaster or a comparable social issue, the expected rental fee must be refunded. To ensure fairness, the decision on whether to provide a refund is made through the Venue Rental Review Committee. The foundation determined that the blockade of the facilities by protesters meets the criteria for this provision. As a result, events canceled or partially unable to use the facility due to the protests are also expected to be settled through the same procedure.

However, a refund of the venue rental fees alone does not compensate for all the losses incurred by event organizers. When the venue is changed, organizers have to redesign the stage and equipment routes, reassign seating, and reconfigure audience guidance systems. Already sold tickets may also need to be refunded or seats reassigned. There is also the burden of adjusting the schedules of performers and staff. While large companies can secure alternative venues relatively quickly, small and medium-sized event organizers face much greater costs and time constraints.

An industry official noted, "Even if the rental fees are refunded, if the venue is changed right before the event, the organizer must still cover the additional costs and complaints from the audience," adding, "On the ground, the more urgent issue is when equipment can be brought in rather than the rental fee itself." They also said, "The venue operator needs to promptly provide guidance on whether the event can take place and on the access routes, so that organizers can quickly decide whether to proceed or cancel."

The foundation plans to separately manage audience movement paths at future performances. Regarding the fences installed during Weverse Con, the foundation explained, "The fences were installed at the request of the event organizers to separate audience movement routes for safety," and added, "We will continue to coordinate with event planners to manage audience movement routes separately."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.