Prolonged Blockade Protest Forces Mass Concert Cancellations... Music Industry Urges Urgent Shutdown Measures

Olympic Park Blocked for Second Week Due to Jamsil Protest
Park Music Festival Changes Venue Five Days Before Event

On the 10th, protesters held placards and the Taegeukgi flag in front of the Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where protests continued to block the vote counting center. Photo by Yonhap News

As the protest to blockade the Jamsil vote counting center, sparked by the shortage of ballot papers in the June 3 local elections, continues, major events around Seoul Olympic Park are either relocating or being canceled one after another. The popular music industry is voicing concerns over a complete 'shutdown' of venue operations and calling for urgent measures.

According to the music industry on the 16th, BPC Tangent, the organizer of the Park Music Festival, announced the day before—just five days before the event—that it was canceling all stage operations at the Ticketlink Live Arena (formerly the Handball Gymnasium) in Olympic Park. The decision was made because the prolonged blockade by protesters made it impossible to guarantee audience safety or to hold the event normally.

As a result, the festival, scheduled for June 20 to 21, will now be held at the 88 Lawn Field, the 88 Lake Waterside Stage, and the Woori Financial Art Hall, instead of the original venue. The organizers will fully waive any ticket cancellation fees resulting from the venue change. The event will feature 29 acts, including Jannabi, Silica Gel, and Monsta X.

Other major events have also either changed venues or canceled bookings. HYBE gave up its booking of the Live Arena, which was intended as a fan lounge for the Weverse Con held on June 6 and 7. Nexon moved its planned MapleStory showcase on June 13 to KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

This situation erupted after protesters, outraged by the shortage of ballot papers in the June 3 local elections, began blocking the entrance to the Live Arena vote counting center for a second consecutive week. Protesters have conducted unauthorized searches of personal belongings of ordinary citizens and the women’s youth national handball team. They have also assaulted journalists and insulted police officers on site, committing a series of illegal acts. Police are currently investigating a total of 15 cases, including assault and obstruction of business. Between June 3 and 15, there were as many as 306 related emergency reports filed.

Park Music Festival. Provided by BPC Tangent

Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, held a press conference the previous day and requested the mobilization of law enforcement, saying that nine sports organizations have been unable to access their offices for ten days due to the protest blockade, resulting in losses amounting to 6 billion won. President Lee Jaemyung, during a senior aides meeting on June 14 while on an overseas trip, instructed, "Unauthorized checkpoints and acts of obstruction of business through intimidation must be dealt with firmly." Park Jeongbo, Chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, also stated at a press briefing on June 15 that searching personal belongings by protesters constitutes the felony of special coercion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and signaled a tough response.

As damages in the performing arts industry continue to snowball, the Korea Popular Music Performance Industry Association, which consists of 48 major concert planning companies, issued a statement on this day urging for a swift resolution.

The association stated, "Access to venues and the delivery of equipment are blocked, shaking the foundation of all concert preparations. This could soon lead to a de facto shutdown of venue operations." They warned that further losses are inevitable, with large-scale concerts including the upcoming performance by Japanese band King Gnu, as well as concerts by Park Seojin, U-Know Yunho, and N.Flying, all scheduled for this weekend.

Ko Kiho, president of the association, said, "Concerts are not events that can be organized overnight. Preparations for stage setup, rehearsals, and all aspects of the show are being disrupted." He urged, "Relevant authorities must take responsible steps, such as preserving ballot boxes as evidence, to ensure that performances can be held safely."

The association also called on the government to implement practical relief measures, such as reducing ticket cancellation fees, providing discounts or waivers on venue rental and paid admission tickets, and supporting the relocation to safe alternative venues.

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