As Gumi city in North Gyeongsang province canceled singer Lee Seung-hwan's concert citing safety concerns, musicians have issued an urgent statement demanding an official apology from the city.
The musician declaration preparation meeting, involving 2,645 diverse music industry figures such as singers, performers, producers, and critics, issued a statement titled 'Don't Stop the Song' on the 23rd, stating, 'Artistic cultural activities are a fundamental right of citizens guaranteed by the constitution. Nevertheless, musicians express great disappointment and concern over Gumi city's unilateral cancellation of Lee Seung-hwan's concert for so-called safety reasons.'
It continued, 'By canceling the performance citing dissenting opinions that the organizers could adequately address, Gumi city has admitted that the administration succumbed to the protest of a specific group. Furthermore, by restricting artistic activities owing to an artist's personal viewpoint, the city has established a dangerous precedent that casts a shadow of censorship and control over the cultural and arts sector.'
The musician declaration preparation meeting urged, 'Gumi city must immediately retract its decision to cancel the booking for Lee Seung-hwan's concert. Additionally, Mayor Kim Jang-ho of Gumi must officially apologize to artists and citizens. Naturally, Gumi city should establish institutional measures guaranteeing the independence and fairness of cultural and arts administration. Furthermore, the city must ensure citizens' right to enjoy culture and immediately cease attempts at artistic censorship.'
Moreover, it emphasized, 'Art is a right of citizens, and the administration has a duty to ensure this. For no reason can the cultural enjoyment rights of citizens and the freedom of expression of artists be restricted. Today, musicians unanimously declare: Don't stop the song.'
Mayor Kim Jang-ho of Gumi announced in an 'emergency statement' on the morning of the 23rd at the main conference room of Gumi city hall that 'for the sake of citizen and audience safety, the concert of Lee Seung-hwan, scheduled to be held at the Gumi Arts and Culture Center on the 25th, will be canceled.'
Mayor Kim stated that he 'inevitably cancels the booking considering the founding purpose of the arts and culture center, the refusal to sign the pledge ('will not engage in political agitation or misinterpretation'), and the unpredictable occurrence of mishaps such as physical altercations, which cannot be disregarded.'
Afterward, Lee Seung-hwan expressed regret on SNS about the unilateral decision by Gumi city to cancel the concert booking. He stated, 'I plan to promptly proceed with legal action against Gumi city. The legal and economic responsibilities arising from the unilateral and unjust cancelation decision should be borne by those who partook in the decision, not through Gumi city's taxes.'
He added, 'The real reason for canceling the booking seems to be the 'refusal to sign the pledge.' This incident concerns 'freedom of expression.' A public institution requested creators to sign a document stating they would not engage in political misunderstanding behaviors in advance, and not complying resulted in disadvantages. It is regrettable and miserable.'
Lee Seung-hwan has openly supported the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. He has consistently criticized the government since the December 3 martial law incident and performed at a rally supporting the impeachment of President Yoon near the National Assembly building on the 13th.