Amid controversy that a free concert by a famous singer was effectively promotion for a specific funeral service company, reactions are mixed.
According to a report by a media outlet on the 8th, a free concert by a famous singer who is a first-generation girl group member was held at a small theater in Seocho District, Seoul.
However, a representative of the funeral service company, not the famous singer, appeared first at the performance. For about two hours the funeral service company's product promotion and enrollment solicitations continued, and after the promotion and collection of application forms ended, the singer took the stage.
This has sparked heated debate. Some netizens who saw the news said the famous singer's free concert was used for promotion by the funeral service company and reacted, saying, "I just wasted my time," "There really is no free lunch," "They used to sell products during performances, now it's just funeral services instead," "It's a shame the singer does that," "It's too much to promote for two hours, not just 20 or 30 minutes," and "I honestly think things like this are really common these days."
Meanwhile, the notice for the performance was made public. With red letters saying "Please read before applying" there was a notice such as "This event is a free concert that includes promotional time for a funeral service company," so people who applied to attend the performance and went to watch it surely knew; omitting that part and claiming to be wholly a "victim" seems a bit much, some said.
They reacted, "Shouldn't you have been suspicious and asked why they would hold a free concert?," "I don't know why only the singer is being criticized," "Didn't people go knowing everything?," "It's absurd to claim coercion when the notice clearly stated promotion was included," and "Doesn't everything say promotion is included? Why would it be free?"
The singer's side said, "This performance was scheduled through an external agency," and "As far as we know, the organizer announced from the recruitment stage that the event included a funeral company briefing. It is embarrassing that the singer is being reported as if she intentionally deceived fans."
[OSEN]