President Lee Jae-myung has drawn buzz online for looking after LE SSERAFIM member Kazuha (22, legal name Nakamura Kazuha), telling her to pick up an earring that fell on stage while she was dancing.
According to the presidential office on the 2nd, the president attended the launch ceremony of The Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange held at KINTEX in Ilsan, Goyang, Gyeonggi, on the afternoon of the 1st. Park Jin-Young, JYP Entertainment's chief producer, recently became a co-chairperson of the committee along with Minister Chae Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, drawing attention.
LE SSERAFIM took the first stage of the event and sang "FEARLESS." They added meaning by arranging it with traditional Korean music elements. LE SSERAFIM member Kim Chae-won (25) said, "As K-pop is receiving immense love around the world, it is such an honor to be able to perform on a stage this big." Sakura (27, legal name Miyawaki Sakura) said, "Many artists are likely hoping to perform on the global stage, and we expect The Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange to be a source of strength for artists." As the members spoke in turn, the president sat next to Chairperson Park Jin-Young and waved a light stick.
LE SSERAFIM then sang two more songs, "UNFORGIVEN" and "ANTIFRAGILE," and wrapped up the stage. The "earring incident" happened while they were singing the first song, "FEARLESS." Kazuha spun in place ten times, and one earring came off. Kazuha also glanced at the earring that had fallen on the floor.
After Chairperson Park gave a presentation (PT), the president took the stage and said, "I am truly delighted to enjoy the K-pop performance by the globally beloved group LE SSERAFIM together with aspiring workers in the popular culture industry and the young people who love our popular culture."
The president then pointed to a spot on the stage with a finger and said, "Someone should pick up the earring here. I keep worrying about it." Laughter broke out across the venue.
After the president finished speaking, the male idol group Stray Kids took the stage and performed. The president introduced Stray Kids as "the pride of our culture, with seven consecutive albums topping the chart for the first time in the 70-year history of the U.S. Billboard."
The president then took a group photo with Chairpersons Chae Hwi-young and Park Jin-Young, LE SSERAFIM, and Stray Kids. The president asked LE SSERAFIM, who had come back on stage, "Did you pick up the earring?" and after the group photo, asked again, "Did you pick it up?"
At a space in KINTEX set up to experience K-culture that displayed idol singer light sticks, the president said, "This is something I saw a lot last winter," and added, "This is fan sovereignty. Making fans feel like the owners is an important part." He was recalling the "light sticks" carried by citizens who held protests in Yeouido and Gwanghwamun since December last year calling for the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The president also looked over photo cards featuring idol singers and various merchandise, or "goods." When Chairperson Park explained, "When fans receive a photo card, it might not be the member they want," the president laughed and said, "In old terms, it's like drawing lots."