Lee Seung-hwan said, "Gumishi calls for a pledge to refrain from political agitation...Legal action"

OSEN

Singer Lee Seung-hwan expressed his position that he would "legal respond" to the cancellation of the concert rental scheduled for the day of Christmas (25th) in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province.

On the 23rd, Lee Seung-hwan posted a lengthy statement on his social media (SNS), saying, "I will announce my position regarding the cancellation of the concert rental scheduled at the Gumi Culture and Arts Center (hereinafter referred to as the 'Center.'"

Lee Seung-hwan said, "We regret the unilateral decision of Gumi City to cancel the concert," and warned, "The legal and economic responsibility that will arise from the unilateral and unfair decision to cancel the concert should be borne by those who participated in this decision, not through Gumi City's taxes."

"Gumi City said it was a 'decision for safety', but I cannot agree," he said. "Gumi City should have guaranteed proper assembly and demonstration through police and others, while at the same time protecting the right of visitors to enjoy the culture."

He speculated that the real reason why Gumi City canceled the rental was "refusal to sign a pledge." The center sent an official letter to the performance agency on the 20th, demanding that the agency and singer Lee Seung-hwan seal a pledge saying, "In accordance with the Gumi Culture and Arts Center's performance permission regulations, they will not engage in political instigation and political misunderstanding," and mentioned that it can be canceled if it is not implemented.

Lee Seung-hwan said, "It is unfair to mention 'cancellation of the Daegwan' by demanding that the Daegwan submit a request for 'writing a pledge' that does not exist at all in the Daegwan regulations and the contents of the permission to use, including the pledge of the performers who are not the parties to the contract, even by a certain time on Sunday."

"I don't do 'political agitation'. Some theaters' rental contracts have a condition that 'performance with political purpose' is not allowed to rent, but my performance was not an event for 'political purpose', so it has never been a problem in renting until now.

Just before the performance day, Lee Seung-hwan said, "You have to be asked to write your name on a document that you will not say or do anything, such as political misunderstandings," and added, "If you don't write your name, the performance may be canceled."

Finally, "This case is a matter of 'freedom of expression'," he said. "We asked the creator to sign a document in advance that public institutions would not say or do anything, such as political misunderstandings, and it caused disadvantages when they did not comply with the request. It's sad and miserable. We will point out and change the problem so that the level of our society can be raised again," he concluded.

Earlier in the day, Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho reported the cancellation of Lee Seung-hwan's concert rental, saying, "We inevitably cancel the rental considering the purpose of the establishment of the Culture and Arts Center, the refusal to seal the pledge, and the fact that it cannot be considered that there are no unpredictable physical conflicts."

Reporter Lee Yu Na from Digital News Team.