Obama to attend Psy performance despite protests

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama will attend a charity concert where Psy is scheduled to perform after reports that the South Korean rapper participated in anti-American protests several years ago.

A spokesman said on Friday that the Obama family will attend the Dec 21 Christmas in Washington concert, as is custom.

News reports cite two instances of the 34-year-old Gangnam Style rapper participating in concerts protesting the United States (US) military presence in South Korea during the early stages of the war in Iraq. In a 2004 concert, Psy performed another act's song about killing "Yankees" who have been torturing Iraqi captives and their families "slowly and painfully".

Psy's inescapable hit went viral in the US and holds the YouTube record for most watched video. A message left with his spokesman was not immediately returned.