Martial law turmoil unsettles South Korean entertainment schedules
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A man reads an extra edition newspaper in downtown Seoul on Dec 4 after martial law was lifted.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEOUL – Schedules of performances and interviews in South Korea have been thrown into a state of uncertainty by a sudden martial law declaration
On the morning of Dec 4, the promotional team for Netflix series The Trunk announced the cancellation of a media interview with actress Seo Hyun-jin scheduled for that day.
“Updates on a new schedule will be provided later,” the global streaming service said.
Seo’s interview was initially set to take place on Dec 4 from 11am in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The status of interviews with other cast members, including Gong Yoo and Jung Yoon-ha, which were slated for Dec 5 and 6 respectively, remains pending further announcements.
An interview with film director Yang Woo-seok for his upcoming film About Family, scheduled to be released on Dec 11, was also under review for rescheduling. However, with the lifting of martial law, it was decided the interview would proceed as originally planned.
The special screening event of the newly released film The Firefighters, which was to be held in collaboration with the National Fire Agency in Sejong, has been cancelled.
Meanwhile, the press conference for the Netflix sports reality show Rugged Rugby, set to premiere on Dec 10, was initially planned for Dec 5, but is now under discussion for potential rescheduling.
Singer Lee Seung-hwan, one of South Korea’s well-known musicians of the 1990s, who has openly demonstrated his left-leaning political inclinations, announced that his concert, which was at one point cancelled due to martial law, will now proceed as planned.
On Dec 4 at around 6.30am, Lee took to his social media to share the update, stating: “With the lifting of martial law, the Like A Black-And-White Movie concert will proceed as scheduled. I apologise for the confusion caused. There’s much to say today, and I look forward to meeting you with deeper, richer stories and songs.”
Earlier, around midnight, Lee had announced the cancellation of concerts planned for the evenings of Dec 4 and 5, citing concerns about the martial law situation.
“Although the National Assembly has voted to demand the lifting of martial law, we cannot relax until the President officially declares its termination. If the martial law is lifted promptly in the morning, we will provide a positive update regarding the concerts.”
English-Albanian pop star Dua Lipa has concerts scheduled on Dec 4 and 5 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
Following news of the martial law declaration, concerns arose among fans about potential cancellations. However, event organiser Live Nation Korea has not issued any official statement, suggesting a likelihood that the shows will proceed as planned. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
