South Korean entertainment industry pauses events in wake of plane crash
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K-pop boy band Seventeen's sub-unit BSS, made up of members (from left) Seungkwan, DK and Hoshi, delayed the release of promotional pictures for their upcoming single.
PHOTO: PLEDIS_17/X
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SEOUL – Several K-pop artistes and entertainment companies have postponed or cancelled promotions and year-end events following the tragic Jeju Air plane crash
The crash, which killed 179 people, prompted the government to declare a week-long national mourning period until Jan 4.
While there is no formal prohibition on entertainment activities during the mourning period, it is customary for artistes and agencies to suspend promotions to honour victims and their families.
K-pop boy band Seventeen’s sub-unit BSS – made up of members Seungkwan, Hoshi and DK – delayed the release of official photos for their second single Teleparty, slated for release on Jan 8.
“We extend our deepest condolences over this heartbreaking news and ask for fans’ understanding,” BSS said on Seventeen’s X account on Dec 29.
Girl group IVE halted promotional activities for their third EP, IVE Empathy, scheduled for Dec 29 and 30.
K-pop girl group IVE postponed promotional activities for their EP.
PHOTO: IVESTARSHIP/X
“We regret to inform you that the promotional schedule for IVE’s 3rd EP, IVE Empathy, originally planned for Dec 29 and 30, has been postponed... We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their bereaved families affected by the recent tragedy,” IVE wrote on X on Dec 29.
Singer G-Dragon paid tribute to the tragedy by posting a black-and-white version of his daisy logo on social media. And singer Jay Park withdrew from a New Year’s Eve countdown party at Ce La Vi restaurant in Tokyo.
South Korean state broadcaster MBC cancelled its annual awards show for variety programmes, MBC Entertainment Awards, originally planned for Dec 29, citing the sorrowful national sentiment as the primary reason.
“We initially planned to hold the ceremony without broadcasting it, but after extensive discussions, we decided to cancel the event entirely,” it said.
Its awards show to honour its drama series, MBC Drama Awards, which was held on Dec 30, had its live broadcast cancelled and was instead recorded. Its year-end music show MBC Music Festival, which was scheduled to air on Dec 31, will follow suit. The recorded performances will be released at a later date.
Among other broadcasters, SBS cancelled its SBS Entertainment Awards show, originally planned for Dec 31, while KBS axed the live broadcast of its KBS Drama Awards, which will be held on Dec 31.
The romance movie Secret: Untold Melody, starring K-pop idol Do Kyung-soo, also known as D.O., called off its Dec 30 Seoul press conference the day before. In a statement to reporters, the studio expressed condolences for the victims of the crash and apologised for the short-notice cancellation.
The movie is a remake of Taiwanese musician Jay Chou’s 2007 directorial debut Secret and is slated for release at the end of January.
A scheduled appearance by crime film Bogota: City Of The Lost (2024) stars Song Joong-ki and Lee Hee-jun on broadcaster JTBC’s cooking variety show Chef & My Fridge was shelved when Dec 29’s programming shifted to news coverage. An interview programme with period movie Harbin (2024) leading man Hyun Bin also faced a similar postponement.
The plane crash occurred on the morning of Dec 29, when a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok overshot the runway at Muan International Airport and collided with the airport’s outer wall, resulting in a massive explosion. Of the 181 passengers on board, only two survivors were rescued, making it the worst aviation disaster in South Korea. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
