Martial law turmoil unsettles South Korean entertainment schedules
By Lee Jung-younPublished : Dec. 4, 2024 - 09:59
Schedules of performances and interviews in South Korea have been thrown into a state of uncertainty by a sudden martial law declaration that was lifted only a few hours later.
On Wednesday morning, the promotional team for the Netflix series “The Trunk” announced that the media interview with actress Seo Hyun-jin, which was originally set to take place from 11 a.m. Wednesday in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, was rescheduled to Friday.
Interviews with other cast members, including Gong Yoo and Jung Yoon-ha, which were slated for Thursday and Friday respectively, will proceed according to the plan, said the global streaming company.
The 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 has been 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 canceled.
Meanwhile, the press conference for the Netflix sports reality show “Rugged Rugby,” set to premiere on Dec. 10, was initially planned for Thursday but is now under discussion for potential rescheduling.
Singer Lee Seung-hwan, one of South Korea’s iconic musicians of the 1990s, who has openly demonstrated his left-leaning political inclinations, announced that his concert, which was at one point canceled due to martial law, will now proceed as planned.
On Wednesday at around 6:30 a.m., 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 apologize 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 Wednesday and Thursday evenings, 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.”
Pop star Dua Lipa has concerts scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Following news of the martial law declaration, concerns arose among fans about potential cancellations. However, the event organizer Live Nation Korea, has not issued any official statement, suggesting a likelihood that the shows will proceed as planned.