With martial law declared for the first time in 44 years being lifted after just 6 hours, there is still a sense of tension throughout the entertainment industry.

Although the scheduled concerts are proceeding as normal with the lifting of martial law, there is an air of relief, but some K-pop artists with album releases coming up are keeping a close eye on the ever-changing situation.

Singer Lee Seung-hwan and Jang Beom-jun, formerly of Busker Busker, who were scheduled to perform a concert on the 4th, were busy holding an emergency meeting with the production staff regarding whether or not to hold the concert after President Yoon Seok-yeol declared martial law at around 10:23 PM the night before. Then, about 6 hours later at around 4:27 AM that day, when martial law was lifted, they all announced on their SNS, “We will hold the concert as scheduled.”

British pop star Dua Lipa, who will hold a concert in Korea at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 4th and 5th at 8 PM, also decided to hold the concert as scheduled. Live Nation Korea, the concert planning company, announced, “We will hold the concert as scheduled” after discussions until 3 PM that day, just 5 hours before the concert.

Large-scale concerts scheduled in the future, such as the concert by popular Japanese duo Yoasobi on the 7th and 8th, are also expected to be held without a hitch.

However, singers who are about to release albums could not avoid the “direct hit.” Some singers who had announced a comeback or fan meetings this month have responded by scaling back their promotions for the time being. Some entertainment companies have also reportedly established self-restraint policies regarding SNS promotions.

A music industry insider said, “There is a possibility that some promotional schedules may change depending on the future political situation. We are continuously checking the news,” and lamented, “It is unfortunate that the entire industry is on thin ice ahead of the end of the year, which is considered the biggest season.”


Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com