![Singer Lee Seung-hwan. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) via Herald POP]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/02/news-p.v1.20260602.539ed6af1d2f4647896929f6292d35e4_P1.jpg)
Singer Lee Seung-hwan has again publicly targeted Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho over the damages lawsuit stemming from the cancellation of his concert in the city.
On Sunday, Lee posted on Instagram summarizing the trial court's ruling under three points: that the demand for a written pledge, the cancellation of the performance, and the failure to take safety measures were all unlawful. "The late-payment interest rate applied to the damages is 12 percent per year," he wrote. "Gumi's tax money is being spent as the price of lies."
He also took a direct shot at the mayor. "The cowardly and petty Jang-ho has ultimately hidden behind Gumi City," Lee wrote, adding that "the lies Jang-ho told during the TV debate will all be used against him in court."
On May 8, Judge Park Nam-jun of the Seoul Central District Court ordered Gumi City to pay Lee 35 million won (approximately $23,200), pay Lee's agency Dream Factory Club 75 million won, and pay 150,000 won each to 100 concertgoers who had purchased tickets. The court did not find Mayor Kim personally liable for damages.
On May 20, Lee's legal team at law firm Haemaru filed an appeal targeting Mayor Kim personally. The firm said the trial court had clearly recognized that Kim violated his objective duty of care, yet followed existing Supreme Court precedent that effectively shields individual civil servants from personal liability. "It is unjust for that legal doctrine to apply equally to the top decision-maker who directly ordered the unlawful cancellation of the venue booking," the firm said.
The dispute began when Gumi City canceled Lee's scheduled concert at the Gumi Culture and Arts Center two days before it was set to take place on Dec. 25, 2024. The city took issue with remarks Lee had made at a performance in another city regarding the impeachment of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol, and demanded he sign a written pledge. When Lee refused, the city canceled the booking, citing safety concerns.
Immediately after the trial court ruling, Lee told Kim — addressing him informally — that a simple public apology of "Brother, I was wrong. That one honest sentence is all it would take" would be enough for him to drop the claim for personal liability. Kim responded through a statement: "As mayor, I will not back down on the safety of citizens — I will follow the law and principles."
Lee formally announced his decision to appeal on May 14, saying he would expand his legal team from two attorneys to 10. He also told Mayor Kim: "This time, you should not be using taxpayer money."
dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com
