Singer Park Seo-jin. [Herald Muse]
Singer Park Seo-jin. [Herald Muse]

A prolonged protest over ballot counting in the local elections has begun to ripple through the live music industry. Trot singer Park Seo-jin has canceled his Seoul encore concert with just 10 days to go before the scheduled opening night.

Park's agency, Jangguuishin Entertainment, announced Tuesday that it was canceling the two-day Seoul encore leg of his nationwide tour, which had been set for July 4-5 at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, also known as the Ticketlink Live Arena.

The agency said it had explored every available option to keep the shows on, including relocating the venue and adjusting the schedule. It ultimately concluded that a safe and normal performance was impossible given the physical blockade and operational hazards around the site, and that cancellation was the only viable path given the logistical constraints.

The cancellation traces directly to a ballot-shortage controversy that emerged during the ninth nationwide simultaneous local elections held June 3, which triggered a sit-in blockade at the Jamsil vote-counting center. Since June 5, two days after the election, large crowds demanding a re-election have gathered around the Handball Gymnasium — which serves as the counting center — sealing off its entrances and maintaining their occupation for 16 consecutive days.

Park is not the only one affected. Hybe's Weverse Con was thrown into confusion after organizers had to completely reroute audience access, and Nexon relocated a game showcase to Kintex in Ilsan on short notice. The Seoul Park Music Festival, held last weekend, also gave up its booking at the Handball Gymnasium and moved its stage to a waterfront venue.


shee@heraldcorp.com