Tragedy of Jeju Air Crash Leads K-POP Industry to Pause Activities in Tribute

Following the Jeju Air crash on December 29 that resulted in 179 deaths, the South Korean government declared a week-long national mourning period ending on January 4. Although there is no official rule prohibiting cultural activities during the mourning period, the entire K-POP industry has voluntarily refrained from holding performances and promotions to honor the victims and their families. SEVENTEEN’s Sub-unit BSS, consisting of Seungkwan, DK, and Hoshi, postponed the release of official photos for their new song “Teleparty,” scheduled for January 8, and stated, “We extend our deepest condolences over this tragic news.” The female idol group IVE also delayed the promotion schedule for their third album, “IVE Empathy,” which was planned for December 29–30. IVE said, “We offer our deepest sympathy to the victims of this tragedy and their families.” Singer-songwriter G-Dragon expressed his respect by turning his Daisy logo black and white and posting it on social media. Jay also canceled his attendance at a New Year’s countdown party scheduled at a restaurant in Tokyo. Broadcasting stations likewise canceled or postponed numerous year-end events. MBC completely canceled its “Entertainment Awards” scheduled for December 29 and rescheduled its “Drama Awards” to be broadcast as a recorded show on December 30. The “MBC Music Festival,” originally set for December 31, was also converted into a recorded program, with the performance video to be released later. SBS canceled its “Entertainment Awards” on December 31, while KBS canceled the live broadcast of its “Drama Awards” on the same day. The film “Secret: Untold Melody,” starring K-POP idol D.O., also urgently canceled a press conference in Seoul scheduled for December 30. However, activities continue on the international stage. TWICE, ILLIT, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and LE SSERAFIM have decided to perform at the “75th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen” held at the NHK Hall in Tokyo on January 1 (local time). No group has announced the cancellation of its scheduled appearances. JYP Entertainment stated, “TWICE extends its deepest condolences to the victims of the airline disaster and will carry out its existing overseas plans with a heavy heart.” Meanwhile, SEVENTEEN’s Leader S.Coups posted on Instagram, “We offer our deepest sympathy to the victims of the accident and their families,” and BLACKPINK’s Lisa announced the postponement of her live broadcasts.