Singer Lee Seung-hwan (59) is making headlines as he officially embarks on a 'hundred million won damages lawsuit' against Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho.
On the 3rd, Lee Seung-hwan posted on his Instagram, "Link to recruit 100 plaintiffs for the Gumi concert damages lawsuit."
He stated, "This lawsuit is related to the cancellation of the 35th anniversary concert due to the cancellation of the Gumi Cultural Arts Center rental contract," and added, "We decided to involve 100 ticket purchasers as plaintiffs."
Lee Seung-hwan's legal representative, law firm Haemaru, stated, "This lawsuit deals with the incident where Gumi City unilaterally canceled the rental contract on December 23, 2024," and added, "The number of victims is larger, but we limited the plaintiffs to 100 for the sake of a swift process."
Since last month, Lee Seung-hwan has strongly protested after Gumi City suddenly canceled his concert rental contract. The Gumi Mayor's office cited concerns about potential clashes between the audience and conservative right-wing groups as the reason, but Lee Seung-hwan argued, "Safety concerns are just an excuse; the essence is a measure to hide political intentions." In particular, Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho mentioned, "Lee Seung-hwan is 60 years old, and such a performance could lead to political misunderstandings," which further fueled the controversy.
In response, Lee Seung-hwan emphasized, "This case is a serious matter that infringes on freedom of expression," and stated, "We will hold accountable for violating the political neutrality obligation as a mayor."
This lawsuit is likely to expand beyond a simple cancellation of the rental contract into a social debate surrounding freedom of expression and democratic values. Lee Seung-hwan's fans and the public are showing strong support for his legal response, and attention is drawn to the outcome of the lawsuit.
Through this lawsuit, Lee Seung-hwan expressed his determination that "it is the duty of artists to protect freedom of expression" and hopes that similar incidents will not occur again. Attention is focused on how Lee Seung-hwan's 'hundred million won lawsuit' against Gumi City will conclude.
[Kim Seung-hye, MK Sports Reporter]
