Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Gyeongju warns of scam promising free G-Dragon concert at APEC summit
G-Dragon speaks after receiving the 4th grade (Ok-gwan) Order of Cultural Merit medal during the 2025 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards red carpet event at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Thursday. Yonhap
By Lee Hae-rin
The city of Gyeongju has urged the public to exercise caution after false social media posts circulated online claiming that K-pop star G-Dragon would give a free concert at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
City officials said Monday that several online communities and blogs had circulated posts about supposed concerts such as “G-Dragon’s Cheomseongdae Performance” and the “Hwangseong Park Concert,” describing them as completely unfounded. They added that there are no official performance plans involving the singer during the APEC summit, which runs through Saturday.
These fake posts are based on online rumors claiming that G-Dragon would host a free concert on Friday near Cheomseongdae Observatory in Donggung Palace as part of a cultural event commemorating the summit.
The posts also included links claiming users could “preregister” for the event, but clicking the links led to pages requesting personal information. Authorities suspect the scheme may be a form of smishing fraud.
To curb misinformation, the city has been sharing verified details with local offices, government agencies and civic groups, while ramping up efforts to block the spread of fake online content.
Officials said a large-scale fireworks show that had been originally planned was canceled due to safety and security concerns. Instead, a separate cultural performance for residents is being discussed with event organizers and will be announced later.
“We ask citizens and visitors not to be misled by baseless posts and to check official city channels for accurate information,” a Gyeongju City spokesperson said.
G-Dragon, an APEC goodwill ambassador, appeared in an unpaid promotional video produced by the creative group Dolphiners Film. He may also make an appearance at Friday's gala dinner for world leaders, according to sources.