K-pop concerts face harsher quarantine rules compared to other performances

Members of K-pop boy band Monsta X pose in this file photo. The group called off its concert in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Courtesy of Starship Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

Under Korean law, K-pop concerts are not "performances" ― they fall into the category of "gatherings." So when the country maintains Level 2 social distancing measures against COVID-19, K-pop shows can only accommodate up to 99 live audience members.

This regulation has wreaked havoc on the K-pop industry, forcing concert organizers to give up holding events as they cannot raise sufficient revenues with the small number of tickets they are allowed to sell. But musicals are being treated differently as they are classified as "performances," for which organizers can fill 75 percent of available seats under the same Level 2 social distancing measures.

This brings up the question: why are K-pop concerts not considered as "performances?" The Ministry of Health and Welfare claims K-pop concerts are distinctive from other forms of performances, because spectators often sing along with the performers, which could spread the coronavirus. But this insistence has failed to convince K-pop industry insiders and fans, who believe the different classification is just another case of the government's discrimination against pop culture and music.

"If singing along is a problem, the government can simply ban people from doing that," Kim Sang-wook (Kevin Kim), a concert director who organized K-pop titan BTS's gigs from 2013 to 2019, told The Korea Times. He is also the founder of concert production company PLAN A.

"A few offline concerts were held in the past when the country's social distancing level was lower than now, but spectators did not sing along and strictly followed distancing rules when they were asked to do so. So far, there have been no cluster infections that were traced to any concert venue."

The government rule makes K-pop industry insiders feel marginalized and discriminated, Kim said.

"We are not asking the government to offer us preferential treatment," he said. "We are merely seeking equality. The global health crisis has devastated our industry for more than a year and pushed a lot of people over the edge. There must be some tangible solutions that can help them make a living ― there are online concerts, but profits from those events are far less than earnings from live events, since the ticket prices are cheaper. Also, a large portion of the profits goes to platform owners."

To make their voices heard, 38 concert production companies in Korea joined hands recently and formed an association, demanding the government eliminate discrimination and compensate them for the damage already done.

In a statement released on April 22, the association called for joint efforts from related ministries, political parties and government agencies to change regulations.

"We request the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and local authorities to discuss the issue together and come up with measures for us," the association said.

K-pop boy band BTS / Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment

Lee Gyu-tag, a professor of cultural anthropology at George Mason University Korea, pointed out that there seems to be a communication problem among the parties involved.

"The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been attempting to bring back K-pop concerts, but it is actually the local authorities that make the final decisions. In an effort to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, the authorities are following rules set up by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and put restrictions on K-pop concerts," the professor said.

"To handle the current situation, the two ministries should communicate closely with each other and decide on ways to revitalize the industry. Given that K-pop is riding high in the global music scene, restricting gigs is not the best solution in terms of national interest."

While many other countries such as Germany and Britain are holding "experimental concerts" in front of big crowds to find better ways for musicians to perform safely amid the pandemic, Korea has not taken such steps yet. Instead, the country is taking a more conservative approach by restricting most events from taking place. As a result, stars, including Monsta X, just sit around and wait for the pandemic to end.

Some people draw a parallel between this case and the issue of the nation's military service. Under the current law, all able-bodied males aged between 18 and 28 must join the armed forces and serve for about two years. But international award-winning classical musicians and athletes are exempt from serving in the military in the name of "enhancing the national prestige." Pop singers, however, are not included.

Last year, this prompted a debate over the fairness of the system, with many people, including Rep. Noh Woong-rae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, saying changes may be needed for global stars such as BTS, which certainly "enhanced the national prestige" by conquering the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with its 2020 mega-hit "Dynamite."

"The two cases show that the government still views pop culture and music as second-rate, despite their global popularity," Lee said. "K-pop and classical, they are all music and musicians should not be treated differently merely because of their genres."