“I want to ask if it is a priority to be hostile to each other and silence one side's voice.”
“Was it at a level where they couldn't prevent the clash at the rally?”
The representative of singer Lee Seung-hwan raised his voice as he filed a lawsuit for damages against the unilateral cancellation of the concert with Gumi Mayor and others.
On the 22nd, Lee Seung-hwan's attorney Lim Jae-sung (Law Firm Haemaru) announced that he had filed a lawsuit for damages against Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho and the city of Gumi for the unilateral cancellation of the 'Lee Seung-hwan 35th Anniversary Concert' scheduled for December 25 of last year at the Seoul Central District Court. Attorney Lim expressed his position through a press briefing that morning.
First, Attorney Lim stated, “It took about a month after the concert was canceled, and there was a delay in the legal review related to the lawsuit. We collected victim statements from about 100 audience members who had their tickets canceled. This lawsuit is characterized by the fact that it includes not only the artist and the planning company who had their concert canceled but also the fans who were looking forward to the Christmas concert.”
According to Attorney Lim, the contents of the lawsuit focus on who the plaintiffs and defendants are and whether there was clearly illegal conduct by the defendants. Attorney Lim said, “There are 101 plaintiffs, including Lee Seung-hwan,” and “It is significant that the first defendant is not the city of Gumi but Mayor Kim Jang-ho. If the act of coercing an unfair pledge is intentional rather than negligent, and further, if it is gross negligence, the court recognizes personal liability for damages.”
Attorney Lim emphasized that he would strive to prove the intentional acts and gross negligence of Mayor Kim Jang-ho through this lawsuit. He also held the city of Gumi accountable, stating, “We cannot exclude the illegal acts of public officials belonging to the city of Gumi in the process of coercing the pledge.” He added, “We will question the background of the unilateral cancellation of the already processed venue usage permission.”
Attorney Lim stated that the total amount claimed in the lawsuit is 250 million won. The detailed breakdown includes 100 million won for Lee Seung-hwan's mental suffering, 100 million won for financial damages due to the cancellation of Dream Factory's production, and 500,000 won each for the mental suffering of ticket cancelers.
Attorney Lim confirmed that such a case has not occurred before, emphasizing that it is an unprecedented incident.
On that day, fans hoping for Lee Seung-hwan's side to win the lawsuit for damages were also present at the scene.
Earlier, Lee Seung-hwan had openly expressed his political stance by calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol after the emergency martial law situation that erupted on December 3 of last year. He has boldly expressed his political views not only at rally sites but also through his social media.
In response to Lee Seung-hwan's actions, conservative right-wing groups demanded that he cancel the Gumi concert. As the controversy continued, Mayor Kim urgently canceled Lee Seung-hwan's Gumi concert, stating, “It is canceled for the safety of citizens and the audience.”
Mayor Kim then stated, “We requested the submission of a safety personnel deployment plan and a pledge stating that they would not engage in ‘political incitement or misleading remarks’ from Lee Seung-hwan's side.” However, he reported that “Lee Seung-hwan's side clearly expressed their opposition in writing through their legal representative, stating that they had no intention of signing the attached pledge.”
In response, Lee Seung-hwan claimed, “I do not engage in political incitement. Since my concert was not a politically motivated event, there has never been a problem with venue rentals until now,” arguing that the request for a pledge was unfair. Subsequently, on the 3rd, Lee Seung-hwan recruited 100 plaintiffs for the damages lawsuit regarding the Gumi concert through social media.
Attorney Lim stated, “They say there was a threat to the safety of the concert, but whether it actually existed is one of the important issues. There were rallies on December 19 and 20, and a rally was scheduled for the 25th. Ultimately, those rallies did not take place. In particular, the scale of the rallies was at a level that the administrative agency (Gumi City) could sufficiently handle. Looking at the scale of the rallies in 2019, there were only about 10 people at most.” He added, “From the perspective of the administrative agency, it must be objectively confirmed that they could not manage it with administrative power. We will verify whether it was truly uncontrollable and whether other safety plans were implemented.”
Lee Seung-hwan's side is also preparing for additional legal actions. Attorney Lim stated, “I believe that the act of coercing a pledge infringes on the freedom of expression and conscience guaranteed by the Constitution. I believe that such issues could recur. We plan to file a constitutional petition related to this.”
He further stated, “There is an increase in defamation through false accusations against Lee Seung-hwan. We will take legal action.”
Finally, Attorney Lim said, “There is a need for the freedom of expression in performances to exist, and if there are those who oppose it, administrative agencies should harmoniously coexist and maintain both. In a situation where hostility and criticism towards each other are increasing, I hope this lawsuit will lead to a legal standard on whether it is a priority to silence one side's voice.”
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
