The statement was jointly issued by the Korea Entertainment Producer's Association, the Korea Management Federation, the Federation of Korean Singers, the Korea Record Industry Association, and the Federation of Korean Music Performers.

　According to the music industry, concert ticket sales in the previous year decreased by 85% compared to the year before, and from January to August this year, sales also decreased by 85% compared to the same period last year.

　These organizations stated that "K-pop is facing a crisis," and pointed out that the Level 4 restrictions of social distancing, which prohibit performances outside of regular venues, are discriminatory against popular music performances because popular music concerts are mainly held in places other than regular performance facilities, such as convention centers and gymnasiums. They cited that musicals and plays, which are mainly held in regular performance facilities, can still be held under the current guidelines, and requested, "We ask the government for fair guideline relaxation." Currently, Level 4 measures are applied to the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon).

　The organizations explained that some singers are already going on overseas tours because they cannot hold performances domestically, and argued, "The domestic market, which is the driving force of K-pop, is instead falling into a long-term slump, and ironically, domestic fans are not even given the opportunity to (see performances in person)."

　In fact, the popular group BTS held an online concert on the 24th, live-streaming a performance at a large domestic stadium, but will hold their first in-person concerts since the COVID-19 outbreak at stadiums in Los Angeles, USA, in November and December.

Source: ⓒyonhapnews