Following damages lawsuit, singer turns to Constitutional Court

Lee Seung-hwan (Lee Seung-hwan's official Instagram account)
Lee Seung-hwan (Lee Seung-hwan's official Instagram account)

Singer Lee Seung-hwan has challenged the Gumi mayor’s December concert ban in South Korea's Constitutional Court.

Lee filed a constitutional petition amid an ongoing legal dispute against the mayor of Gumi City, Kim Jang-ho, arguing that the city's demand that he sign a pledge prohibiting political remarks violated his freedom.

Lee made the announcement through his social media, posting a photo of the constitutional petition and stating, "I am seeking a ruling from the Constitutional Court regarding the violation of my freedom of conscience, artistic freedom, and freedom of expression by the mayor of Gumi, which took place on Dec. 20, 2024."

According to the petition, Lee is requesting a ruling confirming that the mayor of Gumi violated Lee's right to freedom of speech by requiring him to sign a pledge stating, "Singer Lee Seung-hwan shall not engage in political agitation or any speech that may cause political misunderstanding in accordance with the performance permit regulations of Gumi Arts Center."

The petition cites violations of several constitutional provisions, including freedom of conscience in Article 19, freedom of the arts in Article 22, freedom of speech in Article 21, and Article 37, Clause 2, which stipulates that even in the event that citizens' freedoms for national security, the maintenance of law and order or for, the essential content of their rights must not be violated.

This legal dispute dates back to December, when Lee rented Gumi Arts Center for a Christmas Day concert. As the political turmoil intensified following the Dec. 3 martial law declaration and President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment proceedings, the Gumi mayor asked Lee to sign a pledge promising not to engage in political agitation. Lee is known for his left-leaning political stances and has openly criticized Yoon since the martial law declaration.

When Lee refused to sign the pledge, Gumi City unilaterally canceled the venue rental two days before the concert, citing "concerns for the safety of citizens and attendees." Before the constitutional petition, Lee filed a 2.5 billion won ($1.9 million) damages lawsuit against Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho and the city in Seoul Central District Court in January.


jy@heraldcorp.com