The Korea Entertainment Producers Association (Yeonjehyup), composed of music industry producers, has proposed to the government the construction of a 'K-Pop Arena' to address the chronic shortage of performance venues in downtown Seoul.
On the 30th, Yeonjehyup issued a statement containing these details and demanded measures to strengthen competitiveness through expansion of public cultural infrastructure.
Yeonjehyup noted, 'K-Pop has established itself as a global cultural content representing Korea beyond just a music genre. Recently, K-Pop's overseas sales and live concert revenues have made significant contributions to the national economy both directly and indirectly,' adding, 'The domestic performance infrastructure fails to meet the needs of the rapidly growing K-Pop industry, which is a serious issue.'
Currently, facilities that accommodate more than 10,000 people such as the Seoul Olympic Main Stadium, Seoul World Cup Stadium, Gocheok Sky Dome, and Olympic Park KSPO Dome (gymnastics stadium) are partially utilized for K-Pop performances. However, these facilities have restrictions due to remodeling (Seoul Olympic Main Stadium), turf damage issues (Seoul World Cup Stadium), and scheduling procedures (KSPO Dome).
Yeonjehyup stated, 'This reality disrupts the schedule of large domestic performances, leading to a decline in the competitiveness of the domestic performance market and resulting in economic losses,' and noted, 'To secure the future of the domestic cultural industry, it is necessary to overcome these limitations and implement a systematic infrastructure expansion and operation system.'
Yeonjehyup proposed that if the transfer of the National Assembly to Sejong becomes a reality, a world-class K-Pop arena should be built on the National Assembly site. As another alternative, it suggested establishing a large indoor performance hall with a capacity of 30,000 seats in the vicinity of the 88 Lawn Square at Olympic Park.
They also argued for the introduction of a 'performance quota system' that guarantees a certain number of performance days at large sports facilities in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area, such as the Seoul World Cup Stadium. They demanded policy support and autonomy for sustainable growth in the performance industry.
Yeonjehyup emphasized, 'It is necessary for the government and the private sector to work together to position the K-Pop industry as a national project that considers global competitiveness.'