K-pop stars halt promotions, releases, concerts after Jeju Air plane crash

By Lee Gyu-lee

K-pop stars have put a pause on their activities to pay tribute to the victims of the deadly Jeju Air plane crash last Sunday, which killed 179 of the 181 passengers on board.

Singer Huh Yun-jin of girl group LE SSERAFIM postponed the release of her new solo song, “Jellyfish,” originally scheduled to drop on Monday. Source Music, the singer's agency, announced that it decided to delay the release due to the tragic accident.

“Further information about the postponed release will be announced later and we ask for the generous understanding of fans who have been waiting,” it said in the release.

Other artists like IVE, Seventeen and BTS members Jin and V also put off the release of promotional content and teasers for upcoming albums.

IVE was scheduled to unveil trailers and photos for its upcoming EP “IVE EMPATHY” scheduled to drop on Feb. 3, with a title track prerelease on Jan. 13. However, the group’s agency Starship Entertainment shared that it has pushed back the promotional schedule, paying condolences to the victims and families of the crash.

Seventeen's unit group BSS canceled the release of promotional content for its new single “Teleparty," originally scheduled for release on Jan. 8. JYP Entertainment also changed the predebut promotion schedule of its latest rookie boy group KickFlip.

"We inform you that KickFilp’s content scheduled for release at midnight on Jan. 1 has been postponed. It will now be uploaded at midnight on Jan. 6. And we will notify you if there are any additional changes,” the agency said.

“We ask for the generous understanding of fans who have been waiting and we express our deep condolences regarding this tragic accident."

BigHit Music also announced that it had canceled content for BTS members Jin and V. It also did not post birthday-related content for V, born on Dec. 30, and will skip the new episode release of Jin’s YouTube reality show this week.

Seasoned singers Cho Yong-pil and Lee Seung-hwan also canceled their solo concerts. Cho was set to hold a solo concert to celebrate his 20th album “20” on Saturday in the southeastern city of Daegu as part of his national tour that started in November. But the singer canceled the concert, adding that he will reschedule the show.

Lee announced that he also requested to cancel his upcoming concert, set to be held this weekend in Cheonan of South Chungcheong Province.

“I pray for those who lost their lives in the Jeju Air tragedy … I have expressed my decision to cancel the Cheonan concert on Jan. 4 to the concert production company. I will inform you as soon as I receive their response,” he wrote on social media.

Rapper and producer Jay Park shared that he also canceled his upcoming performance at a countdown party scheduled on Tuesday in Tokyo.

On Sunday morning, the Jeju Air plane, carrying 181 passengers and crew, crashed into a concrete fence and exploded while making an emergency landing at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province. The tragic incident claimed 179 lives, leaving only two survivors.