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K-pop concert canceled
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Posted on Oct 27 2022
The free K-pop concert that was supposed to be held this Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29, has been cancelled.
Organizers of the event, called “2022 Saipan Tourism Fanival,” regretfully announced that it has canceled the concert due to visa issues.
The event organizers on Saipan—Hong Kyun Kim, president of P&A Corp.; Ho Joon “Jonathan” Joo, P&A Corp.; and Hyuk Sang Kwon of Winners Residence—learned that the artists arrived yesterday afternoon and were held at the airport.
They were not able to get out of the airport without the proper visas, in this case artist visas, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the group only had tourist visas.
Korean citizens are usually allowed to enter the U.S. visa-free, but this only applies to tourists.
Event organizers have already prepared the artists’ accommodations and have been preparing for their arrival and were already on the concert stage preparations.
With the popularity of Korean music and entertainment, the organizing group had hoped that the concert will be the “beginning of a mutual cultural exchange between Korea and Saipan, promoting mutual understanding and trust between Korea and the U.S.”
The event was in collaboration with Saipan organizers Kim, Joo, Kwon. along with the Saipan Mayor’s Office and organizers and sponsors from South Korea.
As of press time, the artists are in the airport awaiting their flight back to South Korea. There are currently no plans yet if the concert will be rescheduled.
