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S. Korea to hold K-pop concert to reinvigorate post-MERS tourism

July 23, 2015

SEOUL, July 23 (Yonhap) — A K-pop concert will be held next month to reassure foreigners of their safety from MERS, an infectious disease that has claimed dozens of lives here but is nearing its eradication, the tourism ministry said Thursday.

The K-pop festival will take place at Seoul Plaza on Aug. 4, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said in its latest attempt to bring back visitors to one of Asia’s hottest tourist destinations.

South Korea has reported no additional cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome for the past 18 days, with the death toll remaining flat at 36 for nearly two consecutive weeks.

The number of incoming tourists, however, nosedived 41 percent on-year in June, contracting for the first time in 25 months, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.

The ministry said foreigners will be the main target. Some 3,000 seats have been reserved for this demographic, with 2,000 additional seats available in the picnic zone.

It has yet to work out the line-up with management agencies, but it said it plans to invite some of South Korea’s top celebrities.

Foreigners interested in the concert may log onto the Korea Tourism Organization website and download their tickets, the ministry said.

South Korea is also scheduled to host an industrial exposition in Shanghai from Aug. 27-29 to promote South Korean musicals and entertainment.

On July 29, a K-pop concert will be held in the Polish capital of Warsaw, featuring groups like BOYFRIEND, the ministry said.