The 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree K-Pop Super Live event is set to take place at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on August 11. The star-studded lineup will feature performances from 18 K-Pop artists, including New Jeans, MAMAMOO, NCT Dream, and Kang Daniel. Notably absent from the roster is BTS, whose participation, once sought by some politicians, drew fierce objections from their fans.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, in collaboration with the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree Organizing Committee, has officially unveiled the lineup for the highly anticipated K-Pop Super Live concert. The confirmed list of performers includes New Jeans, NCT Dream, ITZY, MAMAMOO, The Boyz, SHOWNU and HYUNGWON, fromis_9, Zerobaseone, Kang Daniel, Kwon Eun-bi, Cho Yu-ri, P1Harmony, THE NEW SIX, ATBO, Xikers, Holybang, and Liberante. The concert will be hosted by actor Gong Myung, ITZY’s Yuna, and Hye-in from New Jeans.
New Jeans’ appearance at the event is a substitution for their originally planned performance on KBS Music Bank, as the Music Bank production team was redirected to manage the Jamboree K-Pop Super Live concert.
Initially slated for an outdoor special stage in Saemangeum, the concert’s location was changed to the Jeonju World Cup Stadium due to concerns about possible breakouts of heat-related health issues. However, subsequent adjustments were made by the anticipated passage of Typhoon Khanun through the Saemangeum campsite, leading to another relocation of the concert venue, this time to the Seoul World Cup Stadium. These adjustments also promoted revisions to the concert lineup, reflecting the changes in time and location.
Notably, BTS will not be participating in the concert. The Culture Ministry emphasized that it had not invited BTS to perform. Seong Il-jong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, initially proposed the idea of seeking assistance from the Defense Ministry to include BTS in the lineup, given that some BTS members are currently fulfilling their mandatory military service. However, this proposal met staunch resistance from fans, issuing a statement criticizing the government’s forcing BTS’ participation as tantamount to an infringement on democratic values.
beborn@donga.com