Stateside K-pop concert flop leaves artists still in Korea, fans high and dry

The K-pop concert "KAMP LA 2022" took place at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday. The concert lost nearly half of the artists who had been scheduled to perform, due to visa issues. [YONHAP]

A massive K-pop concert in Los Angeles on the weekend lost nearly half of the artists who had been scheduled to perform, due to visa issues.

Seven out of the 15 scheduled acts — Taeyeon from Girls' Generation, Kai from Exo, Bambam from GOT7, Jeon Somi, Zion.T, girl group Lapillus and boy band Monsta X — were unable to attend the two-day KAMP LA 2022 concert on Saturday and Sunday at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Korean company KAMP Global, the organizers of the event, said in a statement released on its social media accounts on Saturday, "We regret to inform you that we learned today that the following artists are unable to travel as planned due to unforeseen U.S. work visa issues and circumstances outside of the artists' and promoters' control." KAMP Global, however, only mentioned six teams of artists in the statement, with no word on Monsta X though they were also absent from the concert.

Later, Monsta X's agency Starship Entertainment announced that the planned event in Los Angeles was canceled due to visa problems.

All non-American artists and entertainers need to obtain a separate visa in advance in order to perform in the United States as commercial activity.

KAMP Global made last-minute changes to its lineup for the event Saturday, featuring longer set times for those who were able to make it. Five teams — boy bands Super Junior, P1Harmony, iKON and T1419 and girl group Momoland — performed Saturday. On Sunday afternoon in American time, girl group aespa, veteran trio Epik High and singer Chungha will perform, along with additional performances by Momoland and T1419.

K-pop fans protested the sudden changes on social media and some refused to go and demanded a refund.

KAMP Global issued a statement that reads, “Anyone holding a single day Saturday ticket is entitled to a full refund, or 50% refund off of a two-day ticket. … You will have until 12 noon PDT, on Saturday, October 15 to request your refund.”

BY MOON SO-YOUNG, YONHAP [moon.soyoung@joongang.co.kr]