Japanese adult performers never received visas for canceled festival

An advertisement for the adult festival [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Japanese adult entertainers who were to perform at a now-canceled "adult festival" in Korea never obtained the necessary work visas to perform at the for-profit event.

Diplomatic sources said on Friday none of the Japanese adult entertainers expected to participate at the "2024 KXF The Fashion" scheduled on April 20 and 21 had been issued C-4 short-term employment visas from the consulates in their agencies' respective cities as of Friday.

The event featuring Japanese adult entertainers was initially set to take place in an exhibition hall in Suwon, Gyeonggi, but the city government banned it following backlash from women's advocacy organizations. The festival's organizer, Play Joker, attempted to secure a venue in other locations in Gyeonggi and Seoul, but the event was ultimately canceled.

Anyone planning to perform or engage in entertainment activities for profit in Korea for a stay of less than 90 days must obtain a C-4 visa.

A diplomatic source said on Friday that the Korean Embassy in Japan contacted an association of Japanese adult video performers on April 15, advising the group to encourage its affiliated entertainers to obtain work visas.

"Some foreign entertainers had been discovered taking part in commercial activities, including fan meetings, without proper entry permits," the embassy's official letter to the association said.

The letter urged the group to supervise associate members' obtaining work visas, as "artists caught breaking the law would not only be prohibited from future entertainment activities but also denied entry to South Korea."

Foreigners violating the law can also face up to three years in prison or fined 30 million won ($21,760) under the current Immigration Control Act.

An official from the association explained that Japanese agencies suffered significant losses when they canceled the event because the festival host had not advised the actors to apply for the licenses.

The official further claimed the event was "illegal from the start."

Play Joker refuted the group's claims, stating the actors were to join the event for "personal promotion" rather than "profit." It also said the actors' agencies were aware of this agreement and had been in talks.

Play Joker announced on April 22 that it plans to hold the event in Seoul later in June.

BY HAN JI-HYE, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]