Following the suspension of 'Obanggarde', intentions to revise laws related to small-scale performance venues

The stage of the indie performance venue Obanggarde located in Nam-gu, Busan, on the 22nd. Obanggarde received a two-month business suspension starting from the 24th.

Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, expressed his intention to improve the system, stating, "Dancing in response to indie music is not a crime. I will break down outdated regulations," regarding the business suspension of Busan's indie performance venue 'Obanggarde' because the audience danced.

On the 31st, Minister Choi posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Busan's live club 'Obanggarde' received a business suspension because the audience danced." This follows continuous reports after the Kyunghyang Shinmun first reported on this suspension issue on the 26th, prompting him to state that he would step forward to improve the regulations.

Minister Choi said, "Dancing is a natural response to music and a universal human method," adding, "It is quite embarrassing that there are still places where live music is permitted, but the act of dancing is banned." He continued, "We cannot just stand by and watch this," and added, "Whether we amend current legal regulations or create a new concept of a 'performance venue,' we must find an answer as soon as possible to normalize this abnormal situation."

Minister Choi also emphasized, "'Obanggarde' is like a symbol of Busan's indie music scene," and added, "Performance venues that have steadily and silently protected the indie ecosystem must not be hurt like this. I will quickly take care of the grassroots indie environment so that the overflowing creative passion of our young musicians can explode with the audience's enthusiastic cheers and body movements."

Located in Nam-gu, Busan, the live club Obanggarde is considered a "mecca" of Busan's indie culture. Obanggarde is evaluated for sustaining the lifeline of the local indie scene by hosting diverse performances during a time when Busan's indie scene was sluggish. Registered as a general restaurant, the place received a two-month business suspension starting from the 24th because audience members standing up to watch was deemed "dancing."

Under the current Food Sanitation Act, live performances are permitted in general restaurants, but customers are prohibited from dancing. If audience members are caught dancing, the first violation results in a two-month business suspension, the second violation a three-month suspension, and the third violation leads to the cancellation of the business license. In an interview with Kyunghyang Shinmun, Lee Seung-chul, CEO of Obanggarde, pointed out that live performance venues are placed in a legal blind spot and stated, "I want to continue operating in a legitimate way as soon as possible."

Following the business suspension, Obanggarde and other indie scenes have taken collective action, such as filing a national petition on the National Assembly Electronic Petition site. The "Petition on urging the improvement of related laws and systems, such as the Performance Act and the Food Sanitation Act, to guarantee the performance activities of small-scale live clubs" has its core in reorganizing the legal status of small-scale performance venues and live clubs.

Operators and artists of various indie performance venues in Seoul and elsewhere are also sharing the petition link via SNS in solidarity. An indie performance venue in Jeonju will hold a "No Dancing" concert on the 5th. On the 29th, Ji Su-min, a member of the band Chip Post Gang and organizer of the indie rock festival 'Patchroom Festival', encouraged participation in the petition, saying, "We attached a slogan [prohibiting dancing] to protest the Obanggarde incident."

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