Footballer Son Heung Min’s critique of the grass condition at Seoul World Cup Stadium has unexpectedly turned into a problem for singer IU.

On September 11th, a netizen, who identified as a fan of Son Heung Min, posted a message in an online community titled “I have requested the cancellation of IU’s concert to Seoul City.”

The netizen explained that, as a loyal fan of Son Heung Min, they filed a formal complaint via the national e-government platform, Gukmin Sinmungo, to support the player who has dedicated himself to the country.

The complaint requested the cancellation of IU’s upcoming encore concert '2024 IU HEREH WORLD TOUR CONCERT ENCORE: THE WINNING' on September 22nd at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The fan claimed that the large crowd expected at IU's concert would likely worsen the grass condition. With South Korea scheduled to play against Iraq in the third round of the North and Central American World Cup qualifiers on October 15th at the same venue, they argued that efforts should be focused on maintaining the stadium’s grass until then.

The netizen cited Article 5-3 of the Seoul City Ordinance on the Installation and Operation of Sports Facilities, which allows the city to deny or cancel the use of sports facilities if it’s deemed necessary for facility management or other critical reasons recognized by the Seoul Mayor.

This complaint follows Son Heung Min’s recent remarks on the poor condition of the grass after a match against Palestine on September 5th. He said, “There are many technically skilled players, but controlling the ball and dribbling was difficult. Fans probably found the slow tempo frustrating. I hope this improves when we play at home in the future.”

Concerts at Seoul World Cup Stadium are not new. Previously, artists like Lim Young Woong and SEVENTEEN have held performances there. Notably, Lim Young Woong prioritized grass protection by foregoing ground seating arrangements.

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