Numerous award shows and music festivals in South Korea have been cancelled following the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport.
On December 29, a Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people on board crashed on landing at the Muan International Airport, leaving only two surviving crew members. The plane was first warned of a bird strike by the control tower during its first attempt to land, officials said.
The pilot later issued a “mayday” warning minutes later and made a second attempt at a belly landing, with its landing gear still retracted. The plane skidded along the runway with smoke trailing behind, before colliding into a wall at the end and bursting into flames.
South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-mok declared a seven-day national mourning period following the tragedy, set to be observed until January 5 midnight KST. In observance of the mourning period, numerous award ceremonies, festivals and live shows were cancelled.
MBC cancels 2024 Gayo Daejejeon and Drama Awards live broadcasts
The highly anticipated 2024 Gayo Daejejeon, an annual end-of-year award ceremony, has been postponed, as announced by MBC. Initially scheduled for December 31, a spokesperson told press that the event’s live broadcast will be replaced with a recorded broadcast at a later date, although the exact date and time has yet to be shared.
Despite the cancellation of its live broadcast, pre-recording for the show is ongoing and will continue as scheduled. “We pray for the souls of the victims and once again offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” MBC said in its statement.
SBS Entertainment Awards cancelled
On December 30, the television network announced the cancellation of both the live broadcast and pre-recording of the SBS Entertainment Awards, previously set to take place on December 31.
“The live broadcast and recording scheduled for December 31 will not take place. It has not yet been decided whether the event will be rescheduled as a recorded broadcast or presented in another format, it said, per translations by Soompi.
KBS Drama Awards cancelled, to be pre-recorded
KBS announced the ceremony’s cancellation on December 30 “to mourn the victims of the Jeju Air disaster”, previously planned as a live event to take place on December 31.
It has since announced that this year’s KBS Drama Awards will transition into a pre-recorded format, according to translations by Soompi. Details about a revised schedule and winner announcements will be shared at a later stage.
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