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| K-pop boy band EXO will perform at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi, Japan, in December. Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Fans of K-pop boy band EXO are demanding the cancelation of the group's December gigs near Fukushima in Japan ― the site of a nuclear disaster in 2011 ― reports said Tuesday.
According to a schedule unveiled Monday on the band's official fan site, the members are set to stage concerts on Dec. 20-21 at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi prefecture.
But the announcement has fueled worries among fans, since the venue is reportedly only 130 kilometers from the disaster-hit area. They are afraid their stars might be exposed to excessive radiation.
According to 2018 data from a Japanese civic group, Miyagi has the second-highest level of the maximum radiation exposure (20,493Bq/kg) in Japan, coming after Fukushima (112,759Bq/kg.)
Korea has also banned seafood imports from Miyagi and seven other prefectures ― Iwate, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi, Chiba, Aomori, Fukushima ― since 2013, because of radiation concerns.
"This is too risky," an online user said. "Call off the concerts regardless of the contract."
Another wrote: "Did the agency get blinded by money?"
SM Entertainment, the mastermind behind EXO, has not yet responded.
But EXO is not the first to perform in Miyagi. Several K-pop acts, including TVXQ, have staged gigs in the disputed region.
EXO debuted in 2012 with the track "MAMA" and was propelled to stardom with the big hit "Growl" released in 2013. It is set to hold the "EXO PLANET #5 - EXplOration" gig on July 26-28 at the Olympic Park Gymnasium, Seoul.
