Lee Seung Gi under fire for cancelling New York show & visits to Korean restaurants that sponsored his concert in Atlanta

Lee Seung Gi has recently been facing criticism from members of Korean American communities in the U.S.

On August 30, the singer held his concert in Atlanta as part of his first ever U.S. tour. After flying in from Los Angeles on August 26, Lee Seung Gi reportedly cancelled his visits to several Korean restaurants in Atlanta, which was agreed in advance via KakaoTalk text messages with his U.S. tour management company, Hugh Entertainment. 

According to reports, Lee Seung Gi was to visit three restaurants to provide photographs and autographs for his fans in return for sponsoring his concert and providing meals for the entire crew.

The singer reportedly reneged on his commitment, citing reasons of ill health or "experiencing low physical condition." The three restaurants he was scheduled to visit expressed their discontent as the cancellations were last minute, "leading to the utter disappointment of his fans." However, it was left unsure whether the decision was made by Lee Seung Gi himself or his management company.

Additionally, Lee Seung Gi also reportedly rebuffed the offer to stay at the Hilton Embassy Suite's suite room in Atlanta’s Koreatown area of Duluth, stating that the hotel was "unsuitable for [his] level." It was reported that he left for another hotel with his company CEO and a board of director, which led to the rest of the staff making extra adjustments.

Moreover, Lee Seung Gi soon afterwards cancelled the concert in New York City scheduled for September 2. His agency in Korea cited the reason as "unfavorable local venue conditions" and refrained from divulging additional details.

Meanwhile, Korean media outlets remarked, "there is talk going around that his ticket sales were unexpectedly low" in New York and that "only half of his audience in Atlanta were paying ticket holders, while the rest had free invitations."

Hugh Entertainment added that only 949 out of the 2,800 available seats at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta were sold for his concert. Out of these, only 499 were regular sales, while the remaining were complimentary.

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