▲ The stage for the K-pop concert for the 25th World Scout Jamboree is seen being set up at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Aug. 8, 2023. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the concert will be held on Aug. 11. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) jamboree-K-pop concert

(2nd LD) Jamboree K-pop concert will be held at Seoul World Cup Stadium Friday: ministry

(ATTN: UPDATES with speculations about concert lineup in last four paras; ADDS details in paras 4-5)

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- The culture ministry said Tuesday a K-pop concert and the closing ceremony for the 25th World Scout Jamboree will be held at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul later this week.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the venue for Friday's K-pop concert and closing ceremony, saying it will disclose details of the concert program and artist lineup later.

The announcement came after about 36,000 young Scouts and adult volunteers from 156 countries left Saemangeum, the event's main venue, earlier in the day due to a powerful typhoon nearing the southwestern region, and relocated to new accommodations, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The K-pop concert, the highlight of the event's cultural program, was initially scheduled for last Sunday at the World Scout Jamboree's campsite in the Saemangeum reclaimed land area in North Jeolla Province.

The show, however, was rescheduled to Friday at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, about an hour's drive from the campsite, before the venue was changed again to Seoul due to concerns over the upcoming Typhoon Khanun.

The ministry said the decision was made in consideration of the Seoul stadium's proximity to the jamboree participants' new accommodations, security know-how and expertise in operating big events.

Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, has a capacity of over 66,000 seats and is a major venue for sports games and music concerts.

"It is regrettable that the plan to wrap up the Jamboree event with a K-pop concert at Jeonju World Cup Stadium was unavoidably changed due to the altered path of the typhoon. However, the Jamboree event will continue with a K-pop concert in Sangam," Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon said.

As the show's lineup has yet to be announced, some music industry sources suggest leading girl groups NewJeans and ITZY are likely to be included.

The sources say the groups were originally scheduled to appear on KBS' popular K-pop TV program "Music Bank" that day but changed their plans after the live broadcast of the TV program was canceled for an unknown reason. Other singers who were also planning to appear on Music Bank are likely to join the lineup as well, they added.

However, chances are slim that top boy groups BTS and Seventeen will perform at the concert, despite speculations about their participation from political circles, according to the sources.

Among the seven BTS members, Jin and J-Hope are currently serving in the military, while Suga is preparing to enlist. Seventeen is scheduled to begin a world tour in Japan in September.

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