K-Pop idols depart for Japan in black outfits... condolences for passenger plane accident

During the national mourning period, idols left the country in black outfits as the ‘39th Golden Disc Awards’ were held as scheduled.

　Many idols left the country from Incheon International Airport on the 3rd to attend the ‘39th Golden Disc Awards’ to be held at Fukuoka PayPay Dome in Japan on the 4th and 5th March.

　However, unlike weekday departures, the atmosphere was very grim. This was due to the JEJU AIR passenger plane accident that occurred on 29th last month, and all the idols appeared at the airport on that day wearing black outfits.

　First, all members of ‘IVE’ appeared at the airport wearing black coats and jackets, with their faces hidden by hats and masks. To match the atmosphere of mourning, ‘aespa’ also left the country wearing calm black clothes. It was particularly striking that all the members wore memorial ribbons on their clothes.

　Other groups such as ‘ZEROBASEONE’, ‘SEVENTEEN’, ‘NCT WISH’ and ‘(G)I-DLE’ also headed to Japan wearing black outfits and mourning ribbons, with their hearts filled with grief and sorrow.

　On the 29th of last month, a JEJU AIR passenger aircraft from Bangkok attempted a fuselage landing on the runway of Muan Airport, when it collided with the outer wall and exploded. The accident killed 179 of the 181 passengers on board and the Government designated the period until the 4th January as a national mourning period.

　As a result, a number of award ceremonies were cancelled during the year-end and New Year's holidays. Against this backdrop, on the 31st last month, the Golden Disc Awards Secretariat expressed its ‘deepest condolences to the victims of the airliner crash and their bereaved families’ and stated that ‘in order to share our condolences with the public who are in great sorrow, the 39th Golden Disc Awards‘ live broadcast scheduled for the 4th and 5th January 2025 will be replaced by a recorded broadcast’.

　The red carpet event has also been cancelled, but will be broadcast live via recorded broadcast, so ‘NewJeans’, ‘DAY6’, ‘aespa’, ‘LE SSERAFIM’, ‘SEVENTEEN’ and ‘TOMORROW X TOGETHER’ will take the stage on both the 4th and 5th. They are also showing their condolences in black outfits.