Jeep (a four-wheel-drive compact vehicle), Pongpong (dish soap), and Beongaetan (charcoal briquettes). These were originally proper nouns used as brand names, but they have since become entrenched as common nouns. Having spread widely in the market, they enjoy the privileges of being recognized as the "originators." In the golf world, "Green Concert" is a similar case. Started as a small music event in 2000 at Seowon Valley Golf Course in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Green Concert has grown into a major festival drawing more than 40,000 visitors each year, and the term is now broadly used to refer to cultural events of all sizes held at golf courses.
The memory of attending the very first Green Concert 26 years ago (it was held on October 14 at the time) remains vivid. The performance featured three singers — Park Hak-ki, Yoo Ik-jong, and Kang Eun-cheol — playing acoustic guitars and singing.
The start was modest, but the growth was explosive. Numerous artists, including BTS, Super Junior, Beast, IU, Girl's Day, Apink, EXID, and Mamamoo, have appeared as free talent donors over the years, with cumulative attendance reaching 620,000 through last year. Beyond a golf course cultural event, it has become a civic festival energizing the local economy of Paju and a global Hallyu concert that even attracts foreign tourists. Stories that large outlet stores in Paju have asked the organizers for tickets to give away to customers underscore the popularity and stature of the Green Concert.
This year's Green Concert will be held this Saturday, May 30, at Seowon Valley Golf Course. Admission is free, and gates open at 11:30 a.m.
For one day, the golf course becomes a place of rest and emotional recharge for citizens. A ssireum (Korean wrestling) competition will be held in a bunker, along with long-drive, approach, and putting contests. Children can show off their skills at a sketch contest depicting the golf course landscape and play freely on the wide lawns and air-cushion playgrounds.
As the sun begins to set, the concert proper opens at the first hole of the Valley Course. The lineup is again star-studded this year. Trot stars Son Tae-jin, Jang Min-ho, Choi Soo-ho, and Park Gun, along with Super Junior-L.S.S. (Leeteuk, Choi Si-won, Shindong), Baek Z Young, EVNNE, DinDin, Ali, Jung Dong-ha, Heo Yong-byeol (Huh Gak, Shin Yong-jae, Lim Han-byul), Lee Ji-hoon, and Lee Ye-ji will heat up the early summer night. Park Hak-ki, Lee Chi-hyun, R.ef, Noise, and Kim Chang-yeol will guide the audience on a journey down memory lane. Another welcome piece of news is that broadcaster Park Mi-sun, who has had a long connection with the event, will host the show together with her husband Lee Bong-won after overcoming illness.
Looking at such an impressive lineup of performers, one might wonder, "How are the costs of running the Green Concert covered?" Behind the continuation of the Green Concert, which began at a single golf course, lie the efforts and dedication of countless people. Above all, the resolve of Choi Deung-kyu, chairman of Daebo Group — Seowon Valley's parent company — and the consideration of the golf course's members have served as the foundation. Setting aside the costs of preparing and running the event, the course must forgo about 500 million won in peak-season revenue. Chairman Choi Deung-kyu's philosophy is that "true sharing has real value only when one gives up what is most precious."
The artists, who all participate as talent donors out of empathy with the charitable cause, are likewise key to the event's success. According to the organizers, their combined one-day appearance fees alone amount to several hundred million won. Proceeds from golf course members, corporate sponsorships, and a charity bazaar run by employees are donated in full to organizations such as the Paju Children's Home and the Wheelchairs of Love Movement Headquarters.
Sustaining the event is not easy. Organizers lament that securing performers is no longer what it used to be. While most are still willing to take the stage, there are limits to persuading K-pop artists — whose appearance fees have soared due to overseas tours — based on the spirit of talent donation alone.
Green Concert received a commendation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2012 in recognition of its contribution to popularizing golf through neighborly sharing, and its success drew enough attention to be discussed at a Cabinet meeting. Beyond lowering the threshold to golf courses, it serves as a messenger that conveys the spirit and culture of golf — sharing and consideration — even without a single golf swing.
"The show must go on." This phrase, often used in show business, means that no matter what happens, whatever show is planned must go on for the customers who are waiting. Green Concert has now become a big show that local citizens and overseas visitors look forward to. In a country of K-pop and K-golf, this is one show that must go on.
The almost-only drawback of golf, they say, is that it is so much fun it is easy to get addicted. I hope to share with you the joy of "reading golf" — something different from playing it or watching it.
