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K-pop legend Psy has decided to provide attendees to his upcoming solo concert with a total of 4 masks in light of the CDC's COVID-19 safety warning under wet conditions
The That That singer is set to relaunch his famous water-soaked "Summer Swag'' concert. The 'PSY Soak Show SUMMER SWAG 2022 this year will be a domestic tour of 7 cities in the country until August 20. The summer concerts mark the first time since 2019 that the artist is putting on his infamous "PSY Drenched Show," where audiences sing and dance while getting sprayed with water.
PSY and P Nation will be providing attendees with four masks, one waterproof and three KF94
On June 22, the singer's agency, P Nation, released a statement about the COVID precautions being taken in 'PSY Soak Show - Summer Swag 2022'.
The agency said,
"P Nation is doubling efforts to ensure that those who attend 'Psy Soak Show - Summer Swag 2022' will be able to watch the show under safe conditions. P Nation and all affiliated staff participating in the production of this tour promise to follow all regulations for COVID-19 prevention strictly throughout the preparation process and until the end of the last show."
P Nation stated they would follow all CDC guidelines strictly, going so far as to give attendees four masks- one waterproof and three KF94 masks.
"Furthermore, all guidelines provided by the Central Disease Control Headquarters will be followed diligently. In response to the concerns over the sanitation of masks in light of COVID-19, each concert venue will be thoroughly disinfected. All concert attendees will receive 1 waterproof mask, as well as 3 KF94 masks which can be switched out up to three times during the duration of the show.
The use of four masks appears to be a step in the right direction, given the increasing number of COVID-19 cases on the island nation. The statement came after South Korea's Central Disease Control Headquarters expressed concerns about spreading harmful viruses and bacteria under wet conditions. The Headquarters had warned,
"We advise that outdoor events refrain from spraying water into crowds, when possible."
Netizens criticize PSY for water wastage amid a drought in Korea
However, the show has been the target of a lot of criticism. The soak show, where the audience is blasted with water cannons and streams throughout the concert, is notorious for excessive water usage. This year, the wastage is being criticized even more since the country is currently in a severe drought.
PSY had also bragged about using 300 tonnes of "drinkable water" for each concert on an MBC show, drawing even more ire. He had said,
“I use drinkable water. Water is really expensive. It costs about 300 tons per concert.”
Several fans had expressed concerns about water wastage in light of these conditions, but neither the agency nor the singer has commented.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the winter drought in South Korea continues over the spring and early summer seasons. This past month, the cumulative precipitation was just 5.8mm, only 5.6% of the average cumulative rainfall of 104.2mm. The headwater in the Soyang River has already dried up due to this severe drought.
