Japanese pop duo Chage and Aska began a two-day series of live charity concerts at Seoul's Olympic Memorial Park on Saturday before some 10,000 South Korean and Japanese fans.
The concert series is the first by Japanese musicians since June, when the South Korean government lifted a restriction that had limited audiences for their concerts to less than 2,000. The regulation was part of a government policy aimed at controlling the flow of Japanese culture into the country.
The concert series is also the most extensive by Japanese musicians, made possible by President Kim Dae Jung's ongoing relaxation of restrictions on Japanese culture.
Another 10,000 fans were expected to gather for the duo's concert Sunday evening, according to the concert sponsor, a South Korean women's fund led on an honorary basis by Kim's wife Lee Hee Ho.