• Psy's famously water-drenched concerts are set to return, with each show needing 300 tons of water.
  • The pop star has been criticized for his shows' water requirements amid South Korea's drought.
  • According to reports, South Korea is facing a shortage of water for agricultural and industrial use.

K-pop superstar Psy has been criticized for requiring 300 tons of water at each of his upcoming summer concerts amid a drought in South Korea.

Last Friday, the "Gangnam Style" singer announced on Instagram that his popular water-soaked "Summer Swag" shows are set to return to Seoul in August. The concert series marks the first time since 2019 that the artist is putting on his "Psy Drenched Show" — its name in Korean — at which audiences sing and dance while getting sprayed with water. 

The concert series, a hit with crowds in South Korea's summer heat, has been held every few years since 2011, per Korea JoongAng Daily.

A post shared by PSY (@42psy42)

This year, concert promoters are touting the show using slogans such as "so much water that it will make you wonder if we scooped up the Han River," the outlet reported, referring to the fourth largest river along the Korean peninsula.

The announcement of the show's return has received flak on social media amid concerns that he is wasting precious resources when South Korea is facing its spring drought. According to the outlet, the country is short on water for agricultural and industrial use. 

Last week, Yonhap news agency shared a picture of a dried-up stream in Sejong city caused by the long drought.

"That's horrible. It's like the Marie Antoinette 'let them eat cake..' thing. If a drought has been declared in any part of the world, nobody should be using up that much water," one person tweeted.

"It's not a cool thing to amuse your audience anymore," another person tweeted.

 

During an appearance on a local radio show in May, Psy claimed that his water-soaked concerts use only drinkable water, per Korea JoongAng Daily.

"We spend a lot to buy all that water. Each concert requires about 300 tons. We use the performance venue's water supplies as well as sprinkler trucks," he said, per the outlet.

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