Lady Gaga tour starts in Seoul with adults-only concert

US pop star Lady Gaga has kicked off her Born This Way Ball tour with a concert in Seoul that fans under the age of 18 were forbidden to attend.

Protests in the South Korean capital prompted authorities to make the gig an adults-only event earlier this month.

A small group of Christians staged a rally outside Seoul's Olympic Stadium, where around 45,000 fans saw the singer perform hits like Poker Face and Judas.

The tour will resume on 2 May with the first of four dates in Hong Kong.

Activists in Seoul have been protesting over the concert for weeks, claiming the singer was "obscene" and could "taint" young people.

A group calling itself the Civilians Network against the Lady Gaga Concert said her performance was "too homosexual and pornographic".

Many fans wore versions of the singer's flamboyant costumes as they arrived at the event on Friday.

Those who attended saw the pop artist introduce some new designs, among them a leotard fashioned from four guitars and a giant piano keyboard headpiece.

The tour's UK leg kicks off in September with two dates at Twickenham Stadium.