“I’m okay” Byeon Woo-seok stops agency representative from protecting him amid over-protection controversy
Actor Byeon Woo-seok, who became embroiled in "over-protection" controversy, was seen stopping his agency representative from protecting him
On July 16th, Byeon Woo-seok returned to Incheon Airport after finishing a fan meeting in Hong Kong. Amidst the controversy over “emperor-like protection” and “excessive security”, Byeon Woo-seok‘s side minimized the number of bodyguards during his arrival.
A video taken by a fan inside the airport before meeting the bodyguards has gained attention.
In the video, Byeon Woo-seok is seen surrounded by fans along with his agency representative without any visible bodyguards. When fans crowded in to take photos with their phones, the agency representative tried to shield him by raising an arm. However, Byeon Woo-seok pulled the representative’s hand down, signaling that he was okay and not to block the fans.
With no one blocking the fans, they moved in closer to take photos. Despite the potentially dangerous situation, Byeon Woo-seok continued to wave and bow to the fans as he carefully moved forward.
Due to the previous backlash over excessive security, the reduced security on this day turned the airport situation chaotic.
The three bodyguards present struggled to control the crowd of fans. They repeatedly told the fans “Be careful. We’ll move slowly“, which inadvertently extended the time exposed to safety risks.
The fans pushed closely from all directions, causing the bodyguards to struggle. At one point, a rear guard had to ask the fans not to push from behind to avoid a potential accident if people in front fell. The delay was prolonged, but Byeon Woo-seok continued to bow and greet each fan courteously.
Some netizens suggested that an appropriate level of “excessive security” might actually be necessary after witnessing the result of the relaxed security.
Meanwhile, in response to the controversy, Byeon Woo-seok’s agency issued an apology on July 15th, “Firstly, regarding the bodyguard’s action of pointing flashlights at airport passengers, we requested the action to be stopped right after being aware of the issue. Our company did not know about the gate and flight ticket security check as well as the detailed on-site security situation at the airport, but we feel deep moral responsibility for any unfortunate incidents that occurred in the process of the security work. We would like to apologize to all the passengers who experienced inconvenience.”
