Comparison to IU and BOYNEXTDOOR Unavoidable: Byun Woo-seok’s Apology Amidst Excessive Security Controversy in Just Three Days
Byun Woo-seok is facing the biggest crisis since his debut
On the 12th, while Byun Woo-seok was departing for a fan meeting in Hong Kong through Incheon International Airport, his security guards allegedly flashed lights at regular passengers, blocked certain airport gates to prevent others from using them, and checked the tickets of civilians in the duty-free area. These incidents stirred up online controversy.
As reactions escalated from excessive security concerns to human rights violations, the security company issued a statement to Xports News on the 13th, saying, “We apologize and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience caused to regular passengers. We plan to conduct thorough re-education for all security personnel to prevent recurrence.”
However, public criticism did not subside easily despite the security company’s apology. Since the direction of security could change based on requests from the agency and the celebrity, neither Byun Woo-seok nor his agency, Baro Entertainment, initially issued an apology. One netizen even filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission regarding the excessive security measures around Byun Woo-seok.
On the 15th, three days after the controversy arose, Baro Entertainment released an official statement saying, “We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to airport users during our artist’s departure at Incheon Airport on the 12th.”
The agency added, “We requested the security guard to stop the action of flashing lights at airport users as soon as we became aware of it. Although we were not aware of the detailed security situation at the gates and the ticket checks on-site, we deeply regret all the unpleasant incidents during the security process and apologize to those who felt inconvenienced.”
The public’s anger over the excessive security controversy surrounding Byun Woo-seok was fueled by previous similar incidents involving other celebrities who had directly or through their agencies issued apologies.
In December of last year, when a female fan tried to take photos of the members of the group BOYNEXTDOOR at the airport, a security guard pushed the woman hard, causing her to fall with a loud noise that drew everyone’s attention. KOZ Entertainment, the agency, issued a statement two days after the incident, saying, “We have separately apologized to the directly affected person and are checking on her physical and mental health and belongings. We have taken measures to ensure that the involved security personnel will not be assigned to our artists in the future.”
IU has also intervened directly when security guards pushed fans at the airport. In 2022, upon returning from the Cannes Film Festival, when security used physical force to block fans, IU requested, “Please don’t push like that.” When a reporter fell, IU also expressed concern, asking, “Are you okay?”
