Controversy Over How K-pop Fans Are Treated at Idols’ Events: Infringement of Human Rights vs. Artist Protection
Was it a violation of fans’ human rights or an unavoidable measure to protect artists from excessive fans?
Recently, controversy arose over allegations of sexual harassment during a face-to-face fan signing event of &TEAM, an idol group under HYBE Japan. The controversy added fuel to the fire, as there have been previous incidents raising suspicions of disrespecting fans’ dignity.
This has sparked a heated debate between those who believe K-pop fans’ rights have been disregarded and those who argue that it was an inevitable response to protect the artists.
Fans who attended &TEAM’s recent fan signing event exposed the situation on Twitter. They complained, “I have never seen underwear inspections at a fan signing event before. Fan managers touched my chest, which even my mother doesn’t do. Treating us as potential criminals, thinking we might hide smartwatches in our underwear,” and “While touching my chest, they asked, ‘Is this a smartwatch?’ and then dragged me to another area, forcibly lifting my clothes. Someone opened the door and saw me being inspected. It was so humiliating, and I felt my human rights were violated.”
As the controversy escalated, HYBE issued an apology to fans through Weverse Shop, “Fan signing events are meant to be a space for one-on-one conversations between artists and fans, and to prevent the leakage of recorded content, strict restrictions on the entry of electronic devices capable of recording and filming have been in place.”
They explained, “Eight days ago, there were multiple cases of fans attempting to secretly bring in electronic devices, and to verify this, security body checks were conducted by female security agents. We apologize for making the fans who attended the event uncomfortable.”
HYBE also expressed regret and mentioned that they would prepare improvement measures, even introducing a non-contact method for security searches, citing security reasons, to minimize inconvenience for fans.
However, despite the agency’s apology, fans continued to express their anger, “Is it okay for women to be subjected to body searches?” and “How will they compensate us, and what specific improvements will they make?“
Prior to this incident, there have been several incidents that have ignited the anger of K-pop fans. In May, a security guard for NCT Dream was prosecuted for allegedly pushing a female fan and causing her to suffer a fractured bone at the airport.
The security guard pushed away the fans who had crowded around NCT members, and during this process, a woman in her 30s hit a wall and suffered a fractured skull, resulting in a diagnosis of five weeks of displacement.
During a Wanna One concert in Singapore in 2018, there was controversy when a security personnel grabbed the hair of fans who were taking videos and photos, displaying excessive protective behavior.
In response to the controversy, the concert’s organizer stated, “We requested immediate deletion for any fan who violated the rules during the concert. If any staff members engage in violent behavior, they will be disciplined.“
In 2016, during an EXO concert, there was an incident where a fan claimed to have been sexually harassed. The security guard said they needed to touch fans’ chests because they might be hiding cameras. Due to the exposure of this incident, SM Entertainment stated, “EXO’s fandom receives stricter management compared to other artists because it consists of younger fans.“
Excessive protection measures for idols can lead fans to feel humiliated or harmed. On the other hand, there have been several cases where immature behavior by some fans has harmed not only the artists but also other fans. From a company’s perspective, they must control fans as much as possible to minimize any potential risks to the artists.
Regarding this matter, opinions among people in the music industry are divided.
One industry insider said, “Even though it’s for the purpose of protecting artists, it’s also necessary to show basic respect when dealing with fans, as times have changed.” They added, “These days, fans freely record and film during video call fan signing events. If an artist makes a slip of the tongue during a face-to-face fan signing event, it’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t make mistakes during video call events. Doing a ‘body search’ because of that seems unwarranted.“
Another industry insider said, “If fans feel it’s sexual harassment to the point of discomfort, it’s the company’s fault for not controlling the situation properly. However, fans are also at fault. If the company tells you not to do something, then simply don’t do it.”
They continued, “There are only a few fans who engage in excessive behavior that goes against the rules set by the company. In that case, it’s unfair for those who followed the rules.“
They expressed disappointment, “There are many fans who adhere to basic etiquette, so it’s unfortunate that the perception of K-pop as a whole is influenced by a small number of individuals.”
Source: naver
