HYBE staff criticized for touching chests & checking underwear of &Team fans attending fansigning events

Fans who attended the offline fansigning event of HYBE Labels Japan’s global boy group &Team expressed frustration.

On July 8th, &Team held a face-to-face fansigning event and spent time communicating with fans closer. That day, the members appeared in school uniforms showcasing their diverse charms and individualities.

Fansigning event is such a good opportunity for fans to see their favorite idols right in front of their eyes. However, some &Team fans came home with bad experiences. 

After the event, some fans posted on SNS complaints pointing out the attitude of HYBE staff. All of them revealed that HYBE staff searched their bodies and even touched their chests.

They said, “It was the first time I saw staff checking fans’ bras at a fansigning event”, “They really touched my chest out of a sudden after saying ‘I’m going to touch it a little bit’”, “I was so shocked because they touched me too much that I thought they were giving me a massage”, etc.

Fans claimed that staff checked their underwear because they were afraid that they might secretly bring Apple Watches or electronic devices inside to record the event.

A fan confessed, “They touched my chest and asked, ‘Is it a watch?’. They took me to a small space and told me to lift my shirt”, adding “I had no choice but to do as they said. While I was lifting my shirt, someone opened the door and saw me getting checked. I felt so embarrassed and I believe that it was a human rights violation”, etc.

In addition, other fans were also bewildered by the rules that they were not allowed to bring ‘fansigning goods’ (items for idols to use/wear at fan signing events) with feminine designs. 

Meanwhile, &Team is the first global group introduced by HYBE Labels Japan. They made their official debut on December 2022.

With its first mini album “First Howling: ME”, &Team topped the Oricon Chart and Billboard Japan. The group even won ‘Best 5 New Artists’ at the 37th Japan Gold Disc Awards only a month after their debut.

Source: Insight