“We couldn’t say anything for fear they’d kick us out.” Controversial “underwear check” at fan signing event

&TEAM. Official social media account of &TEAM

“Do they call it cleavage? They poked there and under the (bra) cup, and they grabbed our upper arms, too. They just pressed and poked the entire bra.”

A (22), who attended an in-person fan signing event of the idol band, &TEAM, on July 8, had to undergo an unexpected body search before climbing onto the stage to meet the band members. There was no prior announcement. The search was to prevent fans from recording their conversation with the band members with electronic devices hidden in their underwear. In a phone conversation with the Kyunghyang Shinmun on July 10, A said, “There was a notice that we couldn’t bring electronic devices with us on stage, but there was no announcement about a body check.” She explained that the event staff conducted the inspection by personally touching the chest area of all the people.

It was confirmed that fans had to undergo an “underwear search” to see if they were carrying any recording devices at a fan signing event of an idol band signed with a major South Korean entertainment company, HYBE Labels. The fans protested claiming that inspecting one’s underwear without consent to the search shamed the fans and violated their basic rights.

Weverse, a global fandom platform run by HYBE, organized an in-person signing event for the fans of the idol band &TEAM at CTS Art Hall in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on Saturday. The event organizers claimed there was a risk of conversations with band members leaking out due to recording devices carried by fans and began searching the bodies of some fans.

Over a hundred fans showed up for the event this day, and reportedly, they had to undergo random underwear checks. A string of posts popped up on social media expressing discomfort at the surprise body check. At one time, the “untouchables” emerged as a real-time trend on Twitter, a self-mocking expression meaning that entertainment companies and event organizers took advantage of the fans’ devotion to their singers and easily violated their human rights and engaged in gapjil--abuse of power. Fans who attended the signing event posted their responses on social media. “I was so ashamed.” “I had no choice and had to lift my clothes. Someone came in and saw me. I felt like my rights hit rock bottom.”

Citizens walk by the HYBE head office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on June 15, 2022. Han Su-bin

This was not the first time that an entertainment company or event organizer searched the bodies of fans at a signing event or a concert in order to stop them from bringing recording or filming devices. The excessive body search by security staff at the concerts of EXO, signed with SM Entertainment, in Manila, Philippines and North America in 2016 also stirred controversy.

Fans argue that the entertainment companies have the authority to let people enter or force people out of the signing events and concerts. Since it is difficult to personally meet the artists, it is not easy for fans to protest the unilateral decisions made by the organizers to control the site. A said, “In the last fan signing event, the entertainment company checked our pockets for recording devices and stopped us from taking the notes of what we were going to say with us when we went up on stage.” She further explained, “We spent over a million won to go to the signing event, and it was a hard-won opportunity to meet artists who don’t even come to South Korea that often. We can never say anything to the entertainment companies for fear that they might kick us out if we protest.”

When the event stirred controversy, Weverse, which organized the latest fan signing event, released a notice and said, “On July 8, there were multiple cases where people tried to enter with electronic devices hidden on their bodies. Thus, a security body check was conducted by female security agents, and ended up upsetting the fans who attended the event with happy expectations.” The company apologized saying, “We are well aware that even if it was for security reasons, it cannot provide grounds to make fans feel uncomfortable.” The Kyunghyang Shinmun left several messages with the entertainment company, HYBE, but did not receive a separate position on the issue.