HYBE Under Fire For Alleged Sexual Harassment During Fan Undergarment Search Before Fansign Events

An online community garnered much attention after fans posted their experience at the most recent &TEAM offline fan sign event. Although conducting a body search is necessary for the idol’s safety, knowing when to draw the line is just as important. Let’s take a look at some of the encounters fans’ had to endure to meet their idols.

아니 살다살다 팬싸에서 브라자 검사하는 경우는 또 처음봄 울엄마도 안만지는 내 가슴을 팬매누나들이…………

— bbok (@bbokbogi) July 8, 2023

Wow, it’s the first time in my life that I’ve had someone check my bra at a fan sign event. My mom doesn’t even touch my breasts…

실제로
가슴좀 만지겠습니다-
하고 갑자기 만져짐당함 https://t.co/mGTa0mrKGt

— bbok (@bbokbogi) July 8, 2023

They actually say, ‘I’m going to touch your breasts now” and suddenly touch them.

이게 성추행이고 범죄라는 생각을 어떻게 아무도 안 할 수가 있지? 가슴좀만지겠습니다 <- 난생 처음보는 문장이라 헛웃음 나옴 https://t.co/Xl4y14NIfk

— 쪽 (@ferretlover_) July 8, 2023

How can anyone not think that this is sexual harassment and a crime? ‘I’m going to touch your breasts now.’ I literally laughed out loud because this is the strangest sentence I’ve ever read.

윗가슴 꾹꾹 눌러보더니 밑가슴도 꾹꾹 눌러보고 거의 애무급으로 열심히 만지길래 존나 당황해서 하, 그건 제 가슴이에요… 이럼 https://t.co/Sd2K5LWf45

— 아카 (@chukiatte) July 8, 2023

They pressed my upper breast then my lower breast, it was almost like they were caressing them. I was so shocked I said, ’This is just my breast…’

가슴좀 만질게요 하고 갑자기 손날자세로 가슴골을 만지더니 윗가슴 아랫가슴 다만져보고 와이어 아닌거같은데 막이럼 하 그리고 뭐 숨기고 올지 모르니까 자리에 다녀오는거 절대안된댄다.. https://t.co/Ymz8eknsK9

— Ayu! (@haruaotaku) July 8, 2023

They said they would touch my breasts and then used the side of their hand to touch between my breasts. They touched both upper and lower breasts and said they didn’t think it was wire. They also didn’t let you go back to your seat after the search because they think that you might hide something and bring it when you come back.

아니근데진짜 속옷검사ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
가슴 좀 만진다면서 만지시다가;; 워치죠? 하면서 날 끌고감 끌고가서 작은 공간으로 날 데리고 가더니 옷을 올리라는거야.. 밀어붙여서 어쩔 수 없이 올렸는데 어떤분이 문 열고 들어오셔서 내가 속옷검사 당하는걸 봄^^ 너무수치스럽고 인권바닥 된 기분이었어요.. https://t.co/MJsdfYNLqP

— 카비 (@kogaKfan) July 8, 2023

Wow the undergarment search….they touched my breasts and asked, ’It’s a watch, right?’ and dragged me to a smaller area and told me to lift my shirt. I felt pressured so I did as I was told but then someone opened the door so some random person saw me while getting searched. I was so embarrassed and it felt like my human rights were at rock bottom.

없…어?< 씨발이거진짜개등신머저리같다 제정신이 아님 얘네 멤버들 싸인 받는곳 바로 옆에서 이지랄한거잖아요ㅋㅋ 다른 곳에서 만지작거렸다 해도 합리화 되는건 아니지만 https://t.co/rOXCokAPBJ

— huru (@joversclub) July 8, 2023

Anonymous poster: Does this even make sense? I had nipple patches on and the bra checker was so annoying…they touched my breasts and back and said, ‘Nothing?’ and acted like a pervert…and I said in a soft voice, ‘I have on a nipple patch…’

Response: ‘Nothing?’ F*ck such a stupid idiot. They are not in their right minds. They were doing things like this right next to where the fan sign was held. Although even if they did this somewhere else, their actions wouldn’t be rationalized.

진짜 좋은 날에 이런 말 하기 싫은데 전 셔츠 입었는데 가운데 띵동 하더니 셔츠 사이로 손가락 헤집음;; 이런 추행은 개또라이들도 잘 안 합니다…

— popo. (@popoaskrj) July 8, 2023

I don’t want to say this on such a nice day, but I was wearing a button-up shirt and they pressed the middle of my shirt and said, ‘Ding dong,’ before putting their hands to touch me. Even crazy idiots don’t harass people like this…

Fans and netizens that saw the post were in shock and hoped that they would file for sexual harassment.

• “It seems like more accounts of sexual harassment from the fan sign have posted online. It’s already crazy to just touch them, but it seems like what they’ve done is even more severe. This is sexual harassment. What do they think female fans are?”
• “I can’t believe all those fans just went with it and were assaulted by the staff.”
• “This is so dirty I hope they all report all this right away next time.”
• “Wow isn’t this sexual harassment they should just report it.”
• “Are they going to meet kings? This is unbelievable.”
• “I’m a bit cautious to say this but HYBE did this back when BTS did world tours too. It seems like it’s been going on continuously since then. Sexual harassment is a crime and there are victims.”

Netizens are appalled at the violation of human rights that is happening at fan sign events. They are hoping that these encounters and experiences will reach many people so that they can shed more light on this so that proper punishment can be conducted.