HYBE "Checking the Facts" After BTS Fansites Raise Overseas Security Claims

HYBE is currently verifying the facts surrounding complaints raised by BTS fansites over alleged excessive security measures at overseas stops of the group's ongoing world tour.

A fansite recently issued a statement claiming they had experienced excessive searches and other treatment after being caught with professional camera equipment at overseas concerts. The statement included allegations of invasive searches, collection of personal information, confiscation of belongings and threats.

However, the statement did not specify exactly which incidents occurred at which concert venues nor which countries, thus making it difficult to immediately establish the circumstances surrounding each allegation.

Regarding the claims, HYBE told K-POPIT that it is currently “checking the facts.” The company is understood to be reviewing the details of the statement, including where the alleged incidents took place and what occurred at each venue.

The issue is also complicated by the way security operates at overseas concerts. According to industry sources, concerts held abroad generally operate under the regulations and security procedures of each stadium or venue.

This is particularly common across Europe and the United States, where venues typically have their own security personnel and established screening procedures rather than relying entirely on security hired directly by an artist's company.

As a result, the level of screening and the procedures used can differ considerably from venue to venue, even within the same tour. HYBE may establish rules surrounding its artists and performances, but that does not necessarily mean the company determines how local venue security carries out searches or handles prohibited items.

Professional cameras are prohibited at many overseas concert venues, and fans are expected to comply with each venue's conditions of entry. These entry requirements are rules that are usually provided through the venue's social media platforms and webpages. At the same time, the fansites have argued that their complaint is not simply about being prevented from using prohibited equipment, but whether the measures allegedly taken after they were caught went beyond reasonable enforcement.

For now, HYBE has stopped short of commenting on the individual allegations as it continues to verify the facts surrounding the incidents.