Event organizer MyMusicTaste issued a statement on Sunday following claims by Korean K-pop fans of discrimination at EXO’s latest concert tour.
MyMusicTaste, the local organizer of EXO’s recently concluded North American EXO’luXion tour, issued a statement denying claims of harassment or discrimination based on race made by Korean fans attending the North American tour. The post was shared on MyMusicTaste’s official social media accounts following fan accounts in Korea perpetuating rumors of discrimination against Koreans attending K-pop concerts in the United States.
“We take false claims regarding discrimination or harassment of any kind very seriously,” said MyMusicTaste’s statement. “Our legal team will be reviewing all security footage from the venues. Should there be any misconduct, we will take legal responsibility. However, any false accusations will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law whether it be in Korea or in the US.”
According to posts circulating on Korean fancies and Internet portals such as Pann, Korean fans were strip searched for hidden cameras at EXO concerts in North America and treated differently than non-Korean concertgoers. The posts, written by Korean fans of EXO, alleged that Korean fans were singled out for harsh treatment at the hands of security guards throughout EXO’s North American tour while Chinese, Japanese, and North American fans were held to different standards while Korean fans claimed to have been subjected to strip searches and removed forcibly from the venue.
Comments on MyMusicTaste’s official Facebook claim that Korean fans were spreading the rumors to discredit the passion of North American K-pop fans.
At the final stop of EXO’s North American concert tour in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday night, there was ample security without apparent issues aside from an enforced bag check. None of the alleged strip searches were apparent at entrances to the venue; fans were asked to walk through metal detectors and check large bags and backpacks.
Prior to the Newark concert, MyMusicTaste’s rep Stacy Nam spoke to KpopStarz about the overall security situation and reports of unruly crowds at other stops of EXO’s North American tour.
“We have medics and security at the venue, however we need the cooperation of attendees to help make it safe and enjoyable for everyone,” said Nam. “If individuals refuse to listen to the rules or respect venue authorities and fellow fans it makes our job that much harder.”
DSLR cameras were strictly “prohibited” from all stops on the tour, according to Nam, while there were several concertgoers at the Newark event who were able to bring cameras and lenses by hiding them beneath their clothing.
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Tamar Herman is a multi-media journalist and the co-founder of KultScene. She is a freelance writer and copy editor, and has written for MTV Iggy, Noisey and Paste Magazine.
