"Does this really need to go up to 800 posts?" Seoul, Korea-NCT WISH, the popular K-Pop group, faces criticism following their recent fan sign event at COEX Mall in Seoul.

Security measures reportedly went too far, leading to accusations of mistreatment of fans.

The event, which was advertised as a "public" fan sign, was intended to be accessible to both fans and passersby at the bustling COEX Mall.

However, the reality at the scene was a stark contrast to the event's promotion, catching many off guard.

Videos on social media revealed security guards reacting aggressively to fans and even bystanders who attempted to capture the event on their cellphones.

In one viral video, guards can shout "Keep it moving" at fans trying to record the moment.

240728 위시 공팬 코엑스

개무섭다‼️ㄷㄷ
잠깡 폰 들었다고 몇명이‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/266sc8DZLU

— 츄 (@loveringcandy) July 28, 2024

240728 WISH Public Fansign COEX

F*cking frightening! Geez. Look how many react to me taking out my phone for a second.

- @loveringcandy/X

"I was shocked by how many guards reacted to me just pulling out my phone for a second," tweeted one fan, expressing their frustration with the overzealous security.

Another fan shared their distress at being told to leave an area near the event, despite having no intention of attending, only to be met with hostility from the guards, a situation many could empathize with.

코엑스 공팬 진짜 속상하다...
늦잠 자서 갈 생각 못하다가 하이디라오 예약 때문에 2시쯤 갔음
사이드 펜스 쳐져있는 곳 앞에 아무도 없길래 ?? 하면서 섰더니 바로 씨큐가 저리 가라고 함
그래서 머글인 척 뭐하는데요? 왜 서있으면 안 되는데요? 따지니까 아무말도 못하길래 걍 섰는데 내가…

— 먀 (@Qoo_yummy) July 28, 2024

I'm so mad about the COEX fansign event... I slept in and wasn't planning on going. But I had a Haidilao reservation, so I showed up around 2 PM. No one was near the side fences, so I walked over confused. That's when the guards told me to get out of there. I pretended not to be a fan and asked, 'What's going on here? How come I can't stand here?' The guards couldn't answer, so I stood my ground. As I kept standing there, some other fans came over to join me. The guards f*cking went off on them... I don't understand why the security guards are so hostile toward the fans who are the ones spending the money that pays them.

- @Qoo_yummy/X

In a particularly troubling incident, it was reported that security locked visitors inside a nearby gacha shop and threatened them with police action.

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The shop's patrons, many of whom were there to play games, found themselves trapped and photographed by security personnel.

This incident was denounced as a severe overreach and further fueled the backlash.

오늘 코엑스 공팬 팬싸공간 뒤에 가챠샵에서
안에 있는 사람들 못 나오게 한다고 냅다 가챠샵 문을 잠구고 그 좁고 답답한 곳에서 못 나오게 함. 그리고 팬싸 시작 전에 가챠샵 안에 있는 사람들 영업방해로 신고하겠다고 안에 있던 사람 얼굴 사진 다 찍어감 애초에 가챠 하러 온 사람도 있었는데요; https://t.co/ZvxIoSQEX6

— 🥨 (@onlyctinn1) July 28, 2024

The guards locked people inside the COEX gacha shop behind the fansign event space today. People in the gacha shop were confined to that small, stuffy space by the guards who insisted on stopping them from exiting. In fact, right before the event started, the guards even took pictures of the people in the shop, threatening to report them to the police for harassment. But people were literally there to play gacha.

- @onlyctinn1/X

Critics have pointed out that the event's planning, managed by SM Entertainment, failed to account for the implications of holding a public event in such a crowded and popular space.

Many argue that the heavy-handed approach contradicted the very purpose of a public fan sign, which is meant to engage both fans and the general public.

On social media, Koreans expressed their dismay at the situation.

Comments ranged from frustration over security's perceived abuse of power to disbelief at the event's poor execution. "Celebrities are not that big of a deal," one commenter wrote. "Stars need fans to exist. So what's with all the power tripping?"

• "WISH is from SM and NCT, but they're pushing through as if they're some big deal when they're not well-known? It's kind of funny. (Separately, it's definitely true that those security guards acted thoughtlessly."
• "If they're going to be like that, why even have a public fan sign?"
• "I went to COEX today and saw that they blocked off the escalator going down completely, causing a commotion... hahaha."
• "My mom is a fan of an actor, so we were waiting in front of the theater to see a stage greeting. When the staff started being rude like that, I asked why I couldn't stand in front of the theater while waiting for the movie I paid for. They said it might block the passage, so I asked, 'So if I keep standing here, is that okay?' They said yes, so I just stood there. It's ridiculous, fans are treated even worse."
• "It's really strange. They don't know who they are, so why are they reacting like that? They genuinely don't know who they are."
• "So why have a public fan sign? Is it because they don't have the money to rent a hall? The agency is ridiculous."

Others questioned the logic behind labeling the event public when it led to such negative experiences for attendees. "Doesn't this defeat the purpose of having a fan sign event be public?" another user asked.
"If it's going to inconvenience and mistreat people, they might as well make it a private one." This sentiment of disappointment was echoed by many. 

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KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.