After JTBC’s survival program Project 7 went off the air in October last year, its seven-member group is now preparing for its launch in 2025 under the name Close Your Eyes (CYE).
Although the group has yet to debut under the UNCORE label, the septet is enjoying global popularity thanks to the solid fandom they have formed through the show’s airing.
In fact, even before their official entry onto the music scene, CYE were already included in the lineup of the 39th Golden Disc Awards which would be pre-recorded on January 4-5.
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Before the ceremony, the team reported to Incheon International Airport on January 2 to depart for Fukuoka, Japan, the site of the upcoming ceremony.
Incredibly, the group was expelled by a flock of fans who were sincerely waiting to catch a glimpse of them. Among the videos shared, K-Netizens publicized China-born Ma Jing Xiang the most, who also secured first place on the show.
Online users who saw the viral posts were touched to see so much support for the new boy group, so much so that the members were escorted by a security team to control the crowd.
Unfortunately, the situation became unpleasant after the Newsen newspaper revealed through a video footage that the woman with a black mask and long hair was supposedly a sasaeng and not a bodyguard, contrary to her actions.
“It’s funny. That woman wearing a black mask isn’t a staff member, she’s a fan girl,” wrote user X @/dduuuu__.
“This girl is originally a fan of BAE173. She is also taking the lead. At first I thought she was a staff,” one user commented.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen sasaengs act like staff,” another fan wrote.
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At the time of writing, the video has surpassed 10 million views.
Fans were disturbed by how poor safety was for CYE, urging them to push UNCORE to do their job better to avoid similar incidents in the future.
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