A fan collapsed from exhaustion.
Koreaboo
Fans of BOY NEXT DOOR were left frustrated and concerned following a recent pop-up event in Seoul organized by the group’s agency, KOZ entertainment (a subsidiary of MOVES). Held on January 10, the event attracted over 1,000 attendees on its opening day, but quickly became a source of controversy due to poor planning and serious safety concerns.
A major problem was the lack of advance registration, which forced fans to wait in line for hours just to secure on-site reservations. The method proved chaotic, as some fans resorted to lining up overnight in sub-zero temperatures, with overnight lows reaching -10°C (14°F). Unfortunately, a fan who had been waiting in the freezing cold collapsed and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Ambulance called to BOYNEXTDOOR pop-up shop after fan faints
The aftermath of the event sparked outrage online, especially after KOZ Entertainment released a statement highlighting the large number of attendees without addressing the issues that arose.
BOYNEXTDOOR organizes a pop-up event with official characters… 100 visitors on the first day
—StarNews
[기사] BoyNextdoor holds a pop-up with the official font “Pnekdo”… 1,000 people visited on the first day
> https://t.co/PQQBSPELvI#BOYALLACHANT #Boynextdoor #BND
— KOZ ENTERTAINMENT OFFICIAL (@KOZ_Entofficial) January 11, 2025
Many fans and netizens perceived this as company boasting, ignoring the dangerous conditions and logistical failures that had put fans at risk.
Criticism of HYBE and KOZ Entertainment quickly gained traction, with posts on popular Korean forums like Instiz highlighting the companies’ lack of preparation and disregard for fan safety. The incident has raised questions about event management and whether companies prioritize profits over the well-being of fans.
- “Crazy….”
- “Honestly, for something so poorly organized, it doesn’t even look like they had a huge crowd or cleared the mess with the media game.”
- “LOL, KOZ is also part of HYBE so.”
- “I can’t seem to like myself because of these inhumane viral tactics.”
- “HYBE treats people as if they are not human. He’s fine with it.”
