Controversial Video Of Wanna One Fans Passing Out Because Of Crowded Concert
A video of fans fainting and having to be removed from the standing area at a Wanna One concert has brought up the issue of overcrowding at K-Pop concerts.
The video was taken at a Wanna One concert in Korea in 2017. It showed a collapsed fan being removed from the standing area after she fainted from overcrowding.
The video reads, “Can you see the person being carried away because of breathing problems?”
It also shows the crowd pushing and shoving left to right, with the original poster calling it a “surging wave”.
It reads, “With no breaks in the crowded space, there’s a surging wave ㅠㅠㅠㅠ.”
The OP said they had attended three Wanna One concerts in Korea in 2017, and each time the standing area was :hell”. It was so overcrowded that they couldn’t breathe and were unable to focus on the performance.
“There were 5 times more people admitted than the maximum capacity they were supposed to allow. The fans ended up being like chickens in a coop and they proceeded with the concert. The fans were all shoved left and right, it was a huge mess.” — OP
It was so crammed that there was no way to get out of the crowd, and the lack of water was a big issue.
“You couldn’t even go to the washroom and you can forget about drinking and eating. I still remember I reached my arm forward and almost got my throat torn from screaming at the security to get me water.” — OP
According to a security guard at a concert in Busan, Wanna One’s promotional agencies oversold tickets and forced too many people into the space.
“I was standing at the side during the Busan concert and there was this security guy in front of me and I got close to him because we started talking. He told me that the standing area was supposed to be 1 pyeong (~3.3 square meter) for 5 people, but instead, for the Wanna One concert, they filled the whole 1 pyeong with as much people they could fit because of Wanna One’s ticketing overselling…. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ” — OP
The security guard also admitted that a few people from standing area 1 and 2 had to be evacuated because they couldn’t breathe.
“That’s not all, I still remember seeing foam forming in the corners of some people’s mouths around me and fainting in front of me.” — OP
And those affected were let back in without any first aid.
“The funny part is that the people who left later wanted to enter again and the security just said ‘Okay, go in.’ ㅋㅋ Is this a joke????? They’re not going to give at least some first aid? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ” — OP
It isn’t a new issue – fans say overcrowding has been a problem for a long time.
“I’ve seen this being raised too many times, they really have to start listening to the public’s opinion. Their agency is so blinded by money they would do anything to ignore us. Fans are fainting, but no one is taking responsibility for it.”
“I’ve never attended other concerts besides Wanna One’s, so I just assumed that all concerts were like this, but apparently not ㅎㅎ No but I didn’t even attend a concert, but a festival, it was so bad. It was so tough, I couldn’t even see the kids’ faces and I couldn’t even hear their voices either…. ㅋㅋ ㅠㅠ I’ve also been pushed by the waves of fans too. I even lost my shoe!! I was there to see Wanna One, but once I arrived home, I was so confused that I couldn’t even remember a thing that I saw. Even if you’re in the standing area, you won’t be able to see their faces, so I just looked at the screen. I thought I was just watching a fancam the whole time if not for the goods they gave. What’s the issue? Just the ticketing felt like a war, it was too intense. I know … I know that they’re super famous right now, but there are lots of fans who didn’t end up succeeding in the ticketing too. And the tickets are so expensive… And can’t they make the venue bigger? The standing area is so hard???”
“Agencies aren’t going to quit this sh*t until, god forbid, something goes seriously wrong.There are literally hundreds of incidents worldwide of people being suffocated or trampled to death in overcrowded venues. Hell, back in 2014 in Korea at least 16 people died at a K-Pop concert when 4Minute were performing because of overcrowding which caused a grate to break.”
“This should be illegal. Please, I want us to be treated as humans and have a concert where everyone is smiling. I don’t want to see the kids’ shocked face seeing the fans being evacuated because they fainted.”
“We need to get this out in the open. The agency is blinded by money.”
Wanna One’s upcoming concert in Seoul has been announced at a larger venue, but with experiences like these, some fans are questioning whether they will go again.
“They announced that this year, Wanna One’s Seoul concert will be held at a bigger venue, but it’ll be standing again …. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I don’t know if they’re joking or not, I don’t know if I’ll go again but I know that it’ll be a life/death situation again…” — OP
Some netizens, however, are pointing out that how fans act plays a huge role in the enjoyment of the concert.
“In the end, how the fans behave will definitely play a huge role.”
“There is one kind of concert where I know I can be safe and protected, it’s for metal bands. No joke. Big dudes with tattoos WILL help you stand up if you fall/got disoriented. Infinitely polite and respectful. Best concert crowd I’ve been to. 10/10 will do it again if given another chance. K-Pop fans on the other hand tend to be rabid and pushy. Won’t give a shit if your feet are stepped on or you are pushed into the railings. Goes to show you really can’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
