ENHYPEN Reportedly Left Hurt, Scared & Crying After Being Mobbed By “Fans” On First Airport Trip
ENHYPEN may not have made its debut yet, but the members have already accumulated a huge fanbase from their time on Mnet‘s I-LAND. However, no one could have predicted the chaos that ensued during the group’s first airport trip today—and global fans are furious.
It’s been just over a week since ENHYPEN’s lineup was announced on the finale of I-LAND, and the group has already drawn in an unprecedented number of fans. Most of the members received over 1 million votes each, and within eight hours of launching their Twitter account, they already had 500,000 followers.
안녕하세요 #ENHYPEN 입니다.
Hello~! we are #ENHYPEN pic.twitter.com/BqnAyJK040— ENHYPEN OFFICIAL (@ENHYPEN) September 19, 2020
The group’s streak continued with their first live broadcast, which was watched by over 1.07 million viewers.
So, as ENHYPEN visited Gimpo Airport in Seoul today to board a flight for a schedule in Jeju Island, it’s no surprise that their trip drew in a large audience. Of course, no one expected that the members would find themselves mobbed by the airport crowd.
The scene was so hectic, even news outlets like Newsen described it as “chaos“.
Reports from Korean fans at the scene paint an even worse picture. According to some, several members were violently pushed, Ni-Ki became separated from the rest of the group, and Jake was reportedly left crying during the ordeal.
Shocking footage taken at the scene also shows Jake falling or collapsing after being swarmed and blocked from entering the group’s vehicle.
Judging by images and videos, many in the fandom believe all the members appeared scared and shaken.
Allegedly, sasaengs (stalker fans) were also able to get a hold of the members’ boarding information and seat numbers, booking tickets for their flight.
Naturally, numerous fans—both Korean and international—were angry and upset to see how the members’ very first experience at the airport turned out.
Since the group is yet to debut, many are also arguing that the airport visit should have been considered a “private schedule”, labelling fansite masters who attended as sasaengs (stalker fans).
PSA: here are some fansites that invaded @ENHYPEN_members privacy. They were on a private schedule, but these fansites still leaked their flight details which resulted in our boys being harassed at the airport. #PROTECTENHYPEN #RESPECT_ENHYPEN pic.twitter.com/mWLL8PisFF
— jae⁷🥚 (@heeseungsteeth_) September 26, 2020
Fans also praised the group’s manager, who appeared to be doing his best to physically protect the members from harm.
Within an hour of footage surfacing, #ProtectENHYPEN trended at #1 worldwide on Twitter, calling on the group’s agency, BE:LIFT, to create a safer environment for the members.
bighit & belift maybe if you start hiring bodyguards that can actually do their job ???? push the stupid saesangs, tell them to not give a single fvck.#PROTECTENHYPEN
pic.twitter.com/ws7KQlcX16— ✜ iya (@choicentre) September 26, 2020
Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the company to respond. Shortly after, BE:LIFT uploaded a “Fan Etiquette Notice” to Weverse detailing exactly how ENHYPEN fans should behave to “protect the rights of the artist“.
In the guidelines, the agency prohibited fans from visiting private spaces and schedules unannounced to the public. Fans who break these rules will be removed from the premises and asked to delete their audio and video recordings.
BE:LIFT also warned against stalking the ENHYPEN members, buying or selling their private information (including phone numbers and flight information), and blocking them from entering their vehicle.
[안내] #ENHYPEN 팬 에티켓 안내 (+ENG)https://t.co/BT1piSS1A8
— BELIFT LAB (@BELIFTLAB) September 26, 2020
In the hours since the event took place, several ENHYPEN fansites in attendance have deleted their preview photos or deactivated their accounts.