Former K-Pop Managers Reveal Why It Is Sometimes Necessary To Push Fans

K-Pop managers don’t have it easy. They’re personal assistants, drivers, bodyguards, and more all in one go. Most of all, they’ve been subject to various controversies through the years.

YouTube channel AYO invited two former K-Pop managers to talk about their work in detail.

Besides discussing their low salary and their duties and responsibilities, they also clarified one of their biggest controversies—assaulting fans.

Baek Kyung Jae explained that the most he used to do when he was a manger was to push unruly fans who didn’t follow instructions.

I don’t do physical fights but I would push them. Young students tend to not follow our orders because they want to see their idols even if we tell them to keep their distance. Then there’s a physical fight.

— Baek Kyung Jae

If they continue to refuse to give distance between them and the idols, managers must stand their ground. Because idols themselves can’t tell fans to move away, managers have to do it for them. It is their way to ensure that accidents don’t happen.

A lot of dangerous situations happen at the scene to idols and managers—more than you think. Idols can’t be like, ‘Don’t come!‘ to defend themselves when fans came to see them. But we need to prevent accidents so it might look that way.

— Nam Yoon Jae

Baek Kyung Jae concluded, “To fans, please observe good manners and geek out.”

Learn more about idol managers in the full video below!