On March 30, photos of NewJeans filming on the streets of Taipei appeared on various online communities. This led to a huge, unexpected controversy.
NewJeans filming in Taipei | theqoo
After the photos surfaced, an alleged staff started commenting on related posts, saying that the project was a secret and, therefore, netizens must take down everything about it.
Sorry. Since this is a non-public schedule, do not share captures, repost, or even post your own photos or words about it. Our staff members worked hard to block people and close off the roads. While everyone’s excited, please also give us space to work. Please assist us. [Posting about this] would impact the schedule going forward, so please [don’t do it]. Thank you.
– Alleged staff
While fans spread the message and asked everyone to refrain from posting about NewJeans’ shooting, regular netizens were angry, as the group was filming on the streets, and the staff had no right to silence others on what they had seen in public.
NewJeans came to Taiwan to film, but they didn’t have the proper permits for road closures. They only had a temporary permit, but then the staff berated passersby. They didn’t do their job properly and were scared to get in trouble with the Korean side, so they emotionally blackmailed people in Taiwan. Remember to do your job properly next time.
– Netizen
A netizen who was on the scene spoke up about what happened. The netizen was getting out of a car when they spotted three vehicles seemingly belonging to celebrities, so they went to see who the celebrities were. Immediately, the staff screamed, “Please leave. Don’t take photos,” even though the netizen was still far away and didn’t have their phone out.
NewJeans filming in Taipei | theqoo
Additionally, a netizen witnessed a girl who lived nearby getting her phone checked by staff because she took photos. The staff also allegedly checked all cars and pedestrians who wanted to get near the area to ensure that they actually lived nearby.
Netizens were disgusted with the staff and fans’ actions, with a few also blaming NewJeans.
“What a hotshot.” “Can they get fined before they leave? Ridiculous.” “There’s a problem with both the staff and the fans.” “Besides the staff, fans need to take partial responsibility too. They went around lighting fires and asking people to delete posts. They even used threatening words. But in the end, they made the issue even bigger, the media reported about it, and even non-fans know about it now.” “NewJeans fans think too highly of themselves. Idols pay for the actions of their fans.”
Whether NewJeans’ project will be impacted by this controversy remains to be seen.
