Members of Apink, Girls’ Generation and more have allegedly been “detained” in Bali, Indonesia after reportedly filming a show in the country without permit.
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Today (April 26), South Korean news outlet SPOTV reported that four K-pop idols – Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon, Apink’s Bomi, Secret Number‘s Dita and ex-I.O.I member Nayoung – have been detained in Bali, alongside other cast and crew members of the upcoming reality television programme Pick Me Trip in Bali.
According to the news outlet, the K-pop idols arrived in Bali on April 21 and were scheduled to leave on April 25. However, their departure from Bali was stopped after local authorities discovered that the show the was being filmed without appropriate permits.
All of the cast and crew, which amounts up to around 30 individuals, have allegedly had their passports confiscated and are currently residing in a hotel while the case is under investigation. According to SPOTV, the earliest they will be able to return to Korea would be early next week.
Citing an unidentified agency representative, SPOTV reported that the detainment was due to a “visa issue”, as translated by Koreaboo. The individual also alleged that they were “able to get in contact with [the cast and crew” as of yesterday evening” and believes that they “will be able to return following their investigation”.
“The cast members don’t even know why they have been detained. It’s frustrating that the production team is not sharing details about the situation in a reasonable manner,” the representative added. “I think we will understand the situation once the investigation is complete. We are working so that they can return to Korea as soon as possible.”
A representative from KBS Joy, the channel that is expected to air Pick Me Trip in Bali, said in a statement to Xportnews that it has “no connection with the production company that was filming in Bali” while also noting that the “broadcast of the program has not been finalised”.
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