Celebrating 25 years together, first-generation K-Pop group g.o.d has been on tour since November, performing in three cities around South Korea for their long-time fans.
g.o.d | Interpark
On December 23 (KST), g.o.d fans reported to EXCO for the first night of the Daegu leg of the tour. Despite the excitement to see the “OG K-Pop kings,” however, the fans confronted hardship after hardship…
Daegu EXCO | Herald Corp
…which the group and its concert preparation team are now being blamed for.
For one, fans who attended the concert called out the two-hour wait outside in the freezing cold. Pointing out that Daegu saw temperatures dip -8 degrees below zero (celsius), fans criticized the lack of consideration—though EXCO later explained that the inside waiting areas had been occupied due to other events booked at the venue.
Daegu temperatures in celsius. | theqoo
In addition, fans did not have enough lockers to store their personal belongings, including their thick-padded winter coats. This later led to fans crowding and overheating inside the venue, with some even passing out from the suffocation.
| DC Inside
[People Are Struggling In The Standing Section]
Someone shouted for help and the guards went running over. T-T
Comments
Yeah. I heard a handful of calls for help, too. This is a repeat of the Seoul concert nightmare. Terrified… T-T I don’t know how A Section was. But B Section was packed too full, so the fences had to be moved back. TWICE. It was so crowded. I saw a lot of people leaving mid-concert.
Fans also voiced strong dissatisfaction with the group selling “Standing Section” tickets located right in front of the seated sections, when EXCO as a venue does not have elevated sections.
| theqoo
[What’s Worse Than Making Fans Wait Outside In The Cold]
Image of the venue seating chart
“The people sitting in the sections I’ve circled have no view of the actual stage because of the standing sections in front of them. Even the screens are half-covered. It’s closer to a limited-view section. And the standing sections are super small. Yet people are being crammed in… It’s hell. I know for a fact that people are going to talk about this after the concert.”
This has caused fans who purchased front row seats in the seated sections—at the highest price points—to have little to no view.
| @domesticrabbit1/Twitter | @domesticrabbit1/Twitter
Fans shared that while the concert itself was great, the events leading up to the concert were disappointing and that the preparation could’ve been better.
Following the outcries from fans who attended, online posts flooded with comments demanding refunds. As expected, direct comparisons to Lim Young Woong’s concert preparation efforts were made.
| theqoo “Isn’t it their 25th year in the business? And yet, they failed to check the most basic of the basics in concert preparation?” “This sucks… Absolutely right to ask for refunds. Artists should really start thinking about the audience. The view. The sound. The overall conditions in the house.” “People should 100% get refunds for this. What the heck?!” “Idol fans shouldn’t keep putting up with this bullsh*t… This is so sad.” “It’s even worse because it’s not like g.o.d is new to the scene. The group has been performing outside Seoul countless times. It’s obvious that corners have been cut during concert preparation to save on the bills.” “I’m so confused. The venue knew the audience area wasn’t elevated. So how did the standing sections get approved to be in front of the seated sections?” “Yikes… This is the worst.” “You know, idols fans might have been forgiving in the past. But ever since Lim Young Woong and his concerts set the bar, and now we know that concert qualities can and should be improved… It lets us down even harder when things like this happen. Lim Young Woong had thousands of senior citizens in his audience and did not have a single incident.” “Oh, geez…” “Nah, this is not it…! Seats with limited views should’ve been notified beforehand. I can’t believe that’s the view that fans got from a VIP Section. Tickets should be refunded.” “I’m so glad I cancelled tickets last minute. What even is this?!” “You’d think after 25 years in the business they would know better and they would treat their fans with the utmost consideration. But nope… They’re just after the money.”
Earlier in 2023, trot singer Lim Young Woong gained a tremendous amount of attention from Koreans (K-Pop fans in particular) for providing the most thoughtful, “extra mile” features at his concert. His dedication to making his audience 100% safe and comfortable has since become the new standard for which the fans hope when attending performances.
| theqoo “Ever since Lim Young Woong’s concert, it’s hard for me to look past sh*t like this. Haha. Artists can make things better for the fans. They won’t, though, because it costs a lot.” “I’m a long-time fan of g.o.d, but this cannot be overlooked. The tickets were expensive, too. So disappointing. I guess my standards have risen since I’ve seen what’s possible at Lim Young Woong’s concert.” “Wants the money, but doesn’t want to treat the money spenders right. It sucks when the concert preparation team doesn’t get to work with a budget that makes sense. Poor fans.” “This is outrageous.” “Compared to Lim Young Woong’s concerts… K-Pop concerts are nonsense. It’s obvious idols don’t give a single sh*t about their fans.” “WTF…?” “Haha.” “What a f*cking joke! The fans spent so much money to be there, and they can’t even guarantee safety? And what even happened to the lockers?” “How long will K-Pop idol fans put up with being treated this way?” “Oh, no… T-T” “g.o.d knows better than to treat their fans like this.” “I’m sure g.o.d planned this themselves, since there’s no management involved.” “Tried to make this the most cost effective, huh?” “The artist should absolutely be held responsible for this.”
Read more about Lim Young Woong’s bar-raising concert preparation here.
Lim Young Woong’s “IM HERO” Concert Sparks Outcry Among K-Pop Fans
