"Manager Featured on 'The Manager' Swings Fist at Fan... Excessive Celebrity Security Sparks Controversy Again"

"Got Hit While Just Watching," Video Released
"Violence Cannot Be Justified by Security in Public Places"

A manager of a boy group was caught on camera swinging his fist at a fan at Incheon International Airport, sparking controversy over excessive celebrity security.

[Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

This controversy began with a video posted on social media on July 31. The uploader, identified as A, shared the video along with a post titled, "Got hit by the manager from 'The Manager' while watching Zerobaseone."

The video shows the manager of the boy group Zerobaseone raising his fist toward fans at the airport in what appears to be a threatening manner. Immediately after, a loud thud is heard and the camera shakes.

A claimed, "The manager threw his fist indiscriminately without distinguishing between fans and ordinary passersby." A added, "I got a bruise on my elbow," and further stated, "It was absurd and threatening from the perspective of a regular person."

On that day, the airport was crowded with fans of various idol groups who were departing for 'KCON LA 2025.' Fans at the scene explained that the Zerobaseone manager reacted aggressively when fans blocked the departure route. The manager in question is known to have previously appeared on the MBC variety show 'The Manager.'

Online communities and fan cafes have been flooded with criticism, stating, "The airport is a public place, and violent behavior cannot be justified under the pretext of security." Some fans protested, saying, "We were just watching out of curiosity when we were suddenly threatened," while others described the incident as "an act of venting anger."

Such controversies over excessive celebrity security have occurred before. In July last year, an actor Byeon Wooseok's bodyguard was criticized for shining a strong flashlight at ordinary passengers in the Incheon Airport lounge. At the time, the video showed regular travelers barely reacting to Byeon Wooseok, which led to harsh criticism of excessive response. The security company later issued an apology and promised to prevent a recurrence.

There was also an incident where a fan of the group NCT Dream suffered a rib fracture after being pushed by a bodyguard. Another controversy arose when a bodyguard for Boynextdoor was caught on video pushing a fan to the ground.

In response, Incheon International Airport once announced plans for a dedicated entrance for celebrities but later withdrew the proposal. The plan aimed to reduce conflicts between regular passengers and fans, but it faced backlash for being seen as preferential treatment for celebrities. When it became known that related official documents were only sent to major entertainment agencies, accusations of discrimination against smaller agencies arose, leading the airport to scrap the plan altogether.

As controversy over excessive security at airports continues, calls for self-regulation are emerging within the entertainment industry. BTS member V recently said during a live broadcast, "The airport does not belong to us," and urged fans to help maintain order for everyone's safety. He also mentioned the 'Purple Line' campaign, which was voluntarily run by fans in the past, saying, "I hope such a culture can take root again."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.