The Seoul International Drama Awards have come under heavy criticism from K-Pop fans following the treatment of two prominent acts, ZEROBASEONE and N.Flying’s Hwesung, during the event. Fans are expressing outrage over what they see as disrespectful behavior toward the artists.
ZEROBASEONE made time to attend the awards show despite their busy schedule with an ongoing world tour. However, their performance was reportedly cut shockingly short, leaving fans disappointed. One member in particular, Ricky, had his entire part overshadowed by a commercial break, further frustrating viewers.
240925 ZEROBASEONE GOOD SO BAD #ZB1 #제로베이스원 #ZEROBASEONE pic.twitter.com/zKFmUmy4qc
— ㅇㅇㄴ🍀 (@ahnwana) September 25, 2024
all of ricky’s parts got cut by an ad.. what kind of an award show invite an artist but dont even give them the airtime they deserve?
— rae (@0520RICKY) September 25, 2024
between zb1’s packed schedule with the world tour ongoing, they still show up to the Seoul International Drama Awards but their already short performance gets CUT SHORT. this is outrageous
— jian ⋆⭒˚.⋆ (@shimrick__) September 25, 2024
Fans pointed out that the group’s appearance felt rushed, with the members quickly running on stage, performing without any formal greeting, and immediately exiting.
Everything was so hurried, ZB1 literally sprinted on stage, performed without any greetings, and ran off of the stage again.
Also the fanclub of N.Flying was sitting next to us in disbelief because they spent hours waiting just for their group to be cancelled last minute… https://t.co/kQJPHscVO7— Just a Rose (@Zerose_ars) September 25, 2024
The situation surrounding N.Flying’s Hwesung has caused further uproar. His performance—one that fans were eagerly anticipating—was abruptly canceled at the last minute due to delays at the venue. In a now-deleted statement, Hwesung’s label explained that the performance was scrapped due to “delay issues” and offered an apology to the fans who had been waiting.
We regret to inform you that the congratulatory performance for the 2024 SBS Seoul Drama Awards, scheduled for today, has been canceled due to delays at the venue.
We sincerely apologize to all the fans who have been waiting, and we kindly ask for your understanding once again.
— N.Flying via X (formerly known as Twitter)
The statement has now been deleted from X (formerly known as Twitter). However, Hwesung himself clarified the situation to fans in a message.
Yoo Hweseung: “I don’t know all the details either. I was just backstage because it was my turn, but then I suddenly heard that the stage was canceled and that my turn was skipped. So, I hurriedly went home… I don’t really have much I can say about it. More than that, I feel bad for the friends who came to see me from the morning and had to keep waiting… I couldn’t properly take care of them, and I’m sorry.”
The mishandling of both performances has led to widespread anger online, with fans demanding a formal apology from the event organizers. Many are questioning the treatment of the beloved artists, particularly given the considerable effort they made to be present and practice their performances.
