In two incidents involving two different SM Entertainment groups, the agency has found itself in hot water regarding its insufficient management of idols at airports.
The first incident involves NCT 127 member Jaehyun.
On September 4, the group made its first public appearance since Taeil‘s scandal, arriving at the Incheon airport to travel to Jakarta for a fanmeeting. While waiting for the flight at the airport, Jaehyun was spotted lying down on the public benches in the lounge.
On the same day, pictures of aespa member Winter surfaced at an airport in the US, where she was seen crouching on the airport floor surrounded by her shopping bags, as she presumably waited for her flight.
These were unusual sights for idols of Winter or Jaehyun’s stature. The norm, in such cases, is for management to arrange for private waiting rooms for idols. Hence, SM Entertainment came under fire as many fans felt that they fell short of providing the right facilities for their artists. Many also argued that resting in such public areas put the idols’ safety in jeopardy, especially due to sasaeng fans.SM Entertainment has not responded to the criticism as of yet.
