i-dle member Yuqi has landed in hot water after expressing frustration about having to purchase concert tickets for her friends with her own money.
Yuqi appeared on the YouTube channel “TEO” alongside fellow member Minnie for the show “Salon Drip” on the 13th. During the conversation, host Jang Do Yeon mentioned to Minnie, “I heard you generously spent 10 million KRW (approximately $7,060) out of your own pocket to invite 100 acquaintances to your concert.”
In response, Yuqi chimed in saying, “Minnie has her own zone,” explaining that “when we have concerts in Thailand, her family, acquaintances, and friends all gather in one place.” She continued with her grievance: “There’s something I don’t understand. Isn’t inviting people to concerts a good thing? I don’t get why we have to pay out of our own pockets for our own shows.”
Yuqi further complained, raising her voice that “(The agency) only gives us four free tickets each, and we have to purchase the rest with our own money.”
Jang Do Yeon suggested, “Why didn’t you include that in your contract renewal terms?” to which both Yuqi and Minnie replied, “We totally forgot.” Minnie lamented, “We’ve already renewed our contracts, so it’s too late. We still have three years left.” Yuqi added, “Thanks for giving us the tip. I’ll talk to the company about it.”
However, after the video was released, debate erupted among K-pop fandom circles. Netizens commented: “If more free tickets are given out, that naturally reduces paid seats and drives up ticket prices. Won’t the cost ultimately be passed on to fans?”, “Why want all those free invites if your job is a singer?”, “Fans spend a lot to secure seats. Asking for more freebies shows no understanding of fan loyalty,” “Are fans just suckers? Don’t you care about the money fans spend?”, and “If that’s how you feel, why not just hold free concerts?”
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