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Girl group i-dle under fire after saying artists should be given unlimited free tickets

Published: 14 May. 2025, 14:42 Updated: 15 May. 2025, 17:59

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Girl group i-dle, formerly (G)I-DLE, poses for photos at a red carpet event at Incheon Inspire Arena on Dec. 25, 2024. [NEWS1]

Girl group i-dle, formerly (G)I-DLE, came under fire for claiming that artists should be able to give out unlimited seats to their friends for free.

The comment was made by member Yuqi during an appearance with fellow i-dle member Minnie on web entertainment show “Salon Drip 2,” posted on YouTube.

In response to a question by host of the show Jang Do-yeon’s question regarding the news that Minnie had spent 10 million won ($7,060) of her own money to invite 100 friends and acquaintances to the group’s concert, Yuqi said that “there is something I don’t understand,” adding, “It’s our concert, so I don’t get why members have to buy tickets with our own money.”

“We can only get four tickets per person for free, and the rest have to be paid out of pocket with our own money,” Yuqi went on.

When Jang followed up the question by asking why the members don’t include a clause about tickets in their contracts with the agency, Cube Entertainment, Minnie replied, “I don’t know why we didn’t think of that,” saying, “There are three years left until we renew our contacts — it’s too late.”

Netizens and fans responded coldly to the comments made by i-dle members during the appearance, pointing out the members' dissatisfaction with spending their money to invite friends and acquaintances while fans spend high amounts to attend concerts as inappropriate.

Girl group i-dle members Yuqi and Minnie on the web entertainment show ″Salon Drip 2″ [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“These comments were possible because the members think of the concerts as wholly and only theirs,” read one comment. “How can they think it unfair that they pay for tickets when they are putting on concerts that involve the efforts of staff and various company officials, and supported by fans?”

Other netizens pointed out that some fans cannot attend concerts even if they want to, due to high demand, and some said that the members were treating fans like “third wheels” at concerts.

i-dle debuted in 2018 and has released hit songs such as “Latata” (2018), “Tomboy” (2022), “Nxde” (2022) and “Queencard” (2023), and recently changed its name from (G)I-DLE.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]