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Korea Herald
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Blackpink fans upset over blocked views at concert
Blackpink's long-awaited reunion lit up the stage for the group's new world tour under the banner 'Deadline' over the weekend, but for some fans, excitement quickly turned to frustration, as blocked views left them unable to see the show they were attending. Concertgoers took to social media to vent frustration over severely obstructed views during performances on Saturday and Sunday at Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province. 'There's no point in writing a review. You just can't see anything,' one fan wrote on X. 'This wasn't a 'restricted view seat,' it was a 'no view seat,'' another fan said online. Some compared the experience to 'watching a movie theater screen with a crowd,' without any actual view of the stage. The biggest complaints came from fans seated in section N3. Despite paying the regular B-tier ticket price of 132,000 won — around $97 — many said their view was almost entirely blocked by large screen structures placed near the stage. Officially labeled 'restricted view' seats were sold for a lower price of 99,000 won. Although the ticketing site included a warning about 'possible visual obstruction due to stage structures,' fans argue that what they experienced was not just a slight inconvenience, but a complete blockage of the view. According to local reports, some fans are considering filing complaints with the Korea Consumer Agency. Under Korea's consumer protection guidelines, concertgoers may be entitled to a full refund plus 10 percent compensation if the organizer is found responsible for significantly obstructing the audience's view.
Pink Villa
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Why are BLACKPINK fans calling Goyang concert a ‘total scam'? All about DEADLINE attendees who paid full price but saw nothing
BLACKPINK's much-anticipated DEADLINE world tour kicked off with a grand opening in Goyang, South Korea on July 5. It filled the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium with thousands of fans. They were eager to witness the group's return to the stage as a full unit. But for many fans who paid premium prices for tickets, the evening was anything but joyful. What was intended to be a celebration of music and performance turned into a source of anger and disappointment. The frustration was especially felt by those seated in the N3 section of the stadium. These fans discovered, upon arrival, that their view of the stage was entirely obstructed by a large central LED screen installed as part of the concert setup. BLACKPINK Goyang seat controversy: High price, no view The controversy centers around the pricing and classification of the N3 section. Fans seated in this area had purchased tickets priced at 132,000 KRW (approximately USD 98). They were under the assumption that they were paying for standard general admission seating. However, due to the installation of a giant screen, these seats were completely blocked from viewing any part of the main stage. As a result, fans couldn't see the special effects or even the group members themselves. To make matters worse, seats officially labeled as 'restricted view' were sold at a lower price of 99,000 KRW (around USD 73). Fans are now questioning why tickets with no visibility at all were sold at a higher price point than those with partial obstruction. Many argue that this wasn't a case of limited visibility, it was complete visual obstruction. It's something that should have been clearly communicated by the organizers ahead of time. N3 seat photos go viral Soon after the concert concluded, images taken from the N3 section began circulating widely across social media. These photos clearly showed the large screen placed directly in front of the seating area. It left no room to see the main stage. Attendees consider filing complaint Some fans have even started compiling documentation, including receipts, seat numbers, and photographs. It's to support official complaints to the Korea Consumer Agency and the Fair Trade Commission of South Korea. According to consumer protection laws in South Korea, if visibility is blocked due to the organizer's setup, ticket holders are entitled to a full refund plus 10% compensation. In past rulings, the Korea Consumer Agency has supported similar claims. It ordered refunds for concertgoers whose VIP seats turned out to be partially or completely blocked. BLACKPINK yet to respond As of now, BLACKPINK 's agency and the concert organizers have not issued a public statement addressing the controversy. With BLACKPINK 's tour continuing and fans watching closely, pressure is mounting for the organizers to acknowledge the error and provide fair solutions.
Korea Herald
21-06-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Alarmingly high sodium levels found in naengmyeon meal kits
Naengmyeon, or cold noodles, is one of the most popular dishes in Korea, especially in summer, but a government-affiliated agency warned Thursday that prepackaged naengmyeon products contain sodium levels far exceeding the recommended amount per meal. Nine out of 10 prepackaged products sold in the domestic market that were examined by the Korea Consumer Agency were found to have sodium levels exceeding half of the World Health Organization's recommended daily intake of less than 2,000 milligrams. Several of them had close to the 2,000 milligram threshold in a single package, including No Brand's mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in chilled broth) at 1,833 milligrams. One -- mul naengmyeon product from Chil Kab Farm Products -- had 2,969 milligrams. Pulmuone's bibim naengmyeon (cold noodles with spicy sauce) product was the only one that had less than 50 percent of the daily sodium intake, at 803 milligrams. On average, the sodium levels of five mul naengmyeon products were higher than those of bibim naengmyeon products, 1,999 to 1,270. The study found that most of the sodium came from the broth of mul naengmyeon and the spicy sauce in bibim naengmyeon. A total of 1,666 milligrams of sodium was found in the watery broth, challenging the conventional belief that it is the milder option. Sauce for bibim naengmyeon, which includes red pepper paste, sugar, vinegar and other ingredients, had 837 milligrams of sodium on average. But the noodles themselves, in both types of dishes, had fairly-low levels of sodium at 333 milligrams for mul naengmyeon and 433 milligrams for bibim naengmyeon. Although an average serving of naengmyeon provides 23-29 percent of the recommended daily calorie intake, a KCA survey of 1,000 people showed that many Koreans eat more than one serving per meal. In the survey, 50 percent said they eat a single serving per meal while 47 percent said they eat two, and 3 percent said they eat three or more. This would lead to excessive intake of calories and sodium in a single meal, and unbalanced nutrition since naengmyeon dishes consist mostly of carbohydrates. Researchers recommended that instead of filling up on an excessive amount of noodles, consumers should try to balance their meals by adding eggs, meat or cucumber slices, which are common toppings for naengmyeon.
Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Korea Herald
After SKT data hack, no. of malicious apps trying to hack devices spikes
Increasing number of hacking apps pretend to be Korea Consumer Agency, suspected to be 'organized distribution' South Korea is seeing an increasing number of malicious mobile applications disguised as state or private consumer rights agencies, in the aftermath of a massive hacking attacks against SK Telecom. Local cyber security company Everspin said Monday that its Fake Finder service that detects malicious apps has found a substantial increase in programs distributed under pretense of helping consumers, who were affected by the recent data breach made public on April 22. Detections of fake apps falsely named the government-affiliated Korea Consumer Agency had been fluctuating to peak at just under 400 times in April, but the number spiked as high as 671 times between May 11 and May 18. The fake apps used in voice phishing in which victims are told their devices have been hacked via phone and text message, and are encouraged to install the malicious applications as a remedy. The attacks involve fake apps, including one carrying the name of SK Shielders, a cybersecurity company that is part of the SK Group and controlled by the SK Telecom. According to Everspin, four different malicious fake apps have been used to illegally obtain personal information, one of which was designed to intercept calls made to financial authorities and police. "Apps similarly named to (actual companies and government agencies) have been consistently detected in the past, but the recent numbers clearly indicate an organized distribution riding on a certain social issue," the security company said. IIn one of the largest consumer data breach cases in Korean history, SK Telecom's systems have been breached by yet-unidentified group of hackers since June of 2022. It is thought that 9.82 gigabytes of sensitive SIM-related data related to well over 20 million users have been stolen by the hackers.
Korea Herald
25-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
S. Korea blocks sales of products recalled for safety concerns
Authorities have blocked sales of 1,336 items that were being distributed in South Korea despite being recalled overseas, which marked a 35.5 percent increase from the year before, the state-run consumer rights agency said Tuesday. The Korea Consumer Agency said that of the faulty items found to be sold here, 577 were caught for the first time while the remaining 759 were being redistributed after receiving warnings before. Of the 577 newly discovered faulty products, food accounted for 26.9 percent (149), electronic devices made up 25.8 percent (149), and children's items accounted for 14.6 percent (84). The KCA has been blocking local sales of items that have been recalled in other countries. The number of such products has been trending upwards in recent years from 807 in 2022 to 986 in 2023. The agency advised consumers buying products directly from overseas sellers to check whether the product had been recalled before via the Consumer Injury Surveillance System website or the Consumer 24 web portal.
