Wanna One Sasaengs Delay Flight And Cause Inconveniences For Passengers

A few Wanna One sasaengs have been the center of criticism after they delayed a flight and caused inconveniences for the passengers to see Wanna One.

“Sasaeng” is the Korean term for an over-obsessive fan that has engaged in stalking or other behavior that constitutes an invasion of privacy.

On December 15, approximately 360 passengers who were on a plane from Hong Kong to Seoul were forced to get off the aircraft right before takeoff. This was because 4 Chinese passengers known to be in their 20’s had gotten off the plane. According to airline regulations, if even one passenger gets off the plane before takeoff, a security inspection must take place due to concerns for dangerous items that could’ve been left behind in the plane.

On this plane were the Wanna One members, who had attended the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) on December 14. The 4 passengers had bought first-class tickets to see Wanna One up close and after seeing the idols in person, they insisted on getting off the plane.

Due to the disturbance, the plane was delayed by an hour and the 4 sasaengs who got off the plane received a full refund for their airfare.

One passenger on the plane left a review on an online community website explaining the situation and claiming that despite the complaints that arose due to the disturbance, the Wanna One managers did not apologize.

“Wanna One boarded the plane during the last call but the plane wasn’t taking off for a long time. Just as I was thinking it was weird, they announced that we must get off the place. Even when getting off the place, Wanna One and their manager were waiting separately at the exit of the plane.”

ㅡ Passenger 1

Another passenger also stated their frustration at the inconvenience.

“I was getting ready to sleep when they told us to take our luggage and get off. I was very annoyed.”

ㅡ Passenger 2

Some netizens thought it was the airline’s fault for allowing the 4 passengers to receive a refund for their airfare.

• “They act like that because they’re getting a full refund. If there was no refund, this would never have happened. They need to change the regulations and add punishment.”
• “This is a problem with the airline.”
• “Even movie theaters don’t give a refund right before a movie starts. Why are they issuing a refund?”

Other netizens believed that it was the fans’ fault for being inconsiderate and that Wanna One and their manager had no reason to apologize for the issue.

• “It’s the careless fans’ fault. Wanna One and their manager are also victims…”
• “The issue arose because of Wanna One but it wasn’t something they should be apologizing for.”
• “Why does the manager need to apologize? The damage was caused by careless passengers so they are attacking the wrong person. I also can’t believe the Hong Kong police didn’t investigate because there was no physical damage. The airline suffered material damage. Isn’t that an issue at all?”