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ENHYPEN’s fans, called ENGENEs, had their experience of a hi-touch event ruined when one fan refused to move ahead in the line, leaving others to have a rushed meeting with the members. The Future Perfect (Pass the MIC) singers were among the many that participated in KCON in Los Angeles held from August 19 to 21.
The incident happened with Jake, who was the last in line to meet fans. One fan was seen taking more time than usual while engaging in a conversation with Jake. The security personnel had to escort her out. Twitter user @slaypen captured it on camera and posted it on her feed.
Fans who were present at the scene recalled their experience, saying that other ENGENEs waiting in line were rushed throughout because of the initial delay caused by the fan. One fan even mentioned that her friend did not get a chance to greet ENHYPEN at all.
A hi-touch event is where fans get a chance to meet and greet idols up close for a few seconds. The idols stand behind an acrylic glass, as a preventive step for COVID-19, and fans meet them one by one while walking.
These hi-touch events offer dedicated time for artists and fans to interact with each other. One hiccup can result in fans not being able to fully experience the meet and greet, which unfortunately turned into a reality for many ENHYPEN fans.
ENHYPEN’s hi-touch event in KCON 2022 was a bittersweet experience for fans
KCON 2022 in LA attracted 90,000 fans with a thrilling lineup and even more exciting performances. From featuring a surprise by Baby Rexha performing Break My Heart Myself with ITZY’s Yeji and Rujin to idol interactions that touched the fans’ hearts, the three-day music festival emerged as a successful event making up for the time lost in the pandemic.
ENHYPEN was one of the groups that gave an exhilarating performance and had a hi-touch event scheduled with fans. Since Sunoo was diagnosed with COVID-19, the event was only attended by six members.
One fan ended up taking others’ time to meet the group as she stayed longer than her dedicated time to talk to Jake. The incident left not just the fans waiting in line to meet the members angry, but also made the ones watching it on their screens upset.
Fans expressed their disappointment on Twitter, especially after many came forward to mention that they were rushed throughout the event after the incident.
Some fans also claimed that another ENGENE made a problematic scene at the event. Twitter user @jaehyun444 shared that a fan was ready to pay 1000 USD for a chance at the hi-touch to tell Jake that her daughter “needed” to marry him and deserved it.
Most of the comments regarding the incident comprised fans calling them “weird” and “embarrassing.” Some even said that they need to “gatekeep” Jake, since both the incidents involved him.
In other news, the Tame-Dashed group threw the first pitch at an LA Dodgers game on August 19 in honor of the Korean Heritage Night.
