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On July 5, SM Entertainment finally addressed fans’ concerns regarding Girls’ Generation’s TAEYEON in an official statement on Twitter. The agency mentioned that they were aware of fans’ opinions and would work more thoroughly to take their concerns into account for the singer’s future promotions. However, the statement was met with skepticism as fans continued to express their distrust of the agency’s management.
The issue arose on June 23, when pictures and videos of protest trucks sent by fans to the SM Entertainment building went viral on the internet. It was an impactful way for fans to let their voice be heard about their discontent with how the agency was allegedly undermining the Girls’ Generation singer’s importance.
The protest demonstrations were specifically against the agency choosing only a 5,000-seat venue for her concert in Jakarta. Her other concert venues had nearly triple the seats and were sold out immediately as well. Fans claimed that the agency did not give the singer a chance to fully shine in Jakarta.
SM Entertainment releases an official statement addressing TAEYEON’s fans’ concerns
After being frustrated at the agency for organizing a small venue for the INVU singer’s The Off of Love concert in Jakarta, fans worldwide joined hands to protest against the same. They were also disgruntled with SM Entertainment for allegedly undermining the singer’s fandom and not giving her larger venues.
The protest trucks were first noticed on June 23, 2023. After nearly 11 days, SM Entertainment acknowledged the concerns and released a statement. It assured fans that they would support the INVU singer and keep "the many opinions" of fans in mind. Read their statement as translated by the Twitter account TAEYEON UPDATES (@309KTYSS) with over 194k followers below:
“Hello. This is SM Entertainment. Thank you to the many people who always wait for TAEYEON’s new music and activities with high expectations and excitement. We have checked the various opinions sent from fans regarding TAEYEON recently and would like to inform you about this. We are going to listen to the various voices of the fans about (TAEYEON’s) concert which is currently in progress and her future activities and will do our best to collect and reflect these opinions.”
The company added:
"Once again, we are deeply grateful for the fan’s affectionate rebuke and support and we promise to support TAEYEON’s music and various activities that will unfold in the future more closely. In the future, we will do our best for the growth and development of our artists and will repay the fans for their interest and support. Thank you.”
Fans skeptical about agency addressing their protests and concerns
Fans’ reaction to SM Entertainment’s statement was rather lukewarm. They mentioned that it was the "bare minimum" that they were asking the agency to do. One fan even mentioned that the agency had again resorted to using "vague words," while another emphasized their lack of efforts, saying that "they think it (the issues would be) solved just with a black-on-white graphic."
Check out how fans reacted with dismissive tones to SM Entertainment’s statement below:
Meanwhile, the INVU singer embarked on the solo The Odd of Love tour in June and has since performed in Seoul, Hong Kong, and Taipei. Her upcoming shows will be in Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, and Singapore.
