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On September 30, clips of ZEROBASEONE’s Ricky being surrounded by a massive mob while on a personal schedule went viral on X. These videos showcase how the 19-year-old idol looked visibly uncomfortable as several people with cameras seemed to be up in his personal space.
One of the clips posted on X by user @jellyun725 received 651k views at the time of writing. In it, Ricky is seen surrounded closely by people on the escalator. The video was also recorded from a close angle. Additionally, he kept his face down and slightly nodded, possibly in response to something that a fan said.
"Caption translation: Am I seeing this right?..."
The clip attracted major online backlash from many Korean and international fans. They commented on how people “forget idols are humans too” and invade their personal spaces.
ZEROBASEONE’s fans shocked to see alleged sasaengs mobbing and lining up outside the restroom to meet Ricky and others
ZEROBASEONE has made headlines for their achievements ever since their official debut in July with the album YOUTH IN THE SHADE. As a group made from a survival show, ZB1 (the short form of the group’s name) amassed an impressive, loyal fandom that can be seen based on their album success. Their first album broke the record for the highest pre-ordered K-pop debut album and was the first-ever debut album to cross one million copies.
The In Bloom singers have also been in the news for getting mobbed a handful of times in the past. However, the most recent case was when Ricky and Zhang Hao, along with some other members, as per fans, were out for dinner. Several clips went viral, especially one in which Ricky seemed to be trapped on the escalator with people.
Another photo that spread like wildfire on X and attracted backlash was a group of people waiting outside the restroom for the ZEROBASEONE members. They were hurdled up right outside the entrance of the washrooms. The photo was shared by X user @haobin0706 with the caption:
“Nooo… WTF? Are these people out of their minds? Where are their common sense? SIGH. This is so stupid, isn’t it? To follow idols to the bathroom? This is stalking. Do schools not teach them manners? This gives me chills…” (translated via Koreaboo)
Another clip posted by the same X user showed people following Zhang Hao and Ricky as they walked. All the clips and the photo went viral on the microblogging platform, leading to severe criticism from both Korean and international fans. They called the people “sasaengs,” a term used for obsessive fans who stalk celebrities.
While some fans called the act of waiting outside the restroom “scary” and “embarrassing,” others were of the opinion that ZEROBASEONE’s company, WAKEONE Entertainment, needed to take strict action against the alleged sasaengs.
Many also mentioned that Ricky seemed “uncomfortable” and that the people did not give him “space to breathe.”
At the time of writing, no official statement was made by WAKEONE Entertainment regarding the issue. ZEROBASEONE’s leader, Sung Han-bin, earlier revealed that the group will be making their first comeback on November 6.
