Taeyeon, Kai, and Monsta X Also Faced 'No-Shows'... What Happened at the LA K-Pop Concert?

Among 15 Participating Teams, 6 Could Not Perform Due to Visa Issues
Fans Angry Over Organizer's Same-Day Notice and Refund Restrictions

The 'KAMP LA 2022' concert held in Los Angeles (LA), USA, was a half-event as 7 out of the 15 performing teams could not take the stage due to a 'no-show' incident caused by visa issuance failures. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A large-scale K-pop concert scheduled to take place last weekend in Los Angeles (LA), USA, ended in chaos due to a 'mass no-show' by performing artists. The artists were unable to perform because they did not receive visas, and the organizers notified this fact on the day of the concert, causing controversy.

On the 15th and 16th (local time), KAMP Global (hereafter KAMP), a Korean entertainment company that hosted the 'KAMP LA 2022' concert, announced that about half of the 15 teams originally scheduled to participate?6 teams?would not be able to perform due to visa issues.

KAMP announced via Twitter the absence of BamBam, Jeon So-mi, Kai, Lapillus, Taeyeon, and Zion.T, stating, "Due to unforeseen visa issues, which are beyond the control of the artists and agencies, we learned that the artists cannot travel to the (United States) as planned," and expressed regret for having to share such news.

In particular, on the first day of the concert, an unprecedented situation occurred where 5 out of the 8 teams originally preparing to perform were absent. KAMP extended the performance times of the artists and urgently added two teams to perform on the second day. Thus, the first-day lineup included P1Harmony, T1419, Momoland, iKON, and Super Junior performing. The second-day lineup featured aespa, Chungha, Epik High, Momoland, Monsta X, T1419, and Zion.T. Monsta X's absence was later confirmed through their agency.

◆ KAMP Notifying Visa Denials to Performing Artists Without Detailed Explanation

K-pop stars need to obtain a separate performance visa to hold concerts in the United States because it involves commercial activities. Although the visa issuance process is generally complicated, it is unusual for the visa issuance procedures for multiple artists to be delayed simultaneously. KAMP did not provide detailed explanations about what problems occurred during the visa issuance process.

The approval process for performance visas for the artists participating in this concert was handled by the organizers. Taeyeon, Kai, and BamBam had coordinated in advance through communities and Twitter regarding this, but ultimately did not receive visa approval. Taeyeon and BamBam expressed their regrets to fans online.

The agencies of the artists who could not perform explained that KAMP handled the visa application process and that they cooperated with preliminary visa application work upon request, but they were only informed of the visa denial shortly before the concert.

SM Entertainment, the agency of Taeyeon and Kai, stated, "The organizers handled the performance visa approval process and cooperated in all aspects in advance, but ultimately did not receive visa approval," adding, "The organizers' delayed understanding of the situation prevented us from informing you promptly."

Taeyeon said through her Instagram story, "I waited so long and prepared a lot for this concert, so I feel empty," and added, "I only hope that fans are not harmed by this incident."

Starship Entertainment, the agency of Monsta X, also explained that the organizers handled the visa process, but since approval was not granted, the LA concert and the 'iHeartRadio Live' US schedule were inevitably canceled.

◆ Refunds Only Given to Audience Who Requested Within Organizer-Set Period

Despite the organizers' follow-up measures, fans' dissatisfaction is pouring out. The organizers announced that only audiences who applied for refunds within a set period would receive refunds: 100% for single-day tickets and 50% for two-day tickets. K-pop fans criticized KAMP for clearly having responsibility by notifying the absence on the day of the event but shifting the burden onto the audience.

Local fans also expressed dissatisfaction on official social media comments, demanding full refunds. Ticket buyers posted complaints questioning the fairness of the organizers setting refund deadlines despite their own mistakes.

Foreign media are also paying attention to this incident. The American popular music outlet Billboard pointed out, "The organizers predicted this concert would be 'the largest K-pop event in U.S. history,' but the plans changed rapidly."