Some Fans Bringing Large Cameras Disrupt Viewing
Controversy Arises Annually Over Outsiders' Access During Festival Period
Famous idols such as IVE have appeared at the university festival, causing conflicts between enrolled students and fans. Incheon National University, a national university, held its own festival, "Daedongje," for three days from the 7th to the 9th, inviting various singers to liven up the event. On the first day of the festival, IVE, Hi-Ki, CRAVITY, and An Sin-ae performed on stage, while on the second day, YB (Yoon Do-hyun Band), Jang Kiha, and Car, the Garden visited the school. On the last day, Park Jae-beom, Chungha, and Big Naughty performed.
Group IVE is posing at the '2023 SBS Gayo Daejeon' held on the afternoon of December 25 last year at Inspire Entertainment Resort in Yeongjongdo, Incheon. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Although the lineup was as spectacular as a year-end awards ceremony, difficulties followed. Fans of IVE who visited the school on the first day drew criticism for not adhering to the organizer's notice banning the entry of "daepo cameras" (large telephoto lenses). Earlier, Incheon National University announced that daepo cameras and similar equipment were prohibited during the festival, stating, "Prohibited items will not be stored separately," "If you leave to store prohibited items, you must rejoin the line at the end," and "If prohibited items are found after entry, you will be asked to leave," as prior notice. However, fans who did not comply reportedly raised their daepo cameras high to film the members, obstructing the view of enrolled students and other spectators. This led to conflicts among the organizers, enrolled students, and idol fans with daepo cameras. Despite warnings from the organizers, fans continued filming. There were also reports of shouting and verbal abuse during this process.
As this confusion arose, some students reacted with comments such as "Did we spend money to invite idols just for this?" and "Let's not invite idols at all." On the other hand, some opinions included, "Holding up phones blocks the view more than daepo cameras," "This is usually the atmosphere when idols come to festivals," and "Still, it would be disappointing if there were no celebrities."
Regarding this, Incheon National University told a media outlet, "We allow outsiders to watch the festival to promote community engagement. Daepo cameras were banned because they obstruct others' views, but some fans did not comply with the controls, causing this issue." They added, "We are not considering banning outsiders or celebrity appearances from the next festival," and "We plan to prepare measures to prevent such problems from recurring."
Recurring Controversy Over Outsider Entry During University Festival Season
Every year during the festival season, current students, who are the main participants of the university festival, repeatedly suffer inconveniences while enjoying the festival due to outsiders visiting the school. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Every year during the festival season, enrolled students?the true owners of the university festival?suffer inconveniences caused by outsiders visiting the school. Recently, with the university festival season underway, various social media platforms, including anonymous online communities, have seen posts complaining about past festival experiences, such as "Every year, I can't watch the performances because of outsiders," and "Please create a zone (student-only zone) where only enrolled students can enter during outdoor stage performances."
These posts have received much sympathy and support from many students. Some eyewitness accounts reported near injuries from falling after being mixed with outsiders or fights breaking out over seating disputes. In fact, some universities operate student-only zones under the authority of the student council, allowing only enrolled students to enter during stage performances. Last year, Korea University placed the student-only zone in front of the stage and designated areas behind it for outsiders to watch.
Sungkyunkwan University also introduced a ticket pre-reservation system last year, allowing enrolled students to book performances first. Remaining tickets were sold to outside spectators for 15,000 KRW. At Chung-Ang University, standing area wristbands were distributed to enrolled students to initially block outsider entry. However, some criticize that the name "Daedongje," meaning a festival where enrolled students and the local community come together as one, implies a spirit of harmony that should not exclude outsiders.
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