Airport safety for K-pop idols has always been a constant concern, as fans flooding airport waiting areas has become increasingly common, with the chaos reaching an alarming level. The members of BTS have repeatedly fallen victim to large crowds — inclu
The ARMY fandom has frequently spoken up, urging fans to show their support from home rather than gathering at airports, where they disrupt both the idols and public spaces. However, these pleas only seem to work on respectful fans. Now that BTS has begun taking on more activities again, the chaos at airports continues to be a pressing issue.
Most recently, on the morning of September 11 (local time), Jungkook landed in New York after a grueling 12-hour flight, only to be immediately overwhelmed by a mαѕѕive crowd of “fans.” Videos of the scene quickly went viral on social media, sparking a wave of anger among ARMYs.
In the clips being shared, despite the presence of bodyguards and security staff, fans can be seen trying to get as close to him as possible, shoving phones and cameras in his face, and even pushing each other to secure a spot nearest to him. The suffocating and dangerous situation was clearly captured, fueling concerns among fans and netizens over the idol’s safety.
To make matters worse, the exhausting flight was followed by a chaotic welcome. The loud screaming and disorder around him only seemed to make Jungkook look even more drained. Still, he politely nodded or gave a thumbs-up to interact with the fans who had gathered there.
This courteous gesture only made many ARMYs angrier at those who had disturbed Jungkook, questioning whether they felt any shame in light of the idol’s respectfulness, or whether they still believed that crowding the airport to “welcome” him was soмєтнing to be proud of. ARMYs also pointed out that these fans do not deserve Jungkook’s kindness.
Earlier, when Jungkook departed from Incheon Airport in кσяєα for his trip to the U.S., the scene was still packed, though a bit less chaotic and it was mostly journalists surrounding him. Regardless, having such large numbers of people crowding around clearly made him uncomfortable. If the departure was bad enough, the arrival was even more severe.
ARMYs flooded social media with comments on this hot topic:
- Give Him Space to Breathe!! What are you doing, guys?
- Can korea or individual airports start regulating / restricting behavior in airports? This is non-consentual and hes just a person trying to catch a plane.Those losers should be ashamed of themselves, they're not fans, they're stalkers - shove them harder, they don't deserve any respect. Imagine how tiresome this is
- Those losers should be ashamed of themselves, they're not fans, they're stalkers - shove them harder, they don't deserve any respect.
- Great to see serious strong body guards and Mr Lee being extra
- No dude....that not the behavior jk deserves after a whole 12hrs αѕѕ of long travel to us
- awww Mr. Lee so dangerous but that gesture was fitting for those who harαѕѕed Jungkook — it’s truly shameful that they call themselves ARMY
- people really don’t understand the concept of personal space, do they?
- Guys, he's tired, give him space and privacy.
- those girls SHOVING their phones into his face. WTF? Give them into jail
- why do u guys always shove phones in their faces RESPECT THEM WILL YOU
- I will never ever ever understand these "fans" pushing, screaming, pulling up their phones in his face like girl...
Meanwhile, other BTS members have also spoken up several times about fans gathering excessively and compromising security and safety. SUGA once shared that the reason he always rushes through the airport is because if he stays longer or walks slowly, the crowd of fans will cause inconvenience to other pαѕѕengers and make the shoving even more dangerous.
V, on the other hand, directly reminded fans on Weverse, saying: “ARMY, you know that right? It’s dangerous. Let’s be safe next time~.” He has also called for order, stating that airports are shared public spaces and not just for one person, during a subsequent live broadcast. He even suggested reviving the “Purple Line” — a fandom initiative designed to create a safe boundary between idols and fans at airports.
Perhaps it is time for the fandom to seriously consider bringing the Purple Line back, especially as BTS is expected to have a busier schedule in the coming months. On the other hand, this recent incident also serves as a wake-up call for fans around the world.
