Celebrity

Tensions Flare as IVE's Manager Clashes with Media in Taiwan: A Protective Measure or an Assault?

Jun 24, 2023 | by Samriddhi Dastidar

Source Music Le Sserafim Sets New Record as 4th Gen K-pop Girl Group with 6 Consecutive Weeks on Billboard 200

A wave of controversy has hit the South Korean girl group IVE after their manager was involved in a physical altercation with members of the Taiwanese media. The incident occurred during their arrival at a Taiwanese airport for their much-anticipated performance at The Prom Queens concert, sparking debates online about the nature of the confrontation.

The dispute, which unfolded before a large crowd of media and the group's members, was caught on camera and released by Taiwanese media outlet Star ET Today. In the video, IVE's manager is seen vehemently requesting the media to step back, insisting the group needed to depart. The situation escalated as the paparazzi continued to take photos of IVE while the band entered the airport terminal.

The situation took a volatile turn when the manager reportedly shoved some media personnel. This move incited one media member to shout, "Don't touch me!" in response. An attempt to quell the mounting tension came from another IVE team member, who extended apologies to the media.

Le "#IVE" Arrivano a Taiwan……litigio in aeroporto.
#KPOP

Le "IVE" sono arrivate all'aeroporto di Taiwan il 23. Un membro dello staff delle "IVE" ( presumibilmente il manager) e un giornalista di un media locale hanno avuto un diverbio.

C’erano tanti giornalisti locali… pic.twitter.com/qlwDTJGScD — kpopWorldItaly (@kpopWorldItaly1) June 24, 2023

Since the news broke, fans and netizens have been in the throes of a fierce debate, questioning whether the manager's actions were an overstep or merely a protective gesture towards IVE. The incident has sparked broader discussions about the boundaries that celebrities and media should respect.

Support for the manager surfaced on social media platforms like Twitter, with one user defending his actions, stating that he was merely performing his duty. The tweet read, "Stop hating the manager for doing his job."

Another Twitter user dismissed any correlation between the manager's actions and the character of IVE's members, while endorsing the protective intent behind the manager's actions. The tweet read, "If I were manager nim, I'd throw hands; those media were literally blocking IVE airport buggies. Imagine you also got responsibilities to protect the girls as a bodyguard because there is none".

The incident has ignited an industry-wide conversation about the fine line between protection and assault, as well as the need for respectful interactions between celebrities and the media.