On March 28, 2025, a strong earthquake in Myanmar affected neighboring Thailand, with noticeable tremors in Bangkok. The South Korean rookie boy group BOYNEXTDOOR (nicknamed "Doorman" by fans) was scheduled to hold a concert in Bangkok the next day, which was ultimately canceled due to the earthquake. However, the timing and manner of the announcement by the company sparked huge controversy.
Many Chinese fans who had arrived in Bangkok early claimed that the cancellation notice was issued later than the artists' return to Korea, and was even briefly deleted after posting, leading to a large number of Chinese fans being stranded or missing (involving suspicions of trafficking between Thailand and Myanmar), sparking an online uproar. As of March 30, the number of missing Chinese fans was between 40-50 people.
On March 29, 2025, according to Elephant News, the data at the time was about 40 missing people, with the youngest being 16 years old. The overall characteristics of the missing persons were mainly females aged 16-23, some of whom were suspected of being involved in trafficking.
Additionally, a 10-year-old girl traveling to Thailand attracted attention, but this has not been confirmed yet. Below, Chinese fans have spontaneously created a mutual aid document, updating the list in real-time by marking red (found) and white (uncontacted).
The concert organizers initially announced the cancellation immediately after the earthquake, but quickly deleted the announcement, only to reissue a formal cancellation notice after the members had already flown back to Korea.
The cancellation announcement stated only:
"The artists and staff are all in a safe condition."
This meant that many audience members who had already arrived in Bangkok—many of whom had flown in specifically from China—were not informed in time and were caught unprepared, stranded in Bangkok, facing dangers, or financial difficulties.
The company later stated that the concert was canceled due to safety considerations and expressed condolences to the people in the disaster area, but made no mention of the losses suffered by the audience.
Although the six members posted on social media saying "We hope everyone can return home safely," this response was seen as perfunctory by many fans due to its timing and lack of further action.
What was even more disheartening for fans was the rumor that the artist team hastily changed their flights to first class and chartered a flight back to Korea before the airport in Thailand was urgently closed, without any effort to soothe the fans on site.
According to on-site videos, members of "Doorman" were seen quickly leaving under security escort at the Bangkok airport. Anxious fans asked in Korean: "What about us?" However, the idols walked away with their heads down, without responding.
Many fans stated that the artist team chartered a flight out of Thailand before the airport closure, even taking over the shuttle resources booked by fans, without providing any comfort to those stranded.
Even more chillingly, there were reports online that fans at the scene asked the artists for help in Korean, but the members still hurried away without responding. This indifferent attitude led to a massive fan exodus, with social media hashtags like "#DoormanOver40FansMissing#" and "#DoormanBangkokCancelled#" trending high.
Public records show that "Doorman" BOYNEXTDOOR is a South Korean boy band launched by HYBE's KOZ ENTERTAINMENT on May 30, 2023, consisting of Park Sung-ho, Lee Sang-hyuk, Myung Dae-hyun, Han Dong-min, Kim Dong-hyun, and Kim Yun-hak.
As things stand, Chinese fans have summarized the entire event into a single image, as shown below:
After the incident fermented, the Chinese fan community demonstrated strong self-organizing capabilities, quickly establishing a mutual aid document listing shelters, flight rebooking information, material needs, list of missing persons, and self-rescue strategies. Many netizens shared related links on Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and other platforms.
Chinese expatriates in other countries stated that if fans passing through their cities on return flights needed help, they could offer free assistance and accommodation, showing the warmth of fan mutual aid.
Subsequently, organizers stated that through everyone's efforts, most of the stranded individuals had received guidance, with some successfully rebooking flights or returning to hotels to wait for departure.
Some fans even paid out of pocket to purchase drinking water and food to support others. Many netizens also spontaneously offered accommodation and assistance, reflecting the warmth of "overseas mutual aid."
Some fans who managed to return home stated that they would never blindly follow celebrities again, emphasizing that in critical moments, it is always Chinese helping Chinese.
The scene described above quickly spread on social media, naturally causing great disappointment and anger among the fan community.
They traveled to another country to support their idols, only to be left behind when disaster struck. The company's poor communication and the cold attitude of the idols contrasted sharply with the fans' expectations—
The core conflict highlighted by the concert cancellation is:
In a sudden crisis, the company and artists chose to prioritize their own safety, seemingly ignoring the safety and rights of the fans.
This approach has been criticized as "caring only about their own escape, regardless of the fans' lives and deaths," directly shaking the foundation of trust fans had in their idols.
Subsequently, as mentioned at the beginning of this article—more severe situations gradually emerged: due to communication chaos and transportation disruptions, some Chinese fans lost contact with their families in China from March 28 to 30. Social media platforms saw multiple posts seeking missing persons, with messages about "people missing" affecting everyone involved.
As the number of missing persons increased, family members and netizens in China spontaneously launched urgent searches online, still worried that these young people might become targets of criminal elements (concerns about the stranded possibly facing risks of abduction and deception).
Within just two days, related topics reached over a hundred million views and hundreds of thousands of discussions, continuously fermenting public opinion.
Of course, the operation of the mutual aid network also encountered some problems—criminals wildly speculated about trafficking and took the opportunity to scam money.
Since the "Missing Document" was publicly editable, a few false pieces of information were mixed in: some fans on site reported that the content of some posts seeking help was exaggerated or even fabricated, adding to the panic. There were also false reports of severe unrest in certain areas, causing fans in those locations to be afraid to go out, highly stressed.
Soon, there were also reports of financial scams spreading chaotically.
Several lawyers reminded that maliciously fabricating information could constitute criminal liability, advising those seeking help to use official platforms for assistance.
This incident also attracted legal attention. The cancellation of the concert falls under force majeure, allowing the organizers to be exempt from liability for breach of contract, but they should refund the ticket price. However, if additional losses were incurred due to delayed notifications, fans could claim compensation. However, cross-border rights protection is costly and procedurally complex, making practical operations difficult.
Ultimately, the additional expenses fans incurred for plane tickets, hotels, and other costs, as well as the rebooking fees due to the cancellation, are usually borne by the fans themselves—concert agreements often include such exemption clauses.
However, if it can be proven that the organizers were negligent in timely notification and response, leading to avoidable additional losses (such as the delayed announcement causing fans to miss the best opportunity to rebook), then fans have the right to claim corresponding compensation.
But in reality, the high costs of cross-border rights protection and the difficulty of gathering evidence mean that most fans can only resign themselves to their fate. Additionally, there are calls for companies to offer compensation or assistance out of moral obligation, such as helping stranded fans rebook their return flights or subsidizing some of the costs.
However, as of now, the management company has not mentioned any compensation plans. This shows that, on a legal level, the protection of fans' rights as consumers is still limited.
This incident exposed the inadequacies of emergency mechanisms: the lack of clear regulations for concert cancellations in the event of sudden disasters, and the absence of responsibility for audience resettlement by artist management. These issues require further reflection and improvement by the concert industry and legal community.
On the other hand, the responsibility of idols was also widely discussed online. Choosing to prioritize their own safety and coldly handling the demands of stranded fans during a crisis deeply disappointed fans. The inherently unequal emotional relationship between idols and fans, with the latter experiencing a psychological gap of being "abandoned" during a disaster, easily destroys the long-established trust bond.
Here, the cold responses from the company and artists were criticized as "idol disqualification," not only shaking the fan base but also damaging the team's image and commercial value.
At the same time, this incident also revealed the real risks of cross-border idol chasing.
Language barriers, unfamiliar environments, and sudden disasters can all put fans in difficult situations.
Especially for minors, the lack of emergency capabilities makes them more vulnerable to danger.
A 16-year-old fan went missing, and family members urgently sought people through social media, attracting attention.
This incident once again sounded the alarm for rational idol chasing, especially in terms of travel safety, where awareness and guardianship mechanisms urgently need to be strengthened.
Within the fan community, cultural differences also caused divisions.
Some Korean fans stated that the artists were not to blame, emphasizing that the company's decision prioritized protecting the artists;
while Chinese fans believed that both the company and the artists should be responsible for the stranded fans.
This clash of opinions highlighted the cultural differences between Chinese and Korean fan circles, also exacerbating the conflicts between them.
Korean fans, feeling that Chinese fans were overreacting, even left comments online accusing "Chinese fans of making a big deal out of nothing" and "as long as the idols are safe, why should fans fuss so much."
Angry Chinese netizens pointed out: "Korean fans care more about their idols' safety than their own lives, as long as the idols are safe, they completely ignore us fans who go through fire and water."
This turmoil also exposed the high dependence of the Korean entertainment industry on the Chinese market and its structural issues.
Although Korean idols have a wide audience in China, improper handling by the company can lead to the rapid loss of an important market
It is reported that the "Doorman" concert originally planned in Hong Kong has encountered a lot of resistance, with ticketing platforms under intense public pressure, and subsequent arrangements facing uncertainties.
In summary, the "Doorman" incident was not just an unexpected concert cancellation due to a disaster, but also a comprehensive crisis revolving around idol responsibility, fan rights, industry ethics, and cross-border risks.
It reminds us: Although the passion for chasing stars is precious, awareness of safety and responsibility is indispensable; the idol economy indeed relies on fan support, but it must be based on sincere responses and effective mechanisms.
Only when fans are more rational, companies more responsible, and idols more empathetic, can they achieve mutual success on future stages.
Otherwise, those negative examples of "escaping first in the face of trouble" are merely directing their own downfall.
