Hybe's group &TEAM, launched in Japan, faced a wave of criticism following claims that fans' underwear was inspected at their fan sign event. In response, Weverse Shop said, "We sincerely apologize."

On July 9th, Weverse Shop, which hosted &TEAM's fan signing event, issued an apology saying, "We apologize to the fans who participated in yesterday's &TEAM face-to-face fan signing event, regarding the body security check conducted by a female security officer."

Weverse Shop stated, "Fan signing events are one-on-one conversations between artists and fans, and we have strictly restricted the entry of electronic equipment capable of recording and filming to prevent situations where both the fan and the artist might face difficulties due to leaked content." They further explained, "On the 8th, there were several instances of people hiding electronic devices on their bodies to bring them in. This led to a body security check by a female security officer, which caused discomfort to the fans who attended the event in good spirits."

The organizers continued, "No matter the reasons related to security, we understand that it should not cause inconvenience to our fans. We sincerely apologize for this happening on site."

The day before, there were claims among fans who attended &TEAM's face-to-face fan signing event that they had their underwear inspected.

Fans who posted on online communities and Twitter claimed they were subjected to body searches under the pretext of checking for electronic devices and even had their underwear inspected, alleging they were victims of sexual harassment.

Meanwhile, &TEAM is a global group that debuted last year under the affiliation of Hybe Labels Japan.

Here is the full apology from Weverse Shop:

Hello, this is Weverse Shop.

We apologize to all fans who participated on the scene related to the body security check conducted by a female security officer at the &TEAM face-to-face fan signing event on July 8th.

Fan signing events are a one-on-one conversation between artists and fans. We have strictly restricted the entry of electronic devices capable of recording and filming to prevent situations where the leaked content causes difficulties for both the fan and the artist. Many fans have actively cooperated with this over time.

However, on the 8th, there were several instances of people hiding electronic devices on their bodies. This led to a body security check by a female security officer, causing discomfort to the fans who attended the event with joy.

No matter the security reasons, we understand that this should not serve as a basis for causing inconvenience to our fans. We sincerely apologize for this happening on the scene.

Going forward, we will prepare improvements such as introducing non-contact methods for security checks and ensure that you can participate in fan signing events with the artists in a more comfortable and joyful atmosphere.

Thank you.

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