Taeyeon Joins Her Fans In Calling Out SM After They Canceled Her Japanese Concert For Questionable Reasons
Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon shared a statement from fans and raised her voice alongside them in response to the way SM had handled the cancellation of her Japanese concert.
Taeyeon was scheduled to hold the Japanese concert “TAEYEON CONCERT – The TENSE in JAPAN” on April 19 and 20 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, as part of her Asia tour.
However, on the 17th of April—just two days before the concert—news broke that the concert was suddenly canceled due to equipment transportation issues. The agency stated, “We are currently transporting equipment being used for the Asia tour to Japan, but as of now, it has not arrived in Japan. It is difficult to sufficiently prepare to proceed with the concert.” They continued, “We have repeatedly discussed with related parties and explored all possibilities, but came to the conclusion that it would be difficult to hold the concert in perfect condition. We deeply apologize for causing great inconvenience to everyone who had been eagerly waiting for the concert.” They added they were reviewing the possibility of a replacement concert and said, “We will inform you again once further details and plans are decided.”
The next day, Taeyeon also expressed her upset feelings and apologized through her fan community platform. She said, “When the news of the Japan concert being canceled came out, I was worried about SONE (fandom) and felt so bad. I don’t know what to say or how to say it. I hate this situation so much and I’m sorry to SONE.” She also expressed, “My concert, which was created through everyone’s efforts and expectations, disappeared in an instant and feels like it was stolen. I don’t even know how to express this feeling of emptiness and futility.”
In connection with the Japan concert cancellation, Taeyeon’s global fan union issued a statement, demanding an apology and compensation from SM Entertainment. They requested feedback regarding the unilateral and insincere cancellation notice and criticized SM Entertainment’s lack of response and evasion of responsibility afterward. They also demanded: proper disciplinary action against the responsible party, an official apology and statement, concrete compensation for the affected fans, transparent operation to prevent similar incidents in the future, and a clear stance on upcoming concert plans.
Taeyeon posted the statement on her SNS. Although she did not add any additional text, it is interpreted as a sign that she is standing with fans and raising her voice against the agency. She also uploaded the English version of the statement to her Story.
Meanwhile, Taeyeon kicked off her Asia tour in Seoul from March 7 to 9, and successfully held concerts in Taipei, Manila, and Jakarta. While the Tokyo concert was unfortunately canceled, she is scheduled to meet local fans in Macau on April 26, Singapore on May 3–4, Bangkok on May 31–June 1, and Hong Kong on June 7.
Source: (A)
