The band Jaurim's agency stated that "the 'Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) connection theory' is not true." This comes as conservative netizens have been posting speculative comments, claiming there is a 'CIA reporting effect' regarding the postponement of Jaurim's concert in New York, USA.
On the 13th, Jaurim's agency Interpark Entertainment announced that the concert scheduled for March 22 at The Town Hall in Manhattan, New York, has been postponed to after 2025, emphasizing that "it has nothing to do with the CIA."
Interpark Entertainment also released a notice from The Town Hall, the local concert organizer, stating that it is an unexpected administrative delay. At the same time, it confirmed that "the existing concert reservation details (assigned seats and payment amounts) will remain unchanged."
Interpark Entertainment's explanation is a rebuttal to the speculative comments that conservative netizens have been posting in online communities about the supposed 'CIA reporting effect.' They claim that the CIA prevented Jaurim's entry.
Previously, conservative netizens reported Jaurim's vocalist Kim Yoon-ah to the CIA. This was sparked by Kim Yoon-ah posting a photo from a rally on her social media on December 14 of last year with the caption, "I hope a new Taeyang rises."
In addition, conservative netizens are reporting artists like IU, who participated in pro-impeachment rallies, to the CIA and certifying it in far-right online communities. There is an intent to report them as pro-North Korea or anti-American in order to cause disadvantages.
Interpark Entertainment's stance is that the reporting to the CIA and entry restrictions are completely false. This is because actual U.S. visa and immigration matters are not under the jurisdiction of the CIA. The U.S. Embassy in South Korea confirmed that "the CIA does not handle decisions regarding U.S. visa and immigration applications."
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Tae-yeol also responded to a question during a full session of the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee in December last year, asking, "Is it true that you cannot get a U.S. visa for attending an impeachment rally?" He said, "That can't happen. Is that even possible? That's a matter of sovereignty for those countries."