Singer WOODZ bowed his head over the controversy about recruiting "unpaid staff" for his overseas tour concerts.
On the 8th, agency EDAM Entertainment said, "We are sorry that we did not thoroughly review the matter in advance." It added, "We will strengthen communication with local partners so the overall concert operations can proceed smoothly, and we will check more closely and review carefully."
Earlier, a job posting for staff for WOODZ's world tour "Archive.1" concert in Germany spread through an online community. The posting required a high level of qualifications, including proficiency in Korean, German, and English, experience with K-pop concerts, and knowledge of lighting and sound, yet listed "unpaid," "meals provided," and "able to watch the concert" as working conditions, drawing criticism.
In response, the author of the posting, who said the person was an acquaintance of the concert manager, offered an explanation, saying, "It seems they are recruiting unpaid volunteers in exchange for watching the concert. This could be a good opportunity for fans of the singer, so I posted this and would appreciate applications only from those interested. Interpreting is paid."
But public opinion was cold. Online, people said, "How can you watch the concert with peace of mind while working?", "The ticket costs 400,000 won, but the labor cost is 0 won," and "Make the concert unpaid, too," among other criticisms.