Korean culture has been known to be bright and colorful, and it transcends in the kind of music they make. More and more people around the world are getting hooked on the K-Pop addiction, some bands and groups already started doing world tour just to cater to their international fans.
However, members of K-pop girl band, Oh My Girl were detained at the Los Angeles Airport and were sent back to South Korea because of they lacked proper work visas, the LA Times reported. The eight-member girl group was held at LAX for more than 15 hours while being questioned by officials from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Representatives of WM Entertainment, the agency representing the group, released a statement saying that the group, which has several teenage members, was set to perform at an event in Los Angeles and do a photo shoot. They also said that since there were large amount of props, clothing and staff with them, airport officials suspected that the group may be sex workers.
However, an official with the US Customs and Border Patrol told the times that it's not true. The South Korean girl group was detained because they lied about the reason they came to the United States. The official said that the Band members were hoping to enter under a program that permits Korean nationals to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa.
When the customs agents went through their luggage, they found costumes and props, making it clear that they were there to perform. And in order to perform in the US, performers must have a P1 performance visa. "We were doing what we do every day," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Times. "We send people back all the time."
Oh My Girl was formed in March and released its debut single in April.
South Korea's K-pop scene, which has been exported with enormous success, is dominated by girl and boy bands whose members are sometimes as young as 13 or 14 years old.
