EXO Kaohsiung Fan Sign Event Sparks Controversy; Legislator Huang Chieh: 'Fans Shouldn't Be Forced to Kneel'

(Central News Agency, reporter Wang Yang-yu, Taipei, 3rd) A fan sign event for the K-pop group EXO scheduled for July in Kaohsiung has sparked discussion after a simplified Chinese poster circulated online, which allegedly stated that a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (台胞證) is required to purchase tickets. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator and Deputy Secretary-General of the DPP Caucus, Huang Chieh, said today that fans should not be forced to 'kneel' to chase stars, and that she has discussed related legal amendments with the Ministry of Culture and the Mainland Affairs Council to protect the rights of fans.

Taiwanese fans discovered that the simplified Chinese poster for the EXO offline fan sign event featured two platforms: 'Xiaomang,' a derivative brand of China's Mango TV, and 'FANME.' Some netizens also posted online that a Chinese phone number and a Mainland Travel Permit were required to buy tickets. The Taiwan-based organizer, FANME, issued a statement on the 2nd, saying that the ticket purchase method has not been finalized and that its shareholders and funds are all from Taiwan.

DPP Caucus Secretary-General Fan Yun and Huang Chieh held a press conference to address public concerns. Huang Chieh stated that according to her understanding, the EXO fan sign event and the concert are organized by different entities and are different in nature. The concert is legal and compliant with no issues, but the fan sign event currently appears to be organized by 'Xiaomang,' which belongs to the Hunan Broadcasting System.

Huang Chieh questioned whether Hunan Television, a company directly managed by the Hunan provincial government, means the related activities involve a Chinese Communist Party, government, or military background. Fans are also worried that this platform might be used to collect personal data for China, and that registration might even require a Mainland Travel Permit. If such things occur, she said, it would indeed cross Taiwan's national security red line.

Huang Chieh said that FANME contacted her yesterday, stating that the current online information is not official and that details for the fan sign event have not been released. She noted that she has recently received many similar cases where Chinese-invested entertainment companies hold performances in Taiwan, causing fans to be suppressed and forced to 'kneel' while chasing stars. She said she absolutely does not support these situations and has discussed with the Ministry of Culture and the Mainland Affairs Council, hoping to amend laws to protect the rights of Taiwanese fans. (Editor: Wan Shu-chang) 1150603