K-Pop Artist Inspected by Bali Immigration, 2 Crew Deported

Having made a splash on the internet for filming in Bali, it turns out that these K-Pop artists have stumbled into immigration trouble.

The cast and crew of the upcoming South Korean reality show Pick Me Trip in Bali are currently stuck in Bali, Indonesia after local authorities learned the production team was filming without official permission, SPOTV reported.

The cast and crew, consisting of Hyoyeon SNSD, Bomi Apink, Dita Secret Number, and former IOI member Im Nayoung, arrived in Bali on April 21 and were scheduled to return to Korea on April 25.

However, their planned return was blocked by authorities in Bali, who accused the group of not having the proper permits for filming.

The cast and crew of around 30 people allegedly had their passports confiscated. They are currently staying in a hotel while the investigation takes place. According to SPOTV, they could return to South Korea as soon as possible next week.

After waiting for the inspection, the Instagram account @ditjen_imigrasi reported that the inspection had been carried out, and the result was that two reality show crews were deported.

Head of Ngurah Rai Immigration Office Suhendra said that based on the examination conducted by the Immigration Intelligence and Enforcement Division of the two crews, YJC and NJ were proven to have committed violations of abuse of immigration stay permits and also did not complete a film production permit by foreigners in Indonesia.

The event ‘Pick Me Trip in Bali‘ previously attracted a lot of attention, especially from K-pop fans in Indonesia, because Dita from the girl group Secret Number was caught on camera by netizens as a guest star of the event.

It looks like almost all of the K-pop artists and crew have returned to South Korea.

On Saturday, April 27, 2024, one of the performers, Choi Hee, uploaded three photos to her personal Instagram Story @choiheeann. 

In the first upload, Choi Hee uploaded a photo of herself with her child, captioning the photo, ‘I miss you so much. My babies. Business trip completed!!’

The mother of two is seen enjoying her weekend routine. The background of the photo looks like she is already in South Korea.

Then will the completed filming in Bali be shown?

Following news of the situation in Bali, South Korean media outlet Xportnews stated that KBS Joy, the television channel expected to air the reality show, did not comment on the investigation.

The statement, translated into English by Koreaboo, reads: “We have confirmed the program’s related content, but as for its official airing, it is still under consideration. It has not been confirmed yet.”

Hopefully, the filming results will be aired. It’s a shame because this reality show could be a good promo for Indonesian tourism. 

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