K-pop girl group denied entry to U.S. because border guards thought they were sex workers
TomoNews US
2015-12-14
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LOS ANGELES — A row has broken out between the management of K-pop stars Oh My Girl and U.S. border officials after the band was last week denied entry to the United States.
A statement by management company WM Entertainment said the group, whose eight members are aged from 16 to 21, were detained for 15 hours at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday before being sent packing back to South Korea after border guards mistook them for sex workers.
Authorities became suspicious because the group was travelling with so many "props and clothing," according to the statement, NBC news reported.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, however, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official told the Los Angeles Times that the band lied about their reason for visiting the country.
The official said the band was denied entry because they tried to enter as tourists under the 90-day visa-waiver program, when in fact they intended to work as performers.
But the group's management hit back, saying they "did not need a performance visa" because they were taking part in a promotional event and not performing a solo concert.
Oh My Girl was scheduled to play on Saturday at the Unforgettable Gala in Beverly Hills, an awards show that honors Asian Americans in the media.
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A statement by management company WM Entertainment said the group, whose eight members are aged from 16 to 21, were detained for 15 hours at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday before being sent packing back to South Korea after border guards mistook them for sex workers.
Authorities became suspicious because the group was travelling with so many "props and clothing," according to the statement, NBC news reported.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, however, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official told the Los Angeles Times that the band lied about their reason for visiting the country.
The official said the band was denied entry because they tried to enter as tourists under the 90-day visa-waiver program, when in fact they intended to work as performers.
But the group's management hit back, saying they "did not need a performance visa" because they were taking part in a promotional event and not performing a solo concert.
Oh My Girl was scheduled to play on Saturday at the Unforgettable Gala in Beverly Hills, an awards show that honors Asian Americans in the media.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.
Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: http://us.tomonews.net
Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj
Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f
Get top stories delivered to your inbox everyday: http://bit.ly/tomo-newsletter
Stay connected with us here:
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS
Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS
Google+ http://plus.google.com/+TomoNewsUS/
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