SEVENTEEN K-pop performers and support crewmembers were denied entry to Saipan by U.S. Customs and Border Protection because they didn’t have a performing artist’s visa, Variety learned.
They arrived at 2 p.m. Wednesday and were sent back to South Korea on Thursday at 4 p.m.
The musical artists were supposed to perform in a free concert set for Oct. 28 and 29, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The event was organized by P&A Corporation in coordination with the Saipan Mayor’s Office.
“My concern now is how this is going to look on us,” Saipan Mayor David Apatang said on Thursday.
“This is not good news for us,” he added. “The way they were treated at the airport — they were separated and not allowed to talk to each other like prisoners. We are trying to promote our tourism industry, and yet the way these visitors were treated is not right.”
The…
