Early-morning shoot with loudspeakers, smoke effects prompts resident complaints, police intervention
Rookie boy group Keyvitup’s agency apologized Thursday for a disruptive early-morning video shoot near Incheon’s Jemulpo Wave Market.
The shoot, which took place at around 3 a.m. Wednesday with a large crew, featured music played through loudspeakers and repeated use of smoke effects.
"We took various measures to minimize inconvenience to residents during the shoot, but as filming continued late into the night, we failed to sufficiently consider the impact it could have on residents," Inkode, the agency behind the group, said in a statement.
"We sincerely apologize once again to the residents who were inconvenienced."
Featuring three Korean and two Japanese members, Keyvitup debuted in April and is set to make its first return in November. Its agency was founded in 2023 by singer and actor Kim Jae-joong and Noh Hyun-tae, a former vice president of Cube Entertainment.
In footage taken from a distance by a resident, staff can be heard giving directions over loudspeakers, including "Let’s try that one more time" and "We’ll use the smoke effect once more."
Residents said they received no advance notice of the shoot, nor had the production sought their cooperation beforehand.
"Productions have filmed around here many times before, but I’ve never seen one suddenly show up in the middle of the night and use loudspeakers," one resident, who said he had lived in the neighborhood for 10 years, wrote on Threads.
The shoot reportedly ended after residents called the police to complain about the disturbance.
Built in the 1970s, the traditional market has largely stood abandoned since its shops closed down beginning in the 1990s. Its aging storefronts and narrow alleyways have made it a popular location for films, TV dramas and music videos looking to capture a retro, timeworn atmosphere. The market is known for appearing in Korean films including "New World" and "Sunny."
Similar complaints over on-location filming have continued to surface.
In April, a drama production in Busan came under criticism for restricting public access to sections of the Gaegeum Culture Cherry Blossom Road, a popular destination for spring visitors, during the height of cherry blossom season, according to news reports.
The production team behind Tving series "Pyramid Game" also faced backlash in 2023 after filming equipment blocked sidewalks and a bicycle lane in a school zone during morning commuting hours.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
